Zero Waste lifestyle: The Basic For Future Life

 

You don’t realize how much waste you produce every day until you actively focus on trying to eliminate it. The zero waste lifestyle is about resource life cycles that should be redesigned to maximize product reuse. The main idea is to reduce the quantity of waste dumped in landfills, incinerators, and the ocean. More like, Why throw away something that may be used again? Reuse it and extend its life cycle.

 

Global warming and its effects are becoming vivid every day. That’s mainly because most of us play a big part in it. A zero-waste lifestyle is one of the methods of reducing our carbon footprint to go zero waste

 

Is it too late to turn the tables now and start afresh? NO!

The biggest factor in global warming is waste mismanagement and lack of knowledge about recycling. We live in a world that going towards environmental crises. And for developing countries like Pakistan, it's more alarming.

South Asia has become increasingly vulnerable to disasters as a result of climate change. Climate change is having a negative influence on the region. Pakistan is suffering serious effects from climate change, which is speeding up every day and affecting the lives of people living in the country directly or indirectly.

The World Resources Institute claims that excessive waste contributes to climate change, the extinction of species, and bad health.

We must reduce our paper and plastic trash immediately, as the amount of garbage generated worldwide is expected to increase by 70% by the year 2050.

Pakistan creates 49.6 million tons of organic trash per year, a 2.4 percent rise year on year. The majority of urban waste is burnt, dumped, or buried in open areas. The problem is exacerbated by a lack of urban planning, insufficient waste handling technology, and a lack of public awareness. Pakistan, like other developing countries, lacks waste management infrastructure, resulting in major environmental issues.

Images of one of Pakistan’s garbage open dump

It might be difficult to leave wasteful habits while acquiring mindful consumption techniques. Some people find it beneficial to connect with individuals in their community who can provide support and advice. You may start your zero-waste journey by making tiny, gradual adjustments, such as building a compost pile, recycling, and reusing household products rather than buying new, single-use ones.

HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE THIS LIFESTYLE?

The 5 R's serve as a blueprint for regulating and minimizing waste. They are arranged in a certain order which is  Refuse, Reuse, Reduce, Repurpose, and Recycle.

 In a nutshell, They are:

• Refuse: saying NO to things you don’t need.

• Reduce: Giving away or selling items that are no longer needed. It also entails concentrating exclusively on the required purchase.

• Reuse: Choosing reusable and long-lasting alternatives to throwaway things.

• Recycle: Recycling has been promoted as the primary method of reducing trash. After reject, reduce, and reuse, it comes in at number four on the list.

• Rot: Participate in an organic waste composting program or compost your domestic garbage.

Is it an alarming moment for Pakistan? Is Pakistan a laggard in zero waste lifestyle? Yes!

Pakistanis should follow a zero-waste lifestyle. Apart from the fact that Pakistan's waste produced annually is 30 million tons but they also import waste from around the world so that it can be used by the recycling industry that is spread across the country in Karachi, Lahore, Sialkot, Gujranwala, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The rec The United States, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Iran, the United Arab Emirates,  Saudi Arabia, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Canada are among the nations that dump their garbage in Pakistan. 90 % of the garbage is dumped in the sea. Additionally, the trash contaminates groundwater and surface water systems. The recycling industry extracted metals such as gold, copper, and aluminum from the imported waste.

Solid Waste Generation in Major Cities

City	Population in millions	Solid waste generation/day in tons
Karachi	20,500,000	16,500
Lahore	10,000,000	7,690
Faisalabad	7,500,000	5017
Rawalpindi	5,900,000	4,500
Hyderabad	5,500,000	3,973
Multan	5,200,000	3,680
Gujranwala	4,800,000	3,480
Sargodha	4,500,000	3,072
Peshawar	2,900,000	2,048
Quetta	600,000	716

Source: Mr. Saadat Ali, USCS Pakistan contact from Project Procurement International, Pakistan

Composition of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in Pakistan

Pakistan Physical Composition of MSW by percent

Source: United Nations Environment Programme, report on waste management in Pakistan

Also check: https://environment.gov.pk/

what to do next ?

 To minimize our trash, we must also recover garbage in addition to minimizing the amount of waste we create. Examining those who are succeeding at change might help inspire change.

 The top 3 countries for waste recovery

The countries recovering the highest percentage of their waste on average over five years are:

·        Switzerland 

Despite being one of the top five garbage producers, Switzerland boasts 100% waste recovery (only behind the Netherlands, Denmark, and the USA). Switzerland stopped burying garbage in landfills in 2000, and they now recover 53 percent of their waste through material recovery (recycling and composting), with the remaining 47 percent burnt for electricity.

• Sweden

Sweden is likewise on the verge of recovering 99 percent of its garbage. They are among the top five recyclers (32%), with composting initiatives accounting for 16% of total garbage. They recover more energy through incineration than Switzerland, which recovers 52 percent. Their municipal trash is converted into heat at their 35 waste-to-energy power plants, which heat their 10 million citizens' homes, power buses, and taxis.

• Denmark

Denmark is also quite high at 99 percent, placing two Nordic countries on top. Denmark trails Sweden in recycling (29 percent), but ranks somewhat better in composting (18 percent ). In Sweden, incineration accounts for more than half of trash recovery (53%). Despite their innovative waste management systems, Nordic countries still need to significantly raise recycling rates in order to reach the updated European Union (EU) recycling objectives (of 65 percent) by 2035.Denmark's transition from fossil fuels to green energy is a clear example of their progress.

Waste incineration plant

Along with them some just started few years back.

Japan has reduced its trash by 4% in the previous five years, demonstrating its commitment to green policies of reducing, reusing, and recycling.

Their slogan, 'Mottainai,' is one we might all live by: don't squander anything valuable. 

You can find the full research here: https://www.rajapack.co.uk/minimising-waste

What should Pakistani do now?

The example above shows the commitment of not only those countries' development policy but also the people working along with it .small changes can help. For countries to bring a change people worked together with the administration to control waste and save the earth. Pakistani people should start from little changes like:

·      Saying goodbye to the plastic (straw, bags, etc) 

·      Reusing clothes, shoes, furniture, electronics

Use of bamboo products (bamboo toothbrushes, bamboo hair brushes, bamboo soap/lotion dispensers, and more)

·      Introduce reusable into your daily routine.

·      Invest in a set of cloth produce bags

·      Avoid products wrapped in plastic

·     RECYCLE, RECYCLE, RECYCLE

·      Ditch the tea bags

·      Recycle spare tires

·      Use digital instead of print

·      Use less water

·      Use of bicycle and local transport instead of own vehicle

for more tips

Also check: https://galleryclimatecoalition.org/news/60-what-are-the-5-rs-of-the-waste/

             https://www.unsustainablemagazine.com/the-5-rs-of-zero-waste-living/

A LITTLE MODEL THAT YOU COULD TART APPLYING RIGHT NOW

The above images illustrate the 26-Year Old Sahar Mansoor Bengaluru Woman's zero waste lifestyle in which she  managed to produce only 500 grams of waste which she has collected in her ‘waste jar’

It is up to us to take the required actions to reduce waste in the planet. Even if it's only a few little modifications, it's preferable to not caring at all. So, what are your options for today? Make one adjustment every day, and you'll soon live a fully waste-free life.

For Pakistan, Advancing toward zero waste will protect the local environment, saves money, creates jobs, builds resilience, and promotes community. Little efforts are starting but we need to work more.