Solution proposée par : ZeroWaste Europe
Ekolo Mundo ne contrôle ni la faisabilité ni la viabilité des solutions proposées
Structure : ZeroWaste Europe
Niveau de difficulté :
Waste is just a symptom of a much deeper malaise that affects us humans. Zero waste is a philosophy aiming to unroot the causes of wastage altogether.
Our planet has always followed zero waste principles. For thousands of years, up until the industrial era, waste was not a developed concept because most discarded material from civilisations were used as inputs for other processes, retaining their value in a circular way, just like nature does. But what nature has done through evolution, humankind needs to do by design today .
We have now come to realise that we need to rethink the way we produce and consume in order to create these ecosystemic relations, which preserve the value and energy embedded in resources whilst enabling civilisation to flourish and prosper. Zero waste is not only about decoupling economic activity from environmental destruction – it is, above all, about building resilience and natural capital for future generations.
In the 20th century, the purpose of waste management was to minimise the immediate environmental damage through waste collection and its disposal in the least environmentally harmful way possible. Zero waste brings us into the 21st century by shifting the focus away from waste management and into proper management of our Earth’s valuable resources.
A zero waste Europe is no longer seen as a visionary project to escape from a dystopian future. Instead, today the concept has sunk in: the question is no longer “if”, but rather “how” and “when” policy makers and influencers will accept it as a legitimate and desirable goal for our society.
What is the circular economy?
The circular economy is a means to achieve a zero waste society. It is an economic model of production and consumption that involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible, while also addressing the presence of hazardous chemicals throughout the entire value chain.
As a result, the lifecycle of products is extended in a toxic-free environment. In practice, this means designing safe and sustainable products, implementing circular systems, and adopting demand-side measures that reduce waste to a minimum and lower the need for extracting new materials. When a product reaches the end of its life, its materials are kept within the economy wherever possible. This way, materials can be productively used over and over again, creating further value without environmental destruction. Ultimately, the circular economy must support wellbeing for all within planetary boundaries.
