Recycling - Just one part of a wider system
The team at Res.Awesome stand as part of a growing list of Zero Waste advocates who want to build a circular waste economy. This will entail a major perspective shift; looking at our resources differently, redesigning supply + demand chains and allowing nothing to be seen as waste. A circular waste economy is a regenerative, enriching and economically advantageous way of existing on earth. It just makes sense! After all, it is what nature would do!
Natural ecosystems work harmoniously. All wildlife and resources find their perfect place in regenerative life cycles. We believe that we can model this in our pursuit of a zero-waste future. A Circular waste economy has some key goals:
Eliminate waste and pollution
Circulate resources and products to be reused whilst getting the most out of them
Regenerate and value Papatūānuku above all else
Achieving a circular waste economy will require action on many levels and will mean we must transition to using only renewable materials and energy sources. A zero-waste way of life will mean adopting new habits… and recycling is just one part of a much more comprehensive waste minimisation process. When looking at the zero-waste hierarchy, recycling actually sits pretty low on the list!
In Dunedin we have seen a few recycling hubs pop up around our city, which is a great idea to keep our recycling rates up. However, we believe that we can go a step further than that and have a more regenerative approach. We are stoked to see the community engagement with these recycling hubs. We know recycling is an idea we have been sold on the pursuit of being considered a tidy kiwi. If we want to pursue a zero waste future we must dream a little bigger. These recycling hubs could be turned into full-blown resource recovery hubs in the pursuit of a clean, green future.
Recycling is an end of the line solution that often causes more problems than it fixes. Recycling is only one component of the zero waste hierarchy and is only 1 part of the solution that needs to be implemented around the community. NZ is unable to process around 50% of our recycling, with much of it being shipped around the world and processed in unregulated ways that cause damage to local indigenous communities. Don’t get us wrong, recycling is great as part of a wider solution and when used as a necessary part of resource management - but we simply cannot rely on it if we want to reach our zero waste goals.
The zero-waste hierarchy is a great tool to guide us on our sustainability mission.
We know it can be hard to REFUSE to engage with practices that have become pretty standard practice in modern life - but it can be seriously empowering to refuse products and services that just aren’t cutting the mustard. Next time you are out, politely refuse to use disposable serviceware by bringing your own or dining in. Set the precedent by asking for a more sustainable alternative, if that doesn't work…. politely refuse to use those wasteful products. Our actions send a clear message to various industries that we simply will not support practices that are detrimental to our natural world. We encourage our local services to REDUCE, REDESIGN and RETHINK!
We encourage everyone to REUSE their items again and again, whether this looks like REPURPOSING or simply being super on to it with having our own reusable containers as our permanent travel buddies. Cyclical use of resources is essential to a zero waste lifestyle.
RECYCLE inorganics and COMPOST organics….. pretty self explanatory! Try and resist the urge to recycle anything that can be repurposed. Glass jars make excellent food storage and cardboard can be kept for future projects. ROT all food scraps and organic matter rather than just biffing them into your trash can. Landfill and food waste just don’t mix well, rotting our food is an awesome way to REVIVE and REGENERATE our soil, feeding nutrients back into the place where our food comes from, Papatūānuku.
xxx
