Rethinking The World's Waste: Circular Economy | Climate For Change: Closing The

Loop |

Occasionally throwing food out may not seem like a big issue. However, did you realise that
a third of all food produced globally is wasted? We learn about the issue of food waste in the
CNA Insider documentary "A World Without Waste: Circular Economy | Climate For
Change: Closing The Loop." Let's go into more depth about the issue and their potential
fixes.

Food waste has serious environmental consequences as well. As an illustration, water is

utilised at every step of the food manufacturing process. A person waters a crop. Animals
reared for meat are provided with water. Food packaging and transportation both require
water. All of the water is wasted along with the food. Similarly, the water found in the
discarded food helps as well. Picture a luscious apple. This water is squandered annually to
the tune of 170 trillion litres (or 45 trillion gallons). The World Health Organization estimates
that each individual needs a minimum of 15-20 litres of water each day(Reference : Water
Sanitation and Health:World health Organisation: https://www.who.int/teams/environment-
climate-change-and-health/water-sanitation-and-health/environmental-health-in-
emergencies/humanitarian-emergencies). Saving even a small amount of water that would
otherwise be wasted would help a lot in providing water to people all over the world. Food
waste generates so much water waste that, when combined, it could supply all of the world's
domestic water requirements.

Another significant factor in the generation of greenhouse gases is food waste. Food waste
frequently ends up in landfills. It releases methane, a greenhouse gas, when it rots in the
landfill. Both the manufacturing and delivery of food create greenhouse gases. Methane is
produced during the livestock production of cows. Carbon dioxide is produced as a result of
food-transportation vehicle emissions. 11 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions caused by
the food system, according to scientists, might be avoided if we stopped throwing food away.

Let's not overlook the procedures that were followed in the initial food production, either. For
instance, you must clear land before building a farm. By destroying wildlife habitats, clearing
land can lower biodiversity.

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In the following graph,we can observe that both the aggregate and per-consumer food losses
are higher in North America. When comparing production to retail food losses, Latin
America has the highest rates. The lowest consumer food losses occur in Sub-Saharan Africa,
whereas the lowest production to retail food losses occur in South and Southeast Asia.

Graph showing the per capita (per person) food loss for various regions of the world (Source: Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, SAVE FOOD: Global Initiative on Food Loss and Waste
Reduction).

More plastic than marine life will be present in our oceans by the year 2050 (Reference: Will
there be more plastic than fish in the sea : World Wildlife Fund :
https://www.wwf.org.uk/myfootprint/challenges/will-there-be-more-plastic-fish-sea ). In
landfills, plastic has a well-knownly long lifespan. Entrepreneurs are coming up with
innovative ways to remove plastic from our rivers and recycle it into fresh plastic or fuel.
Others are working on alternative materials in an effort to decrease the amount of single-use
plastic in our everyday life.In a world when so many people are starving, food waste may not
appear to make sense, yet it is a serious issue. And methane, a strong greenhouse gas, is
released by food in landfills. In this series, media agency speaks with those working to divert
food from landfills in Singapore and New Zealand by recycling it for biofuel. Additionally,
they encounter businesspeople in the US and Europe that take extra measures to fully avoid
using animals in the production of food. Produced beef is being sold in Singapore right now

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(Reference : Singapore. 2009. Yearbook of Statistics Singapore. Government of Singapore.).
Which is considered to be future of food.

The demand for raw resources is increasing along with the global population. But there are
only so many of the essential basic ingredients available.

Due to limited resources, certain EU nations are also reliant on outside nations for their basic
commodities.Additionally, the ecosystem is significantly impacted by the extraction and use
of raw resources. Additionally, it raises CO2 emissions and energy use. However, CO2
emissions can be reduced by using raw materials more wisely.

