Waste and Pollution

Waste

Unwanted or unusable materials arising from production and consumption activities.

Municipal waste

Garbage generated from residential and commercial sources.

Industrial waste

Waste produced by industrial activities, which includes hazardous waste.

Food waste

Food discarded by retailers or consumers due to various reasons.

Electronic waste

Discarded electronic devices and components.

Plastic waste

Waste that consists of plastic materials that are no longer usable.

Pollution

The introduction of harmful materials into the environment.

Types of pollution

Includes water, air, soil, radiation, noise, light, and thermal pollution.

Air pollution

Contamination of the air due to harmful substances or pollutants.

Water pollution

Contamination of water bodies, often marked by the presence of microplastics.

Light pollution

Excessive or misdirected artificial light in the environment.

Noise pollution

Harmful or annoying levels of noise in the environment.

Soil pollution

Contamination of soil typically due to land runoff.

Radiation

Energy emitted in the form of waves or particles that can be harmful.

Thermal pollution

Alteration of natural water temperatures due to human activities.

Environmental degradation

Deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources.

Human health risks

Potential negative impacts on human health caused by pollution and waste.

Climate change

Long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a place.

Resource depletion

Exhaustion of natural resources due to overconsumption.

Economic costs

Financial impacts associated with managing waste and pollution.

Overconsumption

Consuming more resources than necessary or sustainable.

Agricultural waste

Waste produced through agricultural processes, including crop remnants.

Industrial activities

Processes involved in producing goods and services, which generate waste.

Waste management

The collection, transportation, and disposal of garbage, sewage, and other waste.

Infrastructure and urbanization

Development of cities and towns, which often increases waste generation.

Fossil fuels dependency

Reliance on fossil fuels for energy, leading to pollution.

Negligence and lack of awareness

Ignoring or being unaware of the impacts of waste and pollution.

Food waste definition

Food discarded due to various reasons including aesthetic aspects.

Sources of food waste

Includes retailer discards and consumer plate waste.

Food waste in the USA

30-40% of food produced is wasted in the United States.

Leftovers and food waste

Leftover food often ends up in the trash due to forgetfulness or boredom.

Food waste in USA

• 30-40% of food in the United States is wasted

  • Leftovers from meals (consumption phase)

  • Also food lost in production, processing, distribution and preparation

•  Recent HelloFresh survey found average spending of $248 on groceries per week, discarding ~$63 worth of food

• 25% of people who cook food “always” or “often” make more than they can finish, with 83% planning to have leftovers. Many of these leftovers end up in the trash ...

• Due to forgetfulness (35%)

• Due to boredom (24%)

Activities to reduce food waste

Includes planning meals, managing leftovers, and composting.

Indi: Activities to reduce food waste

• Plan meals, manage leftovers, compost

• Support businesses actively reducing food waste

• Educate oneself on “use by” dates

Government reduce food waste

• Supermarkets banned from discarding unsold food (France)

•  Incentives to donate unsold food (Italy)

• 2030 goal to cut food waste in half (USA)

Business to reduce food waste

• Measure and monitor

• Educate and engage

• Collaborate with suppliers and the government for systemic solutions

Supermarket regulations

Laws preventing supermarkets from discarding unsold food.

Market innovations for waste reduction

Implementing taxes or credits aimed at reducing plastic waste.

Plastics benefits

Plastics are lightweight, versatile, and reduce costs in supply chains.

Plastics problems

Includes waste management challenges and environmental pollution.

Microplastics impact

Chemical additives in microplastics can cause various health issues.

Policies to reduce consumption

Encouraging alternatives and increasing recycling efforts.

Types of plastics - PET

Polyethylene terephthalate, used for bottles and jars.

Fast fashion benefits

Makes clothing cheaper and more accessible but creates massive waste.

Fast fashion concerns

1. Waste + Pollutes planet

   1. Creates MASSIVE textile waste → Use of cheap, toxic textile dyes (makes the fashion industry one of the largest polluters of clean water globally, right up w agriculture.)

      1. greenpeace has been pressuring brands to remove dangerous chemicals

   2. Polyester is the most popular fabric. Derived from fossil fuels. Contributes to global warming. Can shed microfibres that add to the increasing levels of plastic in our oceans when washed or even worn.

   3. Conventional cotton also requires enormous quantities of water and pesticides in country like india and china….this results in drought risks and creates extreme stress on water basins and competition for resources between companies and local communities

   4. Processing of leather also impacts environment 300kg of chemicals added to every 900 kg of animal hides tanned

2. Exploits workers

   1. Human costs

   2. Workers work in dangerous environments for low wages and w.out fundamental human rights

   3.  Farmers may work w toxic chemicals that can have devasting impacts on workers physical and mental health.--> The True Cost documentary.

3. Harming Animals

   1. Toxic dyes and microfibers released in waterways then ingested by land and marine life

   2. Leather, fur, wool used in fashion directly

   3.  Animal welfare is put at risk

4. Coercing Customers 

   1.  Encouraging a throw-away culture

   2.  Creates constant sense of need and ultimate dissatisfaction

   3. Criticised on intellectual properties

Worker exploitation

Workers in the fashion industry often operate under dangerous conditions.

Human and animal impact

Fashion industry's processes harm both worker and animal welfare.

individual reduction of fast fashion

1. Individual

   1. Buy less (Create capsule wardrobe) 

   2. Choose well (high quality that’ll last)

   3. Make it last (wearing them until worn out, mending whenever possible, recycling them at the end)

   4. Shop secondhand

   5. Support sustainable brands

   6. Repurpose and repair

   7. Wash responsibly

gov reduction of fast fashion

1. Government

   1. France’s anti-waste law (2020) 

   2. UK Environmental Audit Committee (2019)

   3. Extended producer responsibility (EPR)

Bus reduction of fast fashion

1. Business

   1. Embrace circular economy models 

   2. Design for durability 

      1. Sustainable materials 

   3. Transparency and traceability 

   4. On-demand production

The promise of plastics

• Consumer expectations: product performance, Convenient

• Supply chain benefits : plastics are versatile and are very light (easy to transport/more to transport each time than e.g glass)

• Profitability: Ridiculously cheap 

Problems and consequences of plastics

• Social Problems : waste management, health concerns 

• Environmental Problems: Pollution and toxics, impact on wildlife

Magnitude of the plastics problem

448 million tons in 2015 and 8.3 bil tons since 1950

miroplastics

1. Found in almost every part of the human body

2. Associations between cardiovascular disease and low male fertility

3. Chemical additives known to cause cancer, metabolic disorders, ADHD, infertility

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

1- Beverage bottles, food jars, clothing and carpet fiber, some shampoo and mouthwash bottles (easy)

High-density polyethylene (HDPE)

2- detergent and bleach bottles, snack boxes, milk jugs, toys, buckets, crates, plant pots, garden furniture, trash bins (easy)

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

3- Credit cards, window and doorframes, gutters, pipes and fittings, wire and capble sheating, synthetic leather (hard)

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE)

4-packaging film, shopping bags, bubble wrap, flexible bottles, wire and cable insultation (kinda)

Polypropylene (PP)

5- bottle tops, drinking straws, lunch boxes, insulated coolers, fabric and carpet fiber, tarps, diapers (kinda)

Polystyrene (PS)

6-plastic-foam cups, egg boxes, meat trays, packing peanuts, coat hangers, yogurt containers, insulation, toys (hard)

Other (7)

nylon fabrics, baby bottles, compact disks, medical storage containers, car parts, watercooler bottles (v har)