Circular patterns of waste prevention and recovery (original) (raw)
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Science of The Total Environment (STOTEN), 2022
The metabolism of contemporary industrialized societies, that is their energy and material flows, leads to the overconsumption and waste of natural resources, two factors often disregarded in the global ecological equation. In this Discussion article, we examine the amount of natural resources that is increasingly being consumed and wasted by humanity, and propose solutions to reverse this pattern. Since the beginning of the 20th century, societies, especially from industrialized countries, have been wasting resources in different ways. On one hand, the metabolism of industrial societies relies on non-renewable resources. On the other hand, yearly, we directly waste or mismanage around 78% of the total water withdrawn, 49% of the food produced, 31% of the energy produced, 85% of ores and 26% of non-metallic minerals extracted, respectively. As a consequence, natural resources are getting depleted and ecosystems polluted, leading to irreversible environmental changes, biological loss and social conflicts. To reduce the anthropogenic footprint in the planet, and live in harmony with other species and ourselves, we suggest to shift the current economic model based on infinite growth and reduce inequality between and within countries, following a degrowth strategy in industrialized countries. Public education to reduce superfluous consumption is also necessary. In addition, we propose a set of technological strategies to improve the management of natural resources towards circular economies that, like ecosystems, rely only upon renewable resources. Highlights: - We present a holistic analysis of anthropogenic waste production and its impacts. - Each year humans waste more than 30% of most natural resources. - Resource consumption is decoupled from population growth and unevenly distributed. - Consequences of the Society of Waste include major environmental and social impacts. - Degrowth and circular strategies are proposed to reduce the human footprint. Find the article here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969721064378?via%3Dihub#! Keywords: Natural resources, Social metabolism, Overconsumption, Waste, Environmental justice, Sustainability, Degrowth
Global Tendencies in Waste Management Considering Circular Economy Principles
[English] With a growing urban population, that consumes an ever increasing amount of raw materials, the approach of the circular economy has gained interest from academia and decision-makers as a promising solution to urban challenges. This review aims to find out in how far the circular economy is reflected as a guiding principle of waste management in the academic literature during the past ten years. A selection of 28 full-text papers dealing with specific case studies have been analysed regarding their geographical scale (international, national, municipal, industrial) and the principles of reduce, reuse, recycle and recover. The results indicate a stronger consideration of the recycling and reuse principles on the national and municipal levels, as well as a strong research representation of the European Union and China. Furthermore, a number of technical papers dealing with the recover principle on the industrial scale have been identified. While the strong arguments for a move towards a circular economy are broadly confirmed, issues of social participation and technological progress are identified as future challenges. [Português] Com uma população cada vez mais urbana que consome cada vez maiores quantidades de recursos, a economia circular tem ganhado interesse pelos acadêmicos e por tomadores de decisão como uma solução prometedora à solução dos desafios urbanos. Esta revisão bibliográfica visa descobrir em que medida a economia circular é refletida como princípio orientador no gerenciamento de resíduos nos últimos dez anos. Foi analisada uma seleção de 28 artigos completos que tratam de estudos de caso específicos quanto à sua escala geográfica (internacional, nacional, municipal, industrial) e os princípios reduzir, reutilizar, reciclar e recuperar. Os resultados indicam uma maior consideração dos princípios de reciclagem e reutilização a nível nacional e municipal, bem como uma forte representação da União Europeia e da China nas pesquisas. Além disso, foram identificados vários artigos técnicos relacionados com o princípio de recuperação à escala industrial. Embora os fortes argumentos em prol da mudança para uma economia circular sejam amplamente confirmados, as questões de participação social e progresso tecnológico são identificadas como desafios futuros. Palavras-chave: revisão bibliográfica; gerenciamento de resíduos, economia circular.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY 1
