Carving a Sustainable Future Through Zero-Waste

More than two billion metric tonnes of municipal solid waste are generated every year around the world!

We understand that it’s a huge number. But what exactly does it mean? How do we communicate urgency through numbers so huge that it’s often difficult for us to visualise its meaning or impact?

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Global Waste Management Outlook 2024 does it well. According to the report , if packed into standard shipping containers and placed end-to-end, the amount of municipal solid waste generated each year would "wrap around the Earth's equator 25 times, or further than travelling to the moon and back."

The existential threat this waste poses to us and other living organisms is staggering. Even now, it is estimated that between 400,000 and 1 million people in the global south alone die every year due to diseases related to mismanaged waste. A vast amount of this waste ends up in landfills and oceans, contributing to the "triple planetary crisis" which refers to the three main challenges faced by humanity, namely climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. The path forward is through zero waste, an eco-minimalistic approach towards sustainability.

The idea of zero waste begins with preventing and minimising waste generation. We plan not only for proper downstream waste management techniques but also for reducing resource use and emissions throughout all stages of a product’s life cycle. A bibliometric study has found that interest in zero-waste management and sustainable consumption has been growing in the scientific community as well. The study used different bibliometric indicators such as the total number of citations, total number of papers, and h-index (average number of citations per article) to examine 2,534 publications on zero-waste management and sustainable consumption from the Web of Science Core Collection database from 2011 to 2021. The study found that of the 2,534 publications, 54.61% were published between 2019 and 2021. Additionally, the same measured database of articles published from 2011 to 2021 received 54,253 citations, with a whopping 60.97% of citations occurring only between 2020 and 2021 alone. This growing awareness among researchers echoes the purpose of celebrating The International Day of Zero Waste every 30 March to bring the world's attention to the impacts of waste and encourage global action at all levels.

As businesses and consumers, we can actively contribute to zero-waste strategies through:

a) Circular Model of Sustainability: We need to move towards a more circular economy, where we use only the necessary resources and keep using them for as long as possible. We need to recycle products whenever we can and try our best to minimise the disposal of waste. Instead of a 'take-make-dispose' approach, we need to move towards a circular model of sustainability by ‘closing the loop.’

?b) Cutting Down on Unnecessary Consumption: Buying only what is needed and avoiding overpackaged goods or single/short lifespan use can be one of the ways of cutting down consumption.

c) Revamping the Value Chain: Businesses need to identify and work on reducing waste from the entire value chain. A value chain encompasses all the procedures and activities involved in taking a product or service from inception to the end user and beyond, including design, production, distribution, consumption, and end-of-life management. By analysing and optimising each step of this value chain, companies can identify and fix inefficiencies in their processes. This can lead to financial savings for both businesses and consumers and can result in a significant reduction in waste generation.

d) Avoid Greenwashing: Companies should not mislead and create an impression that their products and policies are more environmentally friendly than they actually are. Apart from damage to reputation, this genuinely hinders sustainable progress.

e) Support Governments: In the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28, held in Dubai, the UAE launched the “Waste to Zero ” initiative for global decarbonisation of the waste management value chain, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. This firmly establishes the UAE’s commitment to sustainability and principles of a circular economy. We need to support such initiatives and abide by related waste management regulations for building a sustainable future.

There’s one problem here though – aspiration is directly correlated to the idea of consumption. The more we grow economically as individuals, businesses, or nations, the more we consume. However, we should also realise that this model isn’t sustainable. As societies we will need to take responsibility for the future we all share together. This can only be done through conscientious and visionary leadership.

As we approach the Zero Waste Day, let us pledge and actively do our part towards a sustainable future.

Learn more about how AKW Consultants can help your business contribute towards Sustainability and Responsible Business through Supply Chain Management and Compliance.