With regard to construction and demolition waste, getting to zero will require completely rethinking a building’s design and construction. Open flex space, which is meant to be rearranged over time as the demands of the residents change, must be incorporated into the design. It will incorporate strategies focused on designing to template specifications and manufacturing in a production setting.
Any waste that can be recycled will be used in the original product manufacturing facilities. Jobsite waste will be sent back to facilities for reuse in making new products. Small wood scraps can be processed into engineered wood products, and gypsum drywall scraps can be ground back into new panel product. And all products will be made and installed in such a manner as to enable their deconstruction and reuse or repurposing at the end of their current life cycle. You can start that effort now, designing for flex space and changing needs over time, and the eventual deconstruction and reuse of many of the building components of your home.
Waste Prevention
In order to achieve zero waste, we must analyze which waste streams can be avoided to begin with. Most products have a useful life, so the question is whether the materials they are made from can be deconstructed and reused. This should be a consideration in our purchasing decisions, so that we are not supporting the manufacture of products that have single-use life cycles, especially those that cannot be recycled or repurposed.
We should just stop manufacturing all products made using toxic materials, but what are the chances of that happening? So, in the meantime, we should only purchase non-toxic alternatives. We should also support legislation requiring that all products be manufactured in such a way that they can be returned to any retail outlet that sells them, to be sent back to the distributor, then to the manufacturer by the same truck that brings more goods to market, if they cannot otherwise be reused or recycled. Manufacturers should be focused on refurbishing and recycling materials taken back into new products to save resources, reduce the waste stream and keep products affordable.
Eventually, we should see more instances of retailers offering recycling for the products that they sell. This means that we must press for government policies that address and remove any legal or market obstacles that currently prevent this activity, as well as create incentives to promote it. Additionally, we need to impose fines and hefty landfill fee structures to discourage the easiest and cheapest means of disposal of any materials that can be repurposed. The last resort should be a landfill.
Daily Needs
Many products have external packaging that ends up headed for the landfill as soon as you purchase it.. Some packaging is not currently recyclable or compostable, so we should be moving toward packaging that fits either of those criteria or reusable packaging (like reusable vegetable or market bags). Stay away from products that offer no alternative to waste, like plastic foam food and beverage containers. More products are available now in 100 percent recyclable packaging, made primarily from cardboard and plastic. With the new single-stream management services, recycling is as easy as throwing the package into a dedicated recycling receptacle.
Consumer behavior modification can also significantly reduce the amount of waste generated for disposal. This starts by adopting smart buying habits. It also involves how we value a product’s durability and useful life and what attempts we are willing to make to divert products that we no longer need from the waste receptacle.
Rather than buying trendy items, save your money and our resources by purchasing classic styles and quantities that you will use over the long term rather than just today. Shop around, so that you make sure that, when you do buy something, you get the best durability and life expectancy available for that product. And make an effort to stop impulse shopping, buying things you don’t need, since those products waste natural resources that could be saved for better use. Think about how long you are going to need it to last and be willing to spend a little more to get the one that will not wear out so that you will never have to think about buying another one. When planning a major project, try to think about how its uses might change over time, adjusting the design to accommodate those alternatives.
When you do make purchases, only buy as much as you need. Although that usually means buying less, it might mean buying more if it’s an item that you buy repeatedly. For products that you buy over and over again, like toilet paper, packaged beverages or your favorite perfume, buy the largest package you can. Buy these products in larger family packs and split them up into single-use proportions rather than buying individual servings. It will save waste from both the packaging and the product itself when it is used up, plus save you money since larger packages are more economical. Even glass and plastic bottles take a lot of energy to transport and process for recycling, so buy larger jugs and reuse a washable glass for smaller servings. Additionally, always bring reusable shopping bags with you.
Non-Toxic Choices
Buy water-based finish products, such as paints, that have less of an environmental impact. If possible, only buy and use natural cleaning and personal care products, organic fertilizers and pesticides and other health and household products. When disposing of any chemical products (paints, varnishes, stains, solvents and automotive oil), be sure to take them to a hazardous waste disposal facility (check with your city or county) so that they are properly handled.
