Topic: Zero Waste

Writer: Joseph Miracle Abu (Eco Generation Regional Ambassador)

Country: Nigeria

Introduction

Zero Waste is a term use to describe the prevention of waste generation rather than waste management. It addresses the restructuring and elimination of waste through concepts such as reducing, reusing and recycling of non-biodegradable products such as pieces of papers, plastic bags amongst others. Zero waste has often time be described to be a goal rather than a target. It is the end and not a mean to an end because environmental actions such as zero waste, if incorporated, will reduce environmental deterioration and lead to an aesthetics pleasing environment by reducing some of the environmental challenges faced by this menace. This is why environmental advocates and strategists have been clamoring for government regulation to affect the desired industrial choices over products and packaging design, material selection and manufacturing processes. Advocates also lend their voices to earth populace to shun the excessive generation of pollution which will drastically reduce the outrageous demand for raw materials.

Zero Lifestyle

Over the years, zero waste has been described mainly from the municipal and manufacturing angle. In order to address this issue, I will expatiate on the work of Bea Johnson a French American who wrote an article titled “Zero Waste Home” which was featured in the New York Time. Her work introduced concepts of waste-free living and waste management practices. She brought a methodology called 5R’s which stood for Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot. To properly eliminate the issue of zero waste, one ought to employ this methodology. The concepts are simplified below:

Refuse: Earth populace need to vehemently refuse non-biodegradable products that are tremendously unnecessary and has no environmental importance to the recipient.

Reduce: We also need to reduce the collection of products that are non-biodegradable such as plastic bags and pieces of paper since these products cannot be degraded by virtue of climatic and biological interplay in the earth, one need to cut down the desire to possess them to ensure a sustainable zero-waste environment.  

Reuse: This is the process of reusing products that are not biodegradable as often as possible to avert incurring or procuring more non-biodegradable products. This method will lead to a drastic reduction in the demand for zero-waste-encouraging products.

Recycle: This is the transformation of waste products into another use instead of depositing it in the environment and sourcing for more un-biodegradable products. In some countries in Africa, environmental companies encourage the method of recycling un-biodegrade products and also provide incentives such as cash rewards, educational scholarship amongst others to participants of the exercise example is Nigeria.

Rot: Rot is the usage of products that can be environmental degraded. To achieve a zero-waste environment, we must take deliberate steps by discouraging the use of products that cannot rot. This is because, the more products stay in the environment surface, the more waste continues to be generated.

Conclusion

In our present day, plastic, solid and liquid waste has dominated our environments. We all need to come together and take deliberate actions to addressing this menace as we all have a role to play in the actualization of this vision. International, National, Regional and Local Governments, government agencies and parastatals, private and civil companies, businesses, startups and individuals need to support the movement for the actualization of zero waste so that our environment can be sustainable and aesthetically pleasing.