A Changing World - Gaining Waste

Simon PenneyPromise Consulting

15 Windsor DriveFalkirk

StirlingshireFK1 5QN

T. 0 (44) 1324 638786

E:[email protected]:www.promiseconsulting.org.uk

A Changing World - Gaining Waste

• A world of waste - – sources and impacts

• Beyond recycling -– alternative lifestyle models

• The disposable economy -– prospects for change

Presentation Outline

Simon Penney Chartered Wastes Manager Chartered Environmentalist Promise Consulting2004 - 15 Windsor Drive FALKIRK FK1 5QNT: 01324 638786 M: 07976310984E:[email protected] W:www.promiseconsulting.org.uk

A WORLD OF WASTESources and Impacts


A World of Waste

Payatas Manila Philippines

WENT Landfill Hong KongTsunami SE Asia - BBC news


Definitions• Merriam-Webster defines waste as "refuse from

places of human or animal habitation."

• “a resource that is not safely recycled back into the environment or the marketplace." ZeroWasteAmerica

• Any subject or object in the categories set out in Annex 1 of the Waste Framework Directive (91/156/EEC), which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard” - European Union

• “What people live off and children work on” - Mission Worker NW Nicaragua


• Municipal Solid Waste (Largely Domestic)• Industry (Industrial/Hazardous/Special)• Commercial (Similar to MSW)• Construction and Demolition• Agricultural and Forestry• Mining and Quarrying• Energy Production

Waste GenerationSources


• Dublin Report• Global MSW increased by 7% on 2003• Global Total Estimated to be

– 1.84 Billion Tonnes

• Predicted between 2004 and 2008– to increase further by 31.1%– to 2.4 Billion Tonnes

Global Waste Generation


Global Waste Generation

0

200

400600

800

1000

CanadaAustraliaChina

IndonesiaJapanMexico

NetherlandsSwedish

USA UK

Country

Kg per Capita

kg per capita

Ref: Combined Internet References

International Waste Generation


Sources of Waste EU

C&D Agriculture Mining Industry MSW Energy

EU Waste Generation

Ref.: Combined Internet References


UK WASTE GENERATION

• Current total estimate is 434 million tonnes per annum, (2 hours to fill Royal Albert Hall!!)

• Increasing between 2 and 7% per annum

• Approx. 80% to Landfill

• Recycling Rate of approx. 10% (One of worst in Europe, Austria at 48%)

• 2% incineration

• No of Sites to manage this waste have decreased


Impacts

• Waste generated by human society has impacts on all three pillars of Sustainability and affects human life and the life of other species at every scale

• Environment - Social - Economic


Environmental Impacts

•Air pollution•Global Warming and Climate Change•Water Resource Pollution•Noise, Dust, Odour and Local Nuisance•Degradation of local amenity•Landuse•Secondary costs, Transport costs•Material extraction costs


Social Impacts

•Increase in burden of waste management on certain sections of community•Increase of Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) cases•Increase in litigation •Increase in general community concern of health effects of wastes management•Lack of job generation due to poor use of materials


Economic Impacts

•Material Resource Efficiency•Resource Management•Legislative compliance•Remediation costs.•Health and Safety •Market place image •Marketability of the organisation or city.•Property value blight


BEYOND RECYCLINGAlternative Lifestyle Models


UK and EU Development of Wastes Management

• Before 1970’s Rubbish Disposal

• 1970’s Wastes Disposal

• 1980’s Wastes Management

• 1990’s (Late) Wastes and Resources

• 2005+ Sustainable Material Resources


Current Concepts (EU)

• Producer and Consumer Responsibility• Proximity Principle• Self Sufficiency• Best Practicable Environmental Option

(BPEO/BAT)• Precautionary Principle• Duty of Care


Legislation and Regulation

• Basel Convention on Shipments of waste• WEEE• Landfill Directive• Environment Agency (England and Wales)• SEPA (Scotland)• Environment and Heritage Service (NI)• LA’s


Waste Hierarchy

REF:SEPA2004


Other Models• Sustainable Consumption/Development

– Consumer Responsibility– Zero Waste - New Zealand

• Industrial and Human Ecology– Viewing human society as organic or organism (Gaia)– I.e wastes should only be produced that are used.

