Beyond the zero waste concept

Abstract

During the last 40 years the existing solid waste handling system schemes have been developed and implemented including advanced systems for recovery and reuse. However, even though these recycling systems have not been always economically feasible during the entire period, recycling systems have been implemented thanks to the wide support from the citizens and their interest for source separation. There has been a feeling among citizens and even waste management companies that this is a sustainable and nature resources saving way to work. Today “the zero waste concept” is used more and more both in Sweden and other parts of the world discussing different ways of modern waste management in order to reduce the amount of waste for final disposal as much as possible close to zero. The existing challenges in the future include recovery of metals, nutrients, and other valuable constituents that have escaped from the anthropogenic circuits since the industrial. During the next 30 years more focus must be directed towards recovery of lost resources in ore mining waste, old landfills, in harbor and sea sediments, slag, ashes, sludge but also materials that are bound to urban constructions as residential, commercial and industrial infrastructures, water distribution networks, sewage systems and underground electric/electronic networks such as telephone etc. An overview regarding the recovery of mentioned materials and chemical compounds called “Beyond the zero waste concept” will be presented in this paper in order to raise concerns and awareness about the importance of establishing a new model of waste management schemes.