Waste Management Systems Thinking
According to the World Bank, the entire world generates over two billion tons of solid waste every year, and expects the number to skyrocket to nearly three and a half billion tons by the year 2050. That is in addition to other various kinds of waste like agricultural and animal waste, oil and gas production waste, fossil fuel combustion waste, hazardous waste, industrial waste, and medical waste, among others. Because waste is produced so excessively, it has become a daunting threat to Earth’s sustainability, particularly in terms of health impacts and environmental issues. The issue of waste mismanagement needs to be addressed so we can improve human health, preserve the environment, protect animal and marine life, and attempt to combat climate issues.
The systems thinking diagram shown in figure A is essential to fully comprehend the issue of waste mismanagement. It includes the main issue in the middle, shown in the color red. Surrounding the main idea are the causes of the problem, shown in green, the effects of the problem, shown in orange, possible solutions to the issue, shown in purple, and possible barriers to successful solutions, shown in blue. Breaking down each section aids in a better understanding of waste management.
The green section highlights six important causes of the waste management issue, many of which are interconnected to one another. For example, three of the causes are increased production, increased consumption, and increased economic activity. We have become part of a society that has a strong obsession with always having to have the newest thing and excessive shopping for fun rather than out of necessity. The production of goods and the increased economic activity is reinforced by high levels of consumption. The more people buy, the more will be produced to feed the cycle. Population growth is another contributing factor that partners with the previous three. The population continues to grow, meaning there are more bodies that need to be provided for and more humans to be a part of the cycle of consumerism that produces uncontrolled amounts of waste. A large contributor to waste mismanagement is the production and consumption of single use materials. These materials are favorable because of their convenience, however they are simply tossed away after use. Not only are they overproduced and disposed of, but they are often not recycled or reused, but dumped somewhere to cause further issues. While there are many more causes for waste mismanagement, the last cause focused on in diagram A is poverty. In places like developing countries where there isn’t enough money to go around, there is often waste overflowing because there are simply not enough resources to manage them. There may not be proper garbage disposal, so waste is tossed into land patches and waterways, filling streets and communities with rotting trash.
The orange section is a brief list of outcomes caused by mismanaged waste. When waste is not treated or recycled properly and just cast away out of convenience, one result is excessive pollution. It’s very rare nowadays to go about your day without seeing litter somewhere along the way. A surplus of garbage pollution also invades and damages ecosystems both aquatic and on land, and emits toxins that harm air quality, which in turn can result in human health risks. An effect that is correlated with material production is increased methane emissions. The production processes include the extraction and use of fossil fuels which contribute to higher greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.
Though the gravity of the issue is extremely disheartening, brainstorming solutions is a great place to start addressing the issue. Listed in Figure A are a small number of possible solutions. Two similar ones emphasize the importance of limiting unnecessary waste in a household, for example uneaten food or clothes that are still good quality. By donating these things, we can limit the amount of it that ends up in landfills and also help end hunger in communities. Similarly, it is important to reuse and upcycle materials whenever possible, and if necessary, buy items that you know can be recycled. Additionally, when buying items, a very important solution is to avoid the purchase of single-use items. Instead, purchase the same item but in reusable forms, for example, a reusable water bottle or metal straw rather than plastic. An important solution that could and should be used to address waste mismanagement is policy at every level. This includes national, state, local, community, and business policies that regulate the way trash is disposed of. These policies should include the funds and resources to properly integrate and regulate the rules while also including fines or penalties for when they are broken. Finally, innovation and new technologies provide a hopeful glimpse into the future of sustainable waste management. Things that come to mind are new technologies that might be able to break down waste or properly sort it so that it can be recycled. Innovation and creativity must work together to concoct new ideas to limit improper waste disposal.
While it is very important to brainstorm solutions to our issue, it’s never that simple. There has been continuous pleading for years to get people to stop littering, but once people have adopted the “out of sight, out of mind” mindset, it isn’t easy to convince them to break such a bad habit. As mentioned earlier, our society loves to buy. Consumerist ideals fuel the cycle that produces materials that get wasted. As for technological solutions, they are expensive. Money has to be directly allocated to the issue through policy in order to see any drastic change, and policy is not easily passed. Environmental issues have somehow become a party splitting issue, so getting enough government officials to agree and pass a bill is nearly impossible. Additionally, we must recognize that some of these solutions are not as effective as we may think and have some unintended consequences. For example, there are many obstacles that keep the recycling system in the United States from working properly. If items aren’t placed in the proper bin, or a dirty food container gets in the recycling bin, the surrounding recyclables become contaminated, preventing entire cans of waste from being recycled. Recycling facilities often receive items that can’t actually be recycled and they end up incinerated, sent to landfills, or washed into the ocean. The solution of recycling comes with its own barriers that require additional solutions. We can start to address this by having better communication and education about the details of recycling as well as a better effort from the public when it comes to managing their recyclables. I say this because there have been many times in schools and public places where I have seen a trash can lid with one side that has an opening for recyclables and one for trash, but when you open it up, it leads to the same trash can. That is a clear example of performative actions and dismissing the real importance of recycling.
Systems thinking allows us to really study the issue we’re focusing on. We can inspect the causes and effects, examine how they’re connected, and move forward to how we might address a problem. We’re able to realistically inspect our issue, the causes and barriers we face, and how we might respond to repair them.
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