Well, good question. A zero waste world is a beautiful idea actually. Just imagine people all over the world would use everything they take from nature endlessly, recycle or upcyle it. No more plastic pollution in the ocean, no more stinky landfills, just clean landscape. Sounds easy, but is really hard to implement.
Zero waste world and globalization seem like a contradiction
So what would be necessary for a zero waste world? Definitely another economic system and smaller units, which means localization instead of globalization. Back to the roots, so to speak. It’s no secret that many things are easier to arrange within smaller structures, as examples like this energy self-sufficient village in Germany show.
No exchange of goods around the world any more?
And if you buy regional and seasonal foods, you save a nice amount of packaging waste and transportation routes and this means less carbon emissions. But we have been living in a globally cross-linked world for centuries – we’re exchanging commodities, goods and services around the world. We would only have seafood in regions near the coast, mineral oil and all the products made of it like plastic and rubber mainly in the Middle East and on the American continent; we wouldn’t know exotic animals and plants at all.
Sounds pretty much like a very sad world that we absolutely don’t wanna have, huh? But that won’t be happening in the near future. At the same time, we don’t see the one big solution for our environment and climate protection.
But there are a few points that count if we all wanna have a zero waste world and a sustainable future:
– Global climate protection laws: strict policies for industry, commerce and public authorities regarding eco-friendly production, logistics and transportation, recycling
– Upgrading and encouragement of organic farming meaning a circular economy:
no more large concerns in agriculture, keeping of animals in a species-appropriate environment
– Reorganization of traffic and production of energy to renewable energy:
cut back private transport, promote public transport.
Zero waste: Global thinking, local operating
Think global, operate local! Of course, if we wanna live in a zero waste world, politicians, companies and individuals all together have to do some homework.
Here are our quick ultimate 3 tips for a sustainable, zero waste future:
– Use what you have as long as you can.
– If you need something new, buy recycled stuff and then cut down consumption.
– Then: No more plastic at all!
