Waste & Environmental Injustice
Nicholas Girard
Sos 320: Sustainability and Society Fall A
9/20/2017
NARRATIVE
In 2040, waste will become a thing of the past. The air land and sea will be
clean. With the growth of the population, the demand for everything
manufactured will rise with it. In twenty years policy and education will be
implemented for the protection and conservation of the biosphere. In the
future, the integration of responsible construction of buildings, new homes,
and larger cities sustainably will take a hold. Innovations in the production
process will be the future of no waste systems, and eventual improvement of
the state we leave our planet. Sustainable construction of homes and
communities encourages and embraces a closed-loop system thinking framed
for consumption on a day-to-day biases, with the goal of producing as little
waste as possible, and re-purposing from viable left overs. At the individual
level, this takes shape by focusing education and the idea of improvement over
the degradation of the biosphere. Consumers will use smart purchasing
decisions and brand loyalty to firms that focuses on a closed-loop, sustainable
production methods and waste reclaim/re-use system. This will be a future
where all stakeholders feel they have an opportunity to positively impact their
communities at work and at home. At the end of a production cycle and
lifecycle the reuse, recommissioning, repurposing of materials will be more
efficient, actively and creatively producing less waste as a result of
consumption in from start to finish. The production of plastics and styrofoam
will reduce pollution levels. Production companies will be fully aware of the
amount of environmental impact their production cycle will produce quarterly,
allowing the application of closed-loop management strategy adjusts at each
interval. Companies aim to manufacture strong, eco-friendly materials that
endures time and can be reuse, recommission, reclaim, and eventually recycle
their own products and materials easily back into their production line
creating a closed-loop. With a focus on improvement over the degradation of
the biosphere consumers will be driven by smart purchasing decisions and
brand loyalty to firms that focus on closed-loop sustainable production and
waste systems. Communities will have access to more affordable housing,
with a future where lessened waste, will lessen the environmental injustice
placed on communities of lower socioeconomic status. Focused on the
improvement of in air and water quality to reverse the adverse health
implications linked to pollution from waste. Where innovations in business
and consumption practice lessen the environmental injustices placed on
communities altogether. Environmental injustice can be linked back to
governmental regulation and companies who use their political and economic
power to build waste disposal plants in areas where they will receive little or
no community pushback. Politicians and community leaders will be focused
on the improvement of the environment, and community health over economic
gain. Where everyone has access to clean air, water, and food that is not
polluted or tainted in some way. With lessened health implications placed on
communities based on where they can afford to live.
1. SUSTAINABILITY
Viability and Integrity of Ecosystems
Reduction in waste output, results of corporate and urban closed-loop waste management and rapidly
re-newable energy efforts. The cleanup of local water, air, and land has commenced. Already we are
seeing an improvement in the quality of life and the beginnings of a flourishing ecosystem. Pollution
is down. Air, water, and land quality is on the rise, giving each system a fighting chance to function
naturally without resistance. A gain economically, socially and environmentally in the short-term and
long-term. We see values of a healthier biosphere.
Human and Social Wellbeing
The volume waste entering disposal sites is in a exponential reduction stage, lowering asthma and
health impacts placed on the environment in at risk communities. Mental and physical health is in
remission, lowering health care visits, creating a new found social wellbeing where individuals have
access. Physical activity has risen with higher quality oxygen in our environment, with this we see
reduced rates of childhood and midlife obesity further health complications in the future.
Equitable Opportunity for Livelihood and Economic Activities
The elimination of waste impacts livelihood positively by stimulating economic activities. Landfill
could use the heat generated by waste with the power of the sun to produce solar energy. Solar
energy would be offered to low-income residents at lower rates who live in minority communities
where waste disbursal is greatest. Waste elimination would be incentivized by attaching carbon
credits to a barter system. Carbon credits earned could be transferred to academic institutions to
offset infrastructure costs and tuition costs could be reduced because of lower operating costs.
Justice across Societies
In 2040, social justice frameworks will be used in all policy development. Identifying impact on all
facets of society would produce socially responsible rules, laws, and regulations. Waste elimination
or Zero-waste, would be expected from all companies before they would receive building permits.
Waste elimination equates with better health at the individual and population level. Educating
children and adults on sustainability principles, the use of non-biodegradables, and creating a zero-
waste home would satisfy this goal.
Justice from one Generation to the Next
The reduction of waste flowing to management sites will ultimately reduce the amount of pollution
amounted on the environment. As a guiding example, this places the opportunity for further
improvement in their hands of future generations. Socially, eliminating environmental injustice,
improving the physical and mental health and wellbeing of nations to be passed down. Creating
4. TANGIBLE
economically viable systems of production and consumption, reusing, reclaiming, re-newing,
breaking away from traditionally harmful business cycles. And lastly, actively preserving the Technology that converts waste to energy and other products through closed-loop systems
integrity of the biosphere to ensure its integrity and longevity by continuously innovating and exist today and continue to improve as companies are incentivized to innovate.
practicing, and education sustainability systems thinking.
5. MOTIVATIONAL
Zero-waste is an inspiring vision because it is actually achievable and benefits every living
thing on the planet. Lessening the impact of human activities on the planets ecosystem is
critical, urgent, and can be done sustainably.
6. COMPLEXITY AND CAPACITY
Zero-waste processes are complex to design and may be expensive to implement.
Companies have the capacity and technology to innovate processes and are doing
so because of the green revolution. Zero-wasters and local self-reliance organizers
redirect the more complex question from how to eliminate waste to our capacity
not to generate it first place.
2. COHERENT
It makes sense that all stakeholders in society would want to live in a world where their health
REFERENCES
and livelihood is not impacted by waste disbursal. Companies would be incentivized for waste
elimination and society benefits from cleaner air, water, and energy.
McDaniel, A. (2007). Can we create a world without waste? Retrieved from
3. PLAUSIBLE http://www.alternet.org/story/46335/can_we_create_a_world_without_waste
Waste elimination is a lofty idea but zero-waste is occurring now, if it can't be reduced, reused,
repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled or composted, then it should be restricted,
redesigned or removed from production (McDaniel, 2007, para. 5).