SPISA - Scuola di Specializzazione in studi sull'Amministrazione Pubblica, 2020
* Il contributo fa parte dei risultati del Progetto scientifico "Diritto amministrativo e società civile. Muovendo dalle opere di Fabio Roversi Monaco". Ulteriori contributi sono in corso di redazione. Notizie e riferimenti sul Progetto scientifico si trovano nel sito http://www.spisa.unibo.it/diritto-amministrativo-e-societa-civile 1. Towards a new development paradigm. 2. Origin and characters of the circular economy model. 3. The European framework on the new economic paradigm. 3.1. The new Package of Directives on the Circular Economy: the missing link to a completed circularity model. 3.2. The takeoff of the circular economy by supplying raw materials. 3.3. The contribution to the circular economy of the use of biological resources and the instruments of market regulation. 4. The challenges posed to the European Union by the emergence of the new economic model. 5. Some conclusive observations. 1. Towards a new development paradigm The paper deals with a central issue in the ongoing redefinition of the European model of development and the European identity itself, namely the role of national and European administrative environmental law to ensure sustainability in face of global challenges related to global warming, the limitation of natural resources and the growth of poverty 2. A large group of renowned scientists has recently relaunched a plea about the unsustainability of our current model of economic development and the risks it poses for the future 3. The theme is not new: economists began to question the relationship between economy 1 One of my writings on the same subject is being published on Dir. dell'economia, No. 3/2019. See G. Caia, F. A. Roversi Monaco, Aspects of the simplification of administrative procedures and the coordination of public interests; energy sediments and environmental protection needs, in Aa.Vv., Studies in honor of Enzo Capaccioli, Milano, 1988; F. A. Roversi Monaco (a cura di), The new environmental legislation, Rimini, Maggioli, 1989. 2 The present model, moreover, is widely recognized also the strong instability, In fact, it has a higher intensity and speed than in the past because the greater interactions existing between the different components of the system cause an increasing acceleratio n of its changes. For a scientific approach aimed at enhancing the systemic aspect in the study of the environment see M. Cafagno, Principles and instruments of environmental protection as complex, adaptive, common, Giappichelli, Turin, 2007. 3 See the Worls scientists' appeal warning to humanity: A Second notice, on BioScienze, November 2017. On the theme there is, recently, E. Giovannini, The sustainable utopia, Turin, Laterza, 2018.
Scientific Inquiry and Review, 2018
This article is designed to integrate the results of the studies undertaken on different frontiers by a group of researchers to address both socioeconomic problems and environmental problems with a special reference to sustainable development. It also offers appropriate solutions to make sure the best use of available resources and assigns economic value to different wastes via resource recovery through material sorting, recycling and reprocessing, production of food, heat and electricity. The focus remains on techno-economic disposal of different wastes in a way to adapt them as alternative resources instead of treating them as wastes. The article concludes that the techno-economic disposal of wastes can effectively address the problems of energy and food shortage because it is based on the hypothesis that the total amount of resources in the universe remains constant although they may change from one form to another. This hypothesis provides a firm basis for sustainable development; the concept being contemporarily explored as a cure for socioeconomic ills that destabilize the shaky economies. The study supports the view that a waste is no more a waste as every waste can be assigned an economic value. The integrated results of studies conducted in the context of sustainable development strongly recommend the interlinking of economic problems with environmental problems.
