Steps towards the waste challenge abyss

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I thank Darlene Pashak for her editorial in the July 1 edition “Energy-from-waste is not zero waste” as it brings up some interesting points. However there are some categories that have been left out of the conversation, namely immediate and long-term solutions.

I thank Darlene Pashak for her editorial in the July 1 edition “Energy-from-waste is not zero waste” as it brings up some interesting points. However there are some categories that have been left out of the conversation, namely immediate and long-term solutions.
Born in the 80s, I was raised in the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” model. After some 40 years of collectively chanting that mantra, the masses still haven’t been
educated properly nor have we been implementing this. While I agree with the ideal zero waste get-em-at-the-source model, it’s a long-term solution requiring legal, governmental and personal investments including laws and regulation that will ultimately wipe out or drastically change fast food, disposable food
packaging and multinational company products into more localized, sustainable infrastructures.
The zero waste model is a total change to the capitalistic throw-away system our country is essentially run on, something much more difficult to change immediately. I’m an advocate for the change, but it will mean washing your floors on hands and knees and never buying your precious Swiffers and other plastic throw-aways again – are you ready? Start with your buying choices if so!
The energy-from-waste facility is a great short term solution as we have decades of waste that is not going away because we bury it, which is what incinerators can help with. They convert our current onslaught of non-recyclable items back to its base elements, with little pollution (compared to landfilling) and produce energy we can use.
We need both these solutions, and even more. Think tiers or steps rather
than ultimate-solve-all technologies! The energy-from-waste facility can help us deal with our throw-away culture for the last 50 years, then something else might come along, and by then we will have proper laws that direct us towards zero waste culture. In the meantime, we can all stop buying (literally) into stuff that’s not going to last and will end up in landfills and tell the companies, store owners, and
businesses why you no longer purchase those products. The people have the power only when we take responsibility.

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LADYSMITH