Is a World without Waste Possible?

Muna LakhaniInstitute for Zero Waste in Africa

www.izwa.org.za

WELCOME

Population?

Pollution ?

Capitalism?

Morality & Ethics ?

Lack of food ?

Poverty ?

Other ?

The world as we are told…

Actual Physical World

World Population

Consumption World

Who makes waste?

• Over consumption by the rich

My home town – rich generate 13 times more waste than the poor

51% of GHG from meat production (Worldwatch Institute)

40% of US GHG – products and packaging (EPA & PPI)

Business and Industry

• Poor design of products and processes• Profit at all costs mentality• Eternal growth• Volume (scale, not scope) industrial

development• Export or degrade our environment

and health

Government

• Gives permits to pollute• Charges wasters LESS• Battling to drag themselves out of

dinosauric thinking• Believe in an export led and

unsustainable development paths• Subsidise and invest in the wrong

(unsustainable) technologies, such as “waste to energy”

Why Re-design Products?

You see this list:

Antioxidants TBHQ and BHA;

Niacinamide, Electrolytic Iron, Zinc Oxide,

Pyrodioxide, Thiamin mononitrate,

Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin A

palmitate, calcium carbonate, Calcium

propionate, sodium diacetate, calcium

acetate.

What do you think this product is?

Answer:

Brown Bread !

Which product contains the following:

•Propylene glycol, •Sodium laureth / Lauryl Sulfate•Cocamide mea •DMDM hydantoin •Benzoic acid •Methyl / propyl paraben

Why Re-design Products?

Neurotoxin; cause dermatitis, liver abnormalities

and kidney damage with effects such as cancer,

hormone disruption, eye damage, hair loss, skin

sensitivity, and dry skin; lung cancer and DNA

damage in rats, irritant, carcinogenic, cancer,

hormone disruptor, cause birth defects, irritates

the respiratory tract, and eyes and skin; toxic

reaction to 20% of people ; endocrine disruptors –

mimic oestrogens, and interfere with sexual

development and reproduction, and common

allergic reactions

Why Re-design Products?

What do you think this product is?

The Answer?

Clairol Herbal Essences Shampoo !

(and they say it is made from

“Organic Herbs and Mountain Water”!)

“Nobody Asked Us”

• Ciba-Geigy reviewed 8,000 constituent chemicals• Only 38 remained that met the non-genic criteria –

could formulate every colour needed, except jet black

• They asked the extraordinarily capable Swiss chemical engineers at Ciba-Geigy, "Why haven't you ever produced non- genic dyes before?"

• The answer, as stunning as it was telling: • "No one ever asked us to"

Design Flaws

• “90% of materials extracted for durable goods become waste almost immediately” (American Business Week)

• Toothbrush ~1.5 kg waste

• Cell phone ~ 75 kg waste

• 1 ton car ~ 62 tons of waste

• 2.3 kg laptop ~ 9 tons waste

We are here under false pretences

The waste hierarchy says: Minimise; recycle, dispose

• Avoid (don’t make it)• Minimise (make less of it)• Re-use (use it again for it’s original purpose)• Recycle (collect post-consumer)• Dispose (dump)

We have the “wrong”

waste industry

Non Solutions - Incineration

• Dioxins and furans

• Removes materials from the economy

• Energy loss system

• One third of the total is now converted to hazardous waste

Non Solutions – “waste to energy”

Non Solutions – “waste to energy”

Non Solutions – “waste to energy”

Some toxic chemicals in LFG

1,1,1-Trichloroethane (methyl chloroform)

1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane 1,1-Dichloroethane (ethylidene

dichloride) 1,1-Dichloroethene (vinylidene

chloride) 1,2-Dichloroethane (ethylene

dichloride)1,2-Dichloropropane (propylene

dichloride) Acrylonitrile Carbon disulfide Carbon tetrachloride Carbonyl sulfide Chlorobenzene

Chloroethane (ethyl chloride) Chloroform Dichloromethane (methylene

chloride) Ethylbenzene Hexane Mercury (total) Methyl ethyl ketone Methyl isobutyl ketone Perchloroethylene

(tetrachloroethylene) Trichloroethylene (trichloroethene)

Vinyl chloride Xylenes

A Sustainable Economy - Benefits

Reap income benefits

Quantum leap in job creation

Avoid waste and pollution

Improve productivity greatly

Improve efficiency greatly

Reduce health impacts

Grow local economy

What must Business do?

• Stop making waste• Take full financial and physical

responsibility for their products and packaging

• Move to sustainable materials and sustainable energy and reduced water use

• Close the loop, or face bans

What must government do?

• Stop permitting pollution• Change the cost models for materials

(waste) energy and water• Move subsidies from wasters and

polluters to sustainable options• Penalise non-performance• Insist on Green purchasing

What must WE do?

• Move away from cleanups to stopping the flow of waste

• Reduce consumerism• Divert organics as a priority (composting)• Call for bans of toxic materials; incinerators

and “waste to energy” in all its forms• Support each other globally

Thank You! Ngiyabonga!

Muna Lakhani0834717276Muna@iafrica.com