waste doesn’t need to exist… It’s a design flaw…”
Image: ‘Rubbish’ – Copyright: Tom Woods 2007 – woowar.co.uk
From: More Interest in Zero-Waste Efforts, Sarah Rich, WorldChanging, 20Mar07
“We talk more and more often these days about the potential danger of half-steps toward sustainable practices. Now that the idea of being greener has infiltrated most corners of the business world, we’re at a critical point where thinking only part of the way to a true solution means settling for something that may never get us all the way there.
What are some of the all-the-way solutions we’re talking about? You could call them “The Zero’s” — zero-energy, zero-carbon, zero-emissions, zero-waste. The only way to surpass total elimination of the harmful byproducts of our lives is to create ways to suck up our own waste and reverse the damage.”
This fascinating article refers to the waste disposal and recycling system currently running in San Francisco (and possibly elsewhere?) whereby residents are rewarded for recycling their waste and penalised for not doing so. This system relates to the Eco/Green Credit/Points idea discussed here a few months ago and seems to be working well in San Francisco.
In addition to our own individual responsibility for recycling our waste, Sarah Rich highlights the need for manufacturers to accept their responsibilities too.
“‘Take-back‘ laws and fees such as those charged to plastics manufacturers for the 5 billion bottles they set loose in the world each year encourage producers to take responsibility for their goods beyond their point of departure from factory to retail site”
