The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development covers 17 goals, the twelfth of which is “Responsible consumption and production,” namely: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Under this major goal, there are 17 targets, the 12.5 of which is “By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.”

●Current Situation

About the World

UN urges Europe to step-up action over environmental crisis

The call came during the ninthEnvironment for Europe Ministerial Conferencein the report authored by the UN EconomicCommission for Europe (UNECE) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Action is needed over emissions, waste, pollution and biodiversity loss, it says, adding that solutions can be found, through a focus on a “circular economy” and sustainable infrastructure.

“The findings of thisassessment almost halfway through Agenda 2030, must be a wake-up call for the region,” said UNECE chief Olga Algayerova. “The historic drought the region faced this summer announced what we should expect in years to come and shows that there is no more time to lose”.

A circular and more efficient economy – where production and consumption are mutually sustaining and focused on resource efficiency - will help address growing waste and resource use.Even where a strong political commitment for a circular economy exists, such as in the European Union and other Western European countries, generated waste continues to grow.

In response, the report urges governments tostep up waste prevention in production, consumption, and remanufacturing, including through financial incentives such as tax relief, and upholds that a pan-European e-waste management partnership would enable the recovery of valuable resources. Meanwhile, mineral extractions have tripled over the past half century, with processing accounting for over 90 percent of biodiversity loss and water stress and about 50 percent of climate change impacts.Developing the circular economy, regional governments could strengthen the management of raw materials. 

Source: un.org

About China

Reduce the amount of solid waste generation and improve the capacity of solid waste treatment

Relevant data show that the annual growth rate of garbage in China is obvious, but the garbage disposal capacity has not kept up with it. In the next four to five years, Beijing's will have no land to bury garbage, and some garbage dumps in Shanghai are now adjacent to residential areas. At present, there is no good plan for waste disposal in the world. A garbage mountain in Uiseong-gun, South Korea has been burning for months. Garbage not only occupies our precious land, but also causes environmental pollution and spreads diseases. Solid waste contains various harmful substances, which can directly pollute the soil, air and water source if not handled properly, and ultimately cause harm to various organisms, including human beings. Garbage contains a large number of microorganisms, and is a breeding ground for germs, viruses, pests, etc., seriously endangering human health.

The classification of domestic waste in China is still in its infancy on the whole, and there is still a long way to go to cultivate the habits of the masses and achieve the goal of reducing and recycling. At present, 46 key cities have basically built classification systems, but the progress is uneven, and people are not very satisfied. At the same time, there are still shortcomings in the construction of collection, delivery, transfer and treatment facilities. The capacity of sorting and processing kitchen waste and hazardous waste in many cities cannot meet the demand. Some cities lack special transfer vehicles, while publicity and education need to be further deepened.

To further promote the classification of domestic waste, we need to strengthen the entity responsibility, improve the responsibility system for the classification of domestic waste, and form a working pattern in which the "top leaders" take charge, the Party and government work together, relevant departments assume their respective responsibilities, and the whole society cooperates; It is necessary to strengthen the construction of the classification system, rationally arrange the classified delivery and collection facilities, equip sufficient classified transfer vehicle equipment, accelerate the supplement of kitchen waste and hazardous waste treatment facilities, and promote the orderly connection of the front end, middle end and end; It is necessary to promote habit formation, build a long-term mechanism, accelerate the local domestic waste management legislation, improve the garbage classification laws and regulations system, and improve the effectiveness evaluation mechanism of domestic waste classification.

Sources: Xinhua News Agency

●Cases

About the World

Zero waste: the Portuguese business turning leftover fish into dog treats

There’s no doubt that food loss and waste, has been undermining the sustainability of our food systems.In an effort to counter this, some small businesses around the world are putting the focus on new sustainable waste management practices. Sancho Pancho, a small business that turns leftover parts of fresh fish, into dog treats, is based in Lisbon, Portugal.

Every day, pounds and pounds of fish heads, bones, and skins literally end up in the trash, but Sancho Pancho has revolutionized the approach to such food waste, by partnering with Sekai Sushi Bar, a Japanese restaurant in the central neighborhood of Santos. The owner of Sekai, EdilsonNeves, explained to UN News that, each day, the restaurant receives around 10 kilos of salmon, tuna and white fish.The backbone, part of the tail, the edges, the sides, the part that connects with the stomach, some parts of the fish that are tougher, that have more fibers and skin too, we end up not using them. This 30 to 40 percent that would go to waste, we end up reusing it through Sancho Pancho”.

