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Zero Waste is the new trend amongst governments and companies throughout the world. Politics, CEOs and environmental experts are on the quest o find viable solutions towards a zero waste society and the concept of Waste-to-Energy (WtE) is emerging as one of the most promising solutions to this issue. But is it really best solution.
The Zero Waste concept is pretty simple, it consists of eliminating waste from manufacturing processes by increasing recycling levels and minimising the waste dumped at landfills. The concept of burning waste to generate electricity fits in perfectly if it wasn’t for a few set back.
Waste-to-Energy (WTE) is a disposal technology that destroys resources forever; it makes things “go away,” and doesn’t reduce waste or protect natural resources. WtE technologies produces only a fraction of the energy that can be saved through recycling, it produces “dirty electricity” since it has the most greenhouse gases (GHG) per fuel type not to mention it is way more expensive than other types of renewable energy generation.
Waste to Energy greenhouse gas emissions problems could be easily solved the implementation of carbon capture devices on WtE plants but that would only increase the costs even further.
The proper definition to Zero Waste is:
“Zero Waste is a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient and visionary, to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use. Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them. Implementing Zero Waste will eliminate all discharges to land, water or air that are a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health.”
In which Waste-to-Energy fails to fit in. As afore mentioned the way towards a zero waste economy lays on redesigning manufacturing, distribution and collection systems so each one of them produces less waste and the waste produced can be easily recycled.
Many companies have embraced that the concept of Zero Waste doesn’t mean zero waste to landfill and have redesigned products and manufacturing processes to increase recycling levels and minimise the levels of waste produced. Hence the importance of hiring a waste management company to conduct a waste audits.
The biggest challenge towards a zero waste society lies in creating Zero Waste Communities which a process that takes years to be implemented. But by setting up goals in 10 years these communities could reach 90% recovery rates. The remaining 10% of nonrecyclable, noncompostable and nonreusable discards can still be treated to reach the dreamed zero waste society.
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