Waste ManagementWaste is not only an environmental problem, but also an economic loss.
When resources are produced and used in ways that lead to their disposal as waste, the loss of those resources is an economic loss. When resources can be saved, reused, recovered or used more efficiently, there is a net economic gain.
Waste is part of the economy – it is a by-product of economic activity, by businesses, government and households. Large amounts of waste are generataed minute by minute in our world - including: food and garden waste, construction and demolition waste, mining waste, industrial waste, sludge, old televisions, old cars, batteries, plastic bags, paper, sanitary waste, old clothes and old furniture… the list goes on.
The amount of waste we generate is closely linked to our consumption and production patterns. The sheer number of products entering the market poses yet another challenge. Demographic changes, like an increase in the number of one-person households, also affect the amount of waste we generate (e.g. packaging goods in smaller units).
Waste is also of course is an input to economic activity – whether through material or energy recovery. The management of that waste1 has economic implications – for productivity, government expenditure, and, of course, the environment.
Host Bernice Butler and guests Stacy Savage, Jeremy Drake and Maggie Clarke explore the economic impacts of Waste and Waste Management and what it means to the environment and our daily lives.