Every year, landfills throughout the world receive millions of tonnes of waste materials
including food, clothing, electronics, and building materials. As a result, trash from one
industrial activity may be used as a resource for another, circular economy business models
are now being developed by companies and scientists in forward-thinking nations. Reusing
and recycling will lessen the demand on the environment for the production of new resources.
A custom in Italy dating back a century of reusing clothing; Batteries can be recycled with
the help of orange peels, and there are energy-neutral structures and circular industrial estates
designed to cut waste and increase city efficiency. Other examples include a hospital ward
constructed from recycled trash in Taipei, precious materials for high-value manufacturing
harvested from Black Soldier flies that feed on food waste, and batteries. Ideas in businesses,
neighbourhoods, and towns that canseize profitable possibilities to close the resource loop as
well as it may impact circular economy related to climate change.

Nearly all of the governments in the world have a strong commitment to halting climate
change. The delivery of this framework is the business's duty. The private sector is beginning
to recognise its importance. A growing number of businesses are attempting to achieve net-
zero emissions by 2050 by combining individual efforts with group efforts like Race to Zero,
Universal ESG Reporting, or Climate Action.

Manufacturers must Examine reconsider their waste activities, The methods we use to
manage our garbage have a significant impact on climate change. Recycling and ethical waste

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management can significantly assist. According to the EPA, raising our country's recycling
rate from 30 to 35 percent could result in a 10 million metric tonne reduction in greenhouse
gas emissions. Improving consciousness amongst employees and costumers
An average American's actions produce 19 metric tonnes of greenhouse gases annually,
which is enough to fill the inside of three Statues of Liberty. Therefore, if your business
employs 25, your emissions from employees would fill a Statue of Liberty every week.

One of the main sources of human-related emissions for enterprises is business travel. In
2019, 29% of all greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere were related to transportation
overall. Commercial aviation alone generated 918 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide
emissions the previous year, an increase of 32% over the preceding five years.

It's crucial to pay attention to external factors as well as internal ones as businesses
implement internal carbon reduction strategies. Sustainability is maintained as a top priority
throughout the entire supply chain by making wiser purchasing decisions and working with
environmentally friendly suppliers. Over one-third of all carbon dioxide emissions in the US
are brought on by energy use. In actuality, the annual energy costs for a typical commercial
building exceed $30,000. It goes without saying that concentrating on energy conservation
may benefit businesses greatly, both in terms of sustainability and financial savings.

Consumers must understand the connection between our actions and their effects on the
environment. 60 to 70 percent of all direct and indirect emissions are the fault of consumers.
They are capable of driving the change we so sorely need. Costumers should know their
direct emissions and indirect emissions. There are several carbon footprint estimators,
including those from WWF, Conservation.org, and footprintcalculator.org. Each has
advantages and disadvantages, but they all produce reliable results. Make an effort to access
information. Nowadays, it can be challenging to comprehend how the products you purchase
affect society. Often, more expensive goods or services won't be more affordable than high-
polluting ones. It will take money to clean up the supply chains and do things properly.

Our irresponsible behaviour is currently destroying a whole globe of living things as well as
our very own home, and nature is already quite fragile( Reference : EPA. 2006a. “Waste.”
Global Mitigation of Non-CO 2 Greenhouse Gases. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Washington, DC. EPA 430-R-06-005. June 2006.). We directly contribute to climate change

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through our energy production, product consumption, and careless waste management by
increasing the amount of carbon-based airborne particles in the atmosphere. Warmer air is the
end outcome, which has a terrible greenhouse effect. Landfilling is now the answer to waste
management, yet landfilling itself harms the ecosystem. A landfill is a place to dispose of
waste that includes disposable items, and because of the gases that are produced in an open
garbage dump, it truly poses a serious concern. Decomposition of waste produces significant
amounts of CO2 and methane gas.

Climate change has an impact on both the environment and human life. Climate change is not
only creating frightening changes to the natural world, but also to our biological system.
Extreme weather, a higher risk of fire, the loss of biodiversity, and the spread of infectious
illnesses are just a few of the environmental risks to human health that are becoming
increasingly common.
In addition, when greenhouse gas concentrations rise, coral reefs, plankton, and seas become
more acidic, exposing the entire ecosystem to new environmental challenges that marine life
cannot quickly adapt to.

