What we can learn from waste minimization practices across Europe

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A good waste management begins with understanding what comprises of waste and preventing it from being generated from the beginning. Waste can be defined as nothing but the loss of both substance and energy resources. It’s often looked upon as a symptom of inefficient manufacturing processes, low durability of products and unsustainable consumption patterns.  Waste quantities are often considered as an indicator of how efficiently society utilizes raw materials.
The World Bank published a writing in 2019, which said that round the world, waste generation rates are rising. In the year 2016, the worlds’ cities generated a whopping 2.01 billion tonnes of solid waste, amounting to 0.74 kilograms per person per day! Massive population growth coupled with rapid urbanization has led to annual waste generation to swell by 70% from 2016 levels to 3.40 billion tonnes in 2050.
If these statistics are to be believed it’s indeed a very concerning issue and requires concerted efforts not only from the governing bodies but also from people at individual, family and community level. But how do we pander with this issue and where will we start from? As mentioned earlier the crisis of waste needs to be tackled from the beginning, that is, the aim should be to prevent waste from generating rather than merely treating it or get rid of it.
 As far as solid waste is concerned, recycling looks like an obvious solution. However this option too has its own challenges such as additional transport, labor and production cost. This option is obvious but not cheap. This discourages people and industries to recycle their waste and often these wastages end up in a landfill.
Across the world people and governing bodies are now changing their approach towards waste management. There is a shift in waste management strategies- from disposing the waste correctly to minimizing the generation of the same at the source. The big question is- Is it possible to become zero waste? And how can we achieve that?
Let us take the example of Europe for instance, there has been a visible shift in its approach to waste management and some of the European countries have also achieved some positive results. We can look into what these countries are doing different and take learning from their experience. In 2002, Ljubljana, the Slovenian Capital decided to go zero waste and took some solid steps towards it and became the first European Capital to commit to going zero waste. Decade and a half back, all the Slovenian capital’s waste went to landfill, but by 2025, it aims to recycle least 75% of its rubbish. But how did it achieve this impossible task? Here are a few simple strategies that the city introduced towards its approach to waste management.
Roadside container stands for separate collection of paper, glass and packaging.
By 2013, every doorstep in the city received bins for packaging and paper waste. Scheduled collections of the residual waste forced people to separate their rubbish more efficiently.
Collection of biodegradable waste from door to door.  Even although separate collection of bio-waste is about to emerge as obligatory throughout Europe in 2023, but Ljubljana changed itself ahead of the time.
In addition to this the city started two household waste recycling centers where citizens can dispose of their rubbish. These centers have received immense success and the footfall is almost a 1000 person per day. As result the city plans to build at least three more, with another 10 smaller sites in denser areas.
These measures led to 80% less rubbish in the landfills. The city which only recycled 29.3% of its wastage in 2008 today recycles 68% of its wastage.
So the important takeaway here is that by taking small but thoughtful steps there is a possibility to bring down the wastage to zero. Taking a cue from this following are the 5 simple tips by Bea Johnson who has inspired millions of people worldwide with her stylish, waste-free life. She reduced her household waste to a surprising one litre per year.
Refuse: Think twice or hesitate buying something that you don’t need absolutely and cannot do without. There are many things that we buy and never use. It could be a shirt lying in the corner of the closet or a juice maker. Mindful shopping can reduce unnecessary wastage and contribute in a great way
Reduce: Things that cannot be refused must be reduced. If there is anything that has become part of our lives and which we cannot do without, we must try to reduce its consumption as much as possible. For instance, in today’s times phones have become important part of our life. However, many phones should one possess in order to constitute responsible consumption. Most of these gadgets end up in landfills and harm our environment. Therefore, one should only buy them if absolutely necessary and not merely because something is in the trend.
Reuse/Repair: There are many things lying in the house such as clothes, gadgets, articles which can be repurposed by making changes in them or by repairing them. Doing this will ensure that the article’s life is prolonged and does not end up in the landfill too soon.
Rot: Composting cuts down the need for polythene bags to dispose of the garbage to a great extent. Composting involves putting food and natural organic matter back into the ground where nature intended it to go. This also serves the purpose of replenishing resources.
Recycle: Papers, aluminum, glass articles, plastic food and beverage cartons and packets, are all the things that can be recycled and repurposed. This considerably reduces the wastage. Several people also make it a commitment to not purchase items from the businesses that do not recycle their packaging products.

Thus we can say that by following these simple steps one can aim to take a step closer to going zero wastage household and contribute positively towards the environment of our planet.
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