Waste Management (HL IB Environmental Systems & Societies (ESS))

Waste Management Strategies

• Waste management strategies aim to minimise the impact of waste on the environment and human health

• They can be divided into preventative and restorative strategies

Preventative strategies

• Preventative strategies focus on reducing waste generation and controlling pollution before it happens

  • These strategies are generally more sustainable than restorative approaches

• Changing human behaviour: encouraging people to reduce consumption and recycle more effectively can prevent waste from accumulating.

  • E.g. reduced consumption through campaigns encouraging people to buy only what they need or use reusable products like bags and bottles

  • E.g. composting food waste at home reduces organic waste sent to landfills and returns nutrients to the soil

• Controlling the release of pollutants: limiting the amount of pollution and waste released into the environment can help prevent damage

  • E.g. waste disposal legislation sets strict rules about how and where waste can be disposed of to minimise environmental harm

  • E.g. recycling and reuse programmes help conserve natural resources and reduce the need for landfills and incinerators

• The most effective preventative strategy is to consume fewer products, leading to less waste

Restorative strategies

• Restorative strategies focus on:

  • Cleaning up waste

  • Repairing environmental damage caused by waste mismanagement

• Oceanic garbage patch clean-up: efforts to remove plastic waste from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch are an example of a restorative strategy

  • Though challenging and expensive, it helps to reduce harm to marine life

• Landfill reclamation: some landfills are being reclaimed by removing waste and turning the land into parks or other usable spaces

  • This process restores the land but is costly and time-consuming

• Restoration of contaminated sites: some areas heavily polluted by industrial waste or hazardous materials undergo clean-up efforts to make the land safe again

  • This often involves removing soil or water contamination

Sustainability of preventative vs. restorative strategies

• Preventative strategies are more sustainable because they stop the problem before it happens

  • They require less energy and resources compared to cleaning up waste after the damage has been done

• Restorative strategies are important but less sustainable

  • They usually require large amounts of money, time and effort

  • Often the damage cannot be fully undone

Hierarchy of waste management strategies

• Different waste management strategies can also be viewed as being part of a hierarchy

  • The hierarchy of waste management strategies ranks options from the most to least sustainable

  • It prioritises reducing waste at the source, followed by reusing, recycling, recovering energy, and finally, disposing of waste in landfills or through incineration

Awaiting image: Waste hierarchy

Image caption: Hierarchy of waste management strategies

Sustainable Waste Management

• Sustainable waste management focuses on:

  • Minimising the environmental and social impacts of waste

  • Promoting more efficient use of resources

• It encourages reducing, reusing and recycling waste rather than relying on disposal methods like landfills and incineration

Strategies for promoting sustainable waste management

• Societies can adopt various strategies to promote more sustainable management of solid domestic waste (SDW):

• Taxes:

  • Governments can impose taxes on activities or products that generate excessive waste

  • E.g. plastic bag taxes in the UK have reduced single-use plastic consumption by over 90% since 2015

• Incentives:

  • Financial rewards can encourage sustainable behaviour, such as recycling or composting

  • E.g. deposit-return schemes for bottles and cans provide consumers with a financial incentive to recycle

• Social policies:

  • Social policies can regulate the way waste is managed at a societal level

  • E.g. pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) waste schemes: in some areas, residents are charged based on the amount of waste they produce

    • This encourages people to recycle more and generate less waste, as they can save money by reducing their waste output

• Legislation:

  • Laws can require businesses and individuals to follow sustainable waste management practices

  • E.g. the European Union's Waste Framework Directive sets clear guidelines for recycling and waste reduction

• Education and campaigns:

  • Educating the public about the importance of sustainable waste management can change behaviours

  • E.g. school recycling programmes, where students are taught about waste separation, recycling and environmental conservation

• Improved access to disposal facilities:

  • Making it easier for people to dispose of waste sustainably can encourage more responsible behaviour

  • E.g. increasing the number of recycling points in urban areas can reduce improper waste disposal

The circular economy and sustainable waste management

• A circular economy is a sustainable approach to managing resources and waste by:

  • Keeping materials in use for as long as possible

  • Minimising waste

  • Recovering resources at the end of a product's life

• This system contrasts with the traditional linear economy

  • This is where products are made, used and then discarded

• Principles of the circular economy:

  • Design for longevity: making products that last longer and can be reused or repaired

  • Resource efficiency: minimising the use of raw materials by recycling and reusing

  • Product recovery: recovering and reusing materials at the end of a product’s life

Awaiting image: Linear and circular economies

Image caption: Linear vs. circular economy

• Example of a circular economy path (aluminium cans):

  • Manufacturing: aluminium cans are made from recycled aluminium

  • Use: consumers purchase and use the cans

  • Collection: used cans are collected through recycling bins or deposit-return schemes

  • Recycling: the cans are cleaned, melted and reformed into new cans, reducing the need for new raw materials

  • Reuse: the recycled cans are used to package new products (e.g. soft drinks) and the cycle begins again

• This example demonstrates how the circular economy reduces waste, conserves resources and reduces the need for raw material extraction