The way we look at waste has changed dramatically in the last couple of years. The focus is moving away from just collecting waste, making a shift to recycling, re-using and repurposing waste.

What are the trends and initiatives? There are multiple initiatives taking place coming from multiple interest groups and with different purposes. Some of the more common, include:

#Waste handling and recycling mandatory by law

Mandatory recycling laws are common practice in Europe. Households and businesses are required to sort out recyclables before pick-up at curb-site. If customers choose to drop off, they must do so at designated recycling containers. The goal in mind, hopeful to decrease the amount of waste dumped in landfills.

Several states in the US have landfill bans for recycling material and/or incentive programs for recycling, while others don’t. The European Union is pushing for a complete landfill ban by 2030. Sweden for example, minimized its landfill disposal already today to only 1% (http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/09/02/sweden-recycling_n_5738602.html) of their municipal waste. Generally speaking, waste that cannot be recycled ends up at incineration plants producing energy to heat homes.

The European Union has mandated a 50% recycling rate by 2020. The recycling rate in Europe stands at approximately 35% with varying recycling rates by country, according to the European Environment Agency (status 2010). The highest recycling rates are in Austria (63 %), Germany (62 %), Belgium (58 %), the Netherlands (51 %) and Switzerland (51 %).

In comparison, the US has a recycling rate of approximately 34%. Recycling initiatives in the US, are endorsed and mandated by individual states, cities, citizens and green programs.

#Green initiatives promoted and supported by cities and their citizens

While recycling programs in Europe are decided on a European Union level and their respective country, recycling programs in the US are driven be individual states, cities and/or other initiatives.

Great examples for recycling programs that function on a city level are Portland, City of San Jose, and Seattle, just to name a few.

The City of San Jose has a long history of recycling initiatives. In 1989, a curbside recycling initiative was started there. Later added, a Pay-as-you-Throw (PAYT) program for refuse and recycling. Portland also has a strong recycling program in place. Their effort has been taken even a step further by implementing an “illegal dumping” hotline. This is where citizens can call and report incidents of illegal waste dumping.

Fresno for example enhances its recycling programs by educating students on Recycling and Waste programs. This strategy is hopeful that students will teach their parents about these programs.

Other initiatives that support municipalities and citizen’s recycling efforts are the Recycling Bank, and Keep America Beautiful. The Recycling Bank supports and advises communities about recycling efforts through implementing incentive programs and educating citizens on recycling efforts. These incentives programs are offered through the form of discount rates and gift cards to grocery stores, local stores and for online goods.

Keep America Beautiful is a non-profit organization that “brings people together to build and sustain vibrant communities”. The program offers a great variety of recycling campaigns. Some include: the Game Day Recycling Challenge for Colleges, Recycle Bowl for schools, Recycle Mania for Colleges, and Recycling@Work.

#Businesses implementing zero-waste policies and waste-to-repurpose policies

What is a Zero Waste Policy? It is a pledge that waste produced within companies e.g. their manufacturing processes will be recycled, reused or incinerated with the result that zero waste is ending up at landfills.

Big names like Nestle, GM and Procter and Gamble have implemented these programs or at least started them, with set deadlines for conformity. Waste to re-purpose policies already in place, enable businesses to make best use of their waste by selling it to other companies for re-use.

A good example of functioning waste-to-repurpose is Procter and Gamble’s diaper scraps, sold to furniture manufacturers for usage in upholstery fillings. For more great examples, reference the blog post Zero Waste Strategies create new revenue streams.

#New technologies, like waste-to-biofuel facilities are being implemented

The City of Edmonton just started to run their waste-to biofuel facility. The plant is able to transform waste into biofuel, to power cars. It is considered to be the first municipal facility worldwide doing this. At full capacity, the facility will produce 38 million liters of fuel and biochemicals, each year. The video below describes how it works.

This concepts claims to supply fuel for the impressive number of 400,000 cars. Could biofuel plants, like the one in Edmonton, be a role model for others? What can one conclude from the above?

Recycling is a worldwide increasing trend, regardless if it is mandatory or not. The market seems quite scattered, with no one seeming to have a one-fits-all solution. And for this reason, it’s difficult to roll out country, let alone worldwide, fast implementation programs for efficient waste and recycling. Local preferences, different initiatives and strategies, all asking for different solutions, at least for now.

Where do you see this trend going? Will we eventually have a “standard package” of waste programs, resulting one day in no trash? What are the most cost-effective and sustainable solutions?