Waste Diversion
- Recycle
Following waste prevention, diversion of waste from the landfill is the next biggest factor in waste reduction. This begins by selecting products and materials that can be reused or recycled and then making that effort when the product has ended its useful life. This means actually placing the item in a recycle bin or taking it to a recycling center. Check into local service companies that offer curbside recycling or drop-off locations for different types of reusable materials. Typically, cardboard and paper, plastics and metals (including aluminum cans) are easily recyclable.
Many reusable items can still be useful to someone else, so they should be resold or donated to charity. Many are already participating in this activity, with organizations like Goodwill and the Salvation Army dependent on this to provide jobs and raise funds for other activities. Salvage has now gone mainstream on websites like Craigslist.com or Freecycle.org. Check availability in your area for other recycling or upcycling opportunities, as well. Upcycling is the process where a waste material is used to make a different material than that of its origin. A good example is old tires recycled to make asphalt paving. So before you take your old tires to the landfill, check with the dealer you are purchasing your new tires from to see if they will take your old ones for recycling.
Recycling is also a growing stream of business income within the landfill industry. Landfill operations are attempting, within their own operational processes, to divert reusable and recyclable materials away from those big holes in the ground and turn them into profits. They are finding that these efforts are also a means for making their valuable land area last longer.
- Composting
Contrary to common belief, composting is an easy process that requires little effort, has big rewards and, if done properly, does not create a “garbage” odor to contaminate your outdoor living space. Even if you live in an apartment, you can practice vermiculture by keeping a worm bin under your kitchen sink or in a pantry. Red wiggler worms literally eat all of your kitchen scraps, except meat, coffee grounds and citrus. If you have a yard or even more space, permaculture composting is based on four ingredients: green waste, brown waste, organic soil and water. Green waste takes care of your kitchen scraps, grass clippings, yard weeds and landscape trimmings. You can add meat and dairy if you would like, but these ingredients typically attract rodents and other wildlife looking for food and can decay into a smelly mess, so we recommend staying away from them.
Brown waste is made up of dead (brown) grass, fallen leaves from trees and small woody twigs. Larger wood will eventually decompose, too, but not as fast as you would want your compost pile to decay, so best to avoid it. However, you can line the underside of your compost pile with large branches and limbs – this will help to allow air circulation, which speeds composting. Brown waste also includes some household waste, like single-use paper products and compostable plastic food wrappers. You can add shredded cardboard, newspaper (not the shiny advertisements, though), and office paper to your compost. Soil is just that, good-quality living soil, rich in microorganisms that actually feed on the decaying materials and create compost from their waste. The key to this method is to pile the three types of waste in approximately three- to four-inch-thick layers inside a designated bin area. Keep in mind that the bin needs to be at least three feet deep, three feet broad, and three feet long.
Do not make the pile so large that it cannot get air circulation within. Continue until the pile is at least as tall as it is wide and keep it moist. Let the first pile sit for six months and then start another one when it’s tall enough. After six months, turn the whole pile over with a garden fork so that what was on the top of the pile is now on the bottom and what was on the bottom is now on the top. Keep it moist and wait another six months, and voilà , you will have made beautiful compost.
Composting yard waste should be part of every home landscaping plan. If you do not have a garden, compost can be used on landscaping or at your shared community garden. Compost is the key to great soil, providing all of the organic matter and microorganisms that are needed to grow healthy plants for your gardening endeavors. It can also be used on grass areas of your yard to increase their drought, disease and pest tolerance.
The Key to Making Changes in Your Life
We have found that the most successful way to change is to take one bad habit at a time and repeat a new behavior until it becomes the new habit. Then adopt another one through the same process. By the way, behavioral scientists tell us that it only takes about three or four weeks to form a new habit.
You might be surprised how much you can reduce your waste just by increasing your awareness of what you buy and what goes into the trashcan. It will also help if you place a dedicated recycling bin and compost pail right next to the garbage can in the kitchen pantry, and if you make the effort to purchase more sustainable products and investigate your other opportunities to recycle or donate.
We have made these efforts ourselves and find they have become our norm now. We hope next to stop purchasing throwaway paper products, except for toilet paper, which can be thought of as a compost item (since this goes into its own composting stream). We have begun to think about our own zero waste plan. How about you?
