Waste
Waste generated by cities is accumulating in the environment, compromising health, and leaving a dubious legacy for our descendants. We need to reduce waste by reducing the production of materials likely to become waste (especially hazardous materials), and finding ways to reuse or safely dispose of materials we do generate.
Readings
Towards Zero Waste
Zero Waste in 10 years - An Integrated and Comprehensive Waste Elimination Strategy. Nature Conservation Council NSW - Policies
Aims:
- zero waste generation.
- zero waste disposal.
Hence:
- Reduce total consumption of material and energy resources.
- Move toward a waste-free society as an integral part of Ecological Sustainability.
- Maximise self-sufficiency at a local level.
- Promote greater community knowledge, appreciation, and understanding of waste and environmental issues.
- Promote greater community access to, and involvement in, decision-making at all levels of government.
- Encourage more environmentally and socially beneficial resource use.
- Ensure that the responsibility for waste is ultimately borne by those who produce that waste (ie. polluter pays principle).
- Achieve a greater level of employment in-line with increased product re-use and material recycling at a local level.
- Avoid the pollution, waste of resources, and social impacts caused by the disposal of waste.
- Cease the generation and disposal of all types of hazardous waste - thereby avoiding the multitude of problems that would otherwise exist throughout their life-cycle.
- Avoid the need to establish new, or expand existing, waste disposal/reprocessing facilities.
- Ensure an integrated and comprehensive approach to waste elimination.
- Promote equity for present and future generations by ending the excessive consumption and the unjust distribution of material and energy resources.
- Promote a precautionary approach to the adoption of new technology.
Waste Recycling - Milk Cartons
Milk carton recycling could be binned. Jennifer Macey, The World Today, 2005.11.16
Environmental groups say the closure of Australia's only drinks carton recycling plant [in Shoalhaven, NSW] would be a major setback for recycling in Australia. But the managers of the mill in New South Wales say their recycled paper cannot compete with cheaper foreign imports flooding the market, and that's forced them to consider closing the facility.
Links
Environment Victoria - Zero Waste
Green Innovations - Zero Waste
EcoRecycle Victoria - Towards Zero Waste
Computer Recycle IT Centre (WA)
2007.7.16