grill and hot tub ? Zero waste initiatives have spawned the idea of ecoparks . Ecoparks take downcycling to the next level and take on the difficult chore of reusing everything with sophisticated salvaging operations . Dan Knapp , the keynote speaker at the Governors ’ Conference on Solid Waste and Recycling in Charleston , West Virginia in 1986 , presented the 12 commodities of the solid waste stream that can create a
5 % Putrescibles
5 % Ceramics
5 % Glass zero waste model . They are :
In the UrbanOre model , “ today ’ s ecoparks salvage and recycling crews accept many un-reusable items for recycling , usually after cleaning and dismantling . For example , a mattress can be broken down into metal from the springs , wood from the box springs frame , and cotton from the fabric cover . All of this is possible , but these materials require substan-
The 12 Commodities of the Solid Waste Stream
7 % Polymers
5 % Metals
5 % Reusable goods
When man was small in numbers and earth was large , he could pollute it with impunity , though even then he frequently destroyed his immediate environment and had to move on to a new spot , which he then proceeded to destroy . Now man can no longer do this ; he must live in the whole system , in which he must recycle his wastes and really face up to the problem of the increase in material entropy which his activities create . In a space ship there are no sewers .
-- Kenneth E . Boulding
3 % Textiles 3 % Soils
10 % Wood
2 % Chemicals
25 % Paper
25 % Plant Debris tial skilled labor to prepare them for commodity markets that may or not pay . Additionally , to do the right thing for a zero waste model , buyers on the receiving crew may charge a fee for receiving some of these items .
Composting should be a mandatory component in any zero waste solution when you see that 25 percent of the waste stream consists of plant debris . Wikipedia simply defines composting as making a heap of wetted organic matter known as green waste ( leaves , food waste ) and waiting for the materials to break down into a humus after a period of weeks or months . Compost is rich in nutrients . It is used in gardens , landscaping , horticulture and agriculture . Ecoparks assign a certain amount of their square footage to make the composting process possible .
And finally when we look what is left over from the ecopark model , wasting should be a last resort and the most expensive .
Consumers must be educated to understand the real value of this type of recycling , be ready to pay for it , and be willing to forego the easy but harmful approach of landfills and incinerators . A zero waste model is available today , but we all need to fully understand the cost of not supporting it . Time is running out . If we don ’ t change what we are doing we run the risk of doing permanent damage to the only planet we have .
Christopher Wales is the owner of Sir Moves A Lot , a moving , delivery and disposal business in Sedona , Arizona . His disposal operation with transfer station is approved by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality ( ADEQ ). Through research and best practices Sir Moves A Lot likes to think globally and act locally with the intention of leaving the world a better place .
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