• New Age type philosophies– Deep-Ecology, how are humans to be valued– Ecological primacy, the natural world seeks justice due to waste

(Creation Groans???? - Rms 8)

• A biblical based Christian Environmental Ethic– Relatively new field


Christian Based Ethic

• Ethics - the rights of the individual versus the rights of society - this is a key question in environment and waste management

• Stewardship - Of God World’s and Resources • Responsibility - To God for this• Accountability - By God about this• Love - To love our neighbour as ourselves


Stewardship• Can our current use of materials and the

wastes they produce and the economies they feed be considered biblical stewardship?

• What would Biblical stewardship of materials resources look like and how would it differ from our current system?

• Waste production is a function of economic activity and a symptom of inequity. It is a measure of how we steward the planet.


Responsibility

• Responsibility to our neighbour

• While there is nothing wrong with profit in the marketplace, in some cases we must voluntarily limit our profit in order to protect the environment. (Dr. Ray Bohlin)

• As individual Christians and as the Church do we take our responsibility for this stewardship seriously enough. Do we love our neighbour?


Accountability

• Accountability to God• As with other gifts and resources that God

has provided us with, one day we will be asked about how we used the Earth’s material resources, what will our answer be?

• The excess generation of wastes and their mis-management may be morally wrong and therefore sinful.


Economies of Love

“Imagine an economy based on Christian love

rather than greed.” - heaven?• Eternal rather than sustainable• Efficient and Effective• Demands and supplies perfectly matched

rather than partially (Perfect Relationship)• No waste produced, all materials utilised


THE DISPOSAL ECONOMYProspects for Change


Prospects for Change

•Increasing Environmental and Wastes specific legislation•Increasing public awareness of the need for Change•Development of National and International waste strategies•Increasing recycling rates•Better design processes, new techniques and methods•Slight decoupling of waste and economic generation•Research•Improving Technology

But no change in morality & waste generation is growing.


“Since the roots of our troubles are so largely

religious, the remedy must also be essentially religious, whether we call it that or not”

Professor Lynn White


A Prophetic Call

• The Christian Church needs to lead on this important area, it is an issue of morality.

• This is a real opportunity for a reclaimed Christian Ethic to influence governmental policy.

• It is a wonderful opportunity for evangelism in both the developed and developing world.


A Prophetic Call

• The environment will become a key area for Christian Mission during the next century

• Climate Change Impacts, both in developing and developed economies

• Waste is a fundamental component of this challenge and is directly linked to economic productivity, Climate Change and human health.

• The poorest are likely to suffer most unless!!Simon Penney Chartered Wastes Manager Chartered Environmentalist Promise Consulting2004 - 15 Windsor Drive FALKIRK FK1 5QNT: 01324 638786 M: 07976310984E:[email protected] W:www.promiseconsulting.org.uk

Prospects for ChangePeople

“Kenyan ecologist Wangari Maathai receives Nobel Peace Prize” - 2004

Advisor for WCC and now Environment Minister Kenya

"partners together in one of the greatest challenges that this world has ever had to face"

Michael Meacher - Environment Minister (2000) talking About the Church


Prospects for ChangeProjects

• Target Earth

• John Ray Initiative– Seminars and publications– Policy Influence

• Au Sable Institute USA,– Education– Community Programmes


Prospects for Change

DEPENDS ON YOU AND MESimon Penney Chartered Wastes Manager Chartered Environmentalist Promise Consulting2004 - 15 Windsor Drive FALKIRK FK1 5QNT: 01324 638786 M: 07976310984E:[email protected] W:www.promiseconsulting.org.uk

Further Information

• http://www.unep.org/– United Nations Environment Programme

• http://www.creationcare.org/– Evangelical Environmental Network

• http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk– Environment Agency for England and Wales

• http://www.iswa.org/– International Solid Waste Association


http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/

Summary• Global Waste Generation is increasing

• Waste has many negative env/soc/eco impacts

• Waste production is morally questionable

• It impacts are undoubtedly evil, opportunity for mission

• The problem is essentially “religious” rather than technical

• Christianity is mandated to lead, but must work in partnership

• Change will happen individual by individual, government by government, nation by nation


Questions


Simon PenneyPromise Consulting

[email protected]


Documents

A Changing World - Gaining Waste