Waste is both an environmental issue and a financial loss (Reference:Tadesse, T., A. Ruijs,
and F. Hagos. 2008. “Household waste disposal in Mekelle city, Northern Ethiopia.” Waste
Management 28:2003-2012.). The world produces a lot of garbage, including food and
garden waste, demolition and building debris, mining and industrial waste, sludge, outdated
electronics, outdated vehicles, batteries, plastic bags, paper, sanitary waste, outdated clothing,
and outdated furniture. the list is endless.

Our habits of consumption and production have a direct impact on the quantity of garbage we
produce. Another difficulty arises from the large volume of goods that are introduced to the
market. A rise in the proportion of one-person families is one demographic development that
has an impact on how much garbage we produce (e.g. packaging goods in smaller units).

Poor waste management directly impacts numerous habitats and species as well as air
pollution and climate change. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas linked to climate change, is
released by landfills, which are the last resort in the waste hierarchy. Microorganisms in
landfills convert biodegradable waste, including food, paper, and yard waste, into methane.
Landfills may contaminate soil and water depending on how they are constructed.

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Waste has a variety of negative effects on our health and wellbeing, both directly and
indirectly. For example, methane gas emissions contribute to climate change, air pollutants
are released into the atmosphere, freshwater sources are contaminated, crops are grown in
contaminated soil, and fish ingest toxic chemicals, which then end up on our dinner plates.
Illegal operations including exporting, dumping, and burning also contribute, although it is
challenging to gauge the actual scope of these actions or their effects.

Additionally, waste costs our society money and burdens it. When the "leftovers" are thrown
away, labour and other resources (such as land, energy, etc.) employed in its extraction,
production, distribution, and consumption stages are also wasted. Additionally, trash handling
is expensive. Recycling may provide income and create jobs if the infrastructure for
collecting, sorting, and recycling is in place.

We might reduce the need for the extraction of new resources by using trash as a resource.
Fewer materials would need to be extracted, and current resources would need to be used
more efficiently. Unused trash in this case also implies a possible loss. One of the main goals
of the UN is to turn waste into a resource. The strategy also emphasises the necessity of
ensuring high-quality recycling, banning landfilling, limiting the use of non-recyclable
materials for energy recovery, and halting unauthorised trash shipments.

A world without waste is difficult to think of. Even more difficult is to picture a future
without waste, where energy and resource consumption are far lower than they are now. a
“circular economy” where nothing is wasted is becoming more prevalent. Even in nations
with strong recycling and recovery rates, moving up the waste hierarchy has environmental
benefits.

The circular economy seeks to achieve: the refurbishment of goods (from clothing to home
furnishings or electronic devices) and recycling of materials (from plastics to aluminium or
lithium) with zero waste, zero new extraction, and zero carbon footprint.
Closing the loop in this cycle eliminates the need to extract (or cut off) fresh virgin goods,
which is the goal of the circular economy. In order to start the cycle using recycled or
refurbished resources rather than virgin ones, commodities and materials are reused as
opposed to being disposed away. The conventional focus has been on reducing energy

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consumption and emissions as the key to its success, but by emphasising on reuse, it has been
shifted.
Governments and businesses must both take measures to hasten the transition to a
comprehensive circular economy. Businesses must present a rationale for the adoption of
circular production models, engage in R&D to develop sustainable alternatives, and monitor
and regulate material flows to reduce unnecessary waste. They also need to change their
purchasing patterns to reduce waste and help lawmakers create laws that are compatible with
modern technology.

Governments must establish all-encompassing rules rather than precise, narrowly specified
quotas or levies. In keeping with this, they must provide financial incentives to support
comprehensive circular manufacturing models (by raising the real price of virgin materials,
introducing recycling goals, etc.). Finally, in order to limit growth and lessen environmental
impact, policymakers must encourage innovation and green start-ups.

The only way to prioritise the transition to circularity and permanently close the loop is
through such cooperative action Of Government, Manufacturers as well as Consumers.

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