Waste to Energy, Wasting Resources and Livelihoods
Integrated Waste Management -Volume I 220 garbage has become more industrialized, more toxic and less biodegradable. With the advent of globalised mass consumption, coupled with the lack of adequate spaces to discard these materials, particularly in city regions, Governments, producers and consumers are under pressure to find adequate solutions to the problems created by solid waste. In the forefront of the current waste management debate is the promotion of new technologies for waste treatment. Less attention is given to considerations that suggest resource economy, reuse, recycling and changes in production, consumption and lifestyles to generate less waste at first. Recommendations that question the continuous, growth oriented economic development and consumption patterns are less popular and usually silenced in order to maintain the status quo. Marxist perspectives underline the fact that capitalism requires a steady acceleration of wasting, discarding and abandonment, in order to keep a scarcity of goods. Scarcity coupled with an artificial inflation of consumer desires, increases the throughput of material in our system, and thus maintains the rate of profit in the face of its progressive tendency to fall. Solid waste incineration is propagated by business and the media as an efficient management solution, because of the rapid handling of the discarded materials, the diminished need for new landfills and the generation of energy as a by-product. Yet, the environmental and social dimensions of this technological approach to waste often remain unconsidered. Social and environmental injustice may arise from locating these technologies and from displacing the workers who already make a living through resource recovery. Deliberating authorities often overlook the wider implications from deviating recyclable materials away from the recycling sector. This chapter will analyze the recent emergence of 'waste for energy' (WfE) proposals in Brazil. The discussion will consider particularly the social perspectives related to waste management decisions, looking at existing informal and organized recycling schemes. The government supported selective waste collection and recycling initiatives in the cities of Diadema and Londrina will showcase viable solutions in integrated waste management. Expensive 'waste to energy' schemes are considered unsustainable for generating environmental harm and for perpetuating the waste of natural and human resources.
Toward a Theoretical Approach to Waste Management: Utilizing Waste for Sustainable Development
Toward a theoretical approach to waste management: Utilizing waste for sustainable development, 1992
The Sustainable Waste Utilization Paradigm is a unified body of knowledge about waste and waste management, and it is founded on the basic principle that waste material generated is actually a valuable resource, which could be harnessed for sustainable development through recycling, re-usage and commercialization for profitability. This theoretical approach is designed to change individual and organizational perspectives about the true nature of waste material in order to underscore the viability of adequate waste management. Under this paradigm, it is presumed that it is impossible to completely and comprehensively eliminate all waste material from our atmospherethe very nature of the atmosphere makes it unfeasible to do so. Hence, waste should be harnessed, recycled, re-used, resold and redesigned to advance human developmental projects around the world.
Sustainable Development and Energy Resources
2018
The environment is negatively influenced by the intensive use of resources. Changes in consumption and production modes, by reducing the resources used, can lead to more resource-efficient use. However, the depletion of natural resources may lead to an increase in the amount of waste. This article makes an analysis of how waste is generated and treated. Sustainable development of a community can be based on a good use of resources. The health of community members and the quality of their lives depend on environmental concerns. People's activities are negatively influenced by climate change. These can lead to changes in the way electricity is produced, but also in terms of electricity consumption. In this context, the article presents the evolution of electricity production as well as electricity consumption in industry.
The Impact of a Circular Economy on Sustainable Development
Barometr Regionalny. Analizy i Prognozy
The issue of the exhaustibility and limited of natural resources has been noticed, among others, as a result of intensive economic development and civilization progress. In the second half of the 20th the emission of industrial and municipal pollutants, mainly as a result of burning fossil fuels, also became a serious problem. The article presents the essence and manifestations of the economy in a closed circuit and its impact on shaping sustainable socio-economic development, as well as the analysis of the possibilities of implementing these principles in business practice and in everyday life. According to the authors, managing in a closed circulation appears to be the highest stage of civilization development. Closing the so-called the loop and the economic cycle is becoming real in many areas as a result of extending the life cycle of products, the use of an ever-wider range of waste as secondary raw materials — instead of primary raw materials, the use of renewable energy sourc...
CIRCULAR ECONOMY MEASURES IN RESOURCE AND WASTE MANAGEMENT
2022
This paper reflects the result of readings of academic and policy documents on the circular economy. The objective was to obtain an overview of the concepts, current actions, and criticisms on this new topic of sustainable development, which would have as its main impact the reduction of solid waste and CO2 emissions. The readings made for the production of this paper lead to the conclusion that the circular economy requires a radical change in the models of production of goods and of doing business, and also in society's behavior related to consumption patterns.