The future of waste

Most of us have become accustomed to recycling. It's easy enough to do: Plop your bottles and newspapers into the recycling bin and toss your food scraps and miscellaneous plastics into the trashcan. Walk away with something of a smiling environmental conscience.

The benefits of recycling have been considerable.

In 2006, the United States recycled 32 percent of its waste according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This is the energy equivalent to saving more than 10 billion gallons of gasoline.

But there's a catch: Our levels of garbage continue to rise, retired landfills are increasingly being designated as superfund sites, and the methane released from waste piles greatly contributes to global warming.

According to research from the World Resources Institute, the United States now generates 43 trillion pounds of waste a year -- roughly a 50 percent increase since 1975.

Fortunately, waste experts are onto the problem and have developed a solution, which is commonly referred to as "zero waste."

Pilot projects around the country suggest this could be the next major overhaul in what we do with our garbage.

Put simply, zero waste means keeping the majority of our materials in closed loops:  Food scraps are composted back into fertile soil; paper back into fiber, and so on. Eventually the whole concept of waste would disappear and we would continuously recycle our resources in never-ending loops. 

Last week, members of Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) toured Eco-Cycle, one of the largest non-profit recycling outfits in the United States. Eco-cycle's been around since the advent of curbside recycling in 1976 and has evolved a great deal since.

The tour gave RMI participants a glimpse into the future of garbage, or the lack of it.

All those who subscribe to Eco-Cycle receive three bins for their waste: one for compost, another for recyclables, and a third for "whatever's left."

Eco-cycle intends to eliminate the "whatever's left" category over time by working with designers to adjust their choices in packaging and product materials. In the long run, consumers would be left with two waste streams: one for composting and another for recycling.

Eric Lombardi, executive director of Eco-cycle, noted the profit opportunities recycling resources presents. Ninety-seven percent of Eco-cycle's glass goes to the nearby Coors brewery, a cheaper option for Coors and a revenue-generating one for Eco-cycle.

Beyond profit, using our "waste as food," has enormous implications for our economy, security, and well being, because it reduces our dependence on increasingly scarce virgin resources -- such as copper and oil.

Eco-cycle isn't alone in its transition toward zero waste. Toronto now recovers over 42 percent of its waste and is aiming for 70 percent by 2010. Germany recycles 60 percent of its municipal waste.

So what can you do in the meantime while this zero waste revolution unfolds?

Become a part of garbage's new trend. Check out local compost and forward-thinking waste operations in your area, start your own composting pile, ask manufacturers to use recyclable or compostable packaging, or contact your waste management company to ensure they're part of this exciting new development.

Maria Stamas is an analyst at Rocky Mountain Institute.