“These cookies are made with this type of white fish, which we first cook, and then crush, so the bones have a much smoother texture. We crush it, mix it with flour and make the cookie. But there are also other types of waste, such as white fish or salmon skins that you can dehydrate. This type of snack goes into the machine, stays for 20 hours at a temperature of 70˚C and then comes out drier, crispier, and we cut it into pieces and make it like little chips, flakes of salmon skin.Snacks made with salmon skin are rich in omega 3 fish oil, which is helpful to keeping the skin and fur of pets like dogs and cats, healthy.” the creator of Sancho Pancho said.

Source: unnews.org

American girl practices “zero waste life”

There’s a post-90s American girl named Lauren Singer. The household garbage she produced in the past four years can be contained in a small glass jar.

As a girl who loves beauty, in order to reduce the number of tags and bags for buying new clothes, she has been buying clothes only in second-hand for four years. And she has been buying only the classic styles of black, white and gray, which will not be outdated, and can greatly reduce the update frequency of clothing. In order to avoid the use of disposable packaging bags and plastic bags, Lauren has been avoiding the shelves of gorgeous-packaged goods once she goes to the supermarket, and she has been visiting the bulk shelf only. She will use the canvas bags she carries with her to hold food. The bottle and bags are very cute. Because bulk food is mostly cereals, Lauren even has an extra benefit: her diet has become healthier.

Plastic materials have disappeared in Lauren's home. Her daily necessities are made of metal, bamboo, animal husbandry products, natural hair and recycled environmental materials. In her home, you can't even find a lamp. It is lit by candles at night. The transformation and utilization of old things can also be found everywhere: the wooden tea table is an old pallet truck, and the decorative dried flowers are naturally air dried…

In order to practice “zero waste”, Lauren has become a crafts woman. From soap and shower gel to toothpaste and eyeliner, she can make all by herself, and the finished products are no inferior to the market products. She is not alone on the road of practicing the “zero garbage” philosophy. A like-minded friend sent her the mirror transformed from the pallet of the cargo box, and a large number of environmental protection supporters loved her toiletries formula and advocated this valuable lifestyle with her. As Lauren said, we are the future of the earth. In order not to let the future be littered with rubbish, we should do something for the earth and ourselves.

Source: zhihu.com

About China

How to reduce the generation of hazardous waste through source control?

In the process of production, enterprises should, in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Production Promotion Law, constantly take measures such as improving design, using clean energy and raw materials, adopting advanced technology and equipment, improving management and comprehensive utilization, so as to reduce pollution from the source, improve resource utilization efficiency, reduce or avoid the generation and discharge of pollutants in the process of production, service and product use, and achieve cleaner production, so as to minimize the generation of hazardous waste from the source.

In order to reduce the production of hazardous wastes from the source, enterprises should focus on the following aspects during the process of technological transformation: 1) Use non-toxic, harmless or low toxic and low harmful raw materials to replace those with high toxicity and serious harm; 2) Adopt processes and equipment with high resource utilization rate and low pollutant production to replace those with low resource utilization rate and high pollutant production.

Sources: meeb.sz.gov.cn

How to reduce the generation of solid waste in daily life?

Article 3 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste stipulates, "The State shall prevent and control environmental pollution by solid waste, implement the principles of reducing the amount of solid waste generated and its harmfulness, making full and rational use of solid waste and harmlessly disposing of solid waste, and promote cleaner production and the development of a circular economy."

Reducing the generation and harmfulness of solid waste is the first choice for solid pollution prevention.

Therefore, in our study and work, we should try not to use disposable signature pens, print on both sides of paper, use recycled paper and recycled paper office supplies, and use the Internet and paperless office as much as possible.

When dining in a restaurant, order an appropriate amount and pack the leftovers to reduce waste. Use reusable tableware and try not to use disposable napkins and tablecloths.

In families, recyclable items should be stored separately and handed over to waste recycling agencies. Reusable idle items should be given to those who need them. Reusable durable items should be used as much as possible to reduce the use of disposable items.

When shopping, try to buy products with environmental certification, energy-saving and water-saving certification and recycling certification. Do not buy over packaged goods. Bring your own shopping bags.

Here are 10 tips to help you significantly reduce household waste:

1. Kitchen: long live bulk

Plan the meals for a week before shopping, so that the food stored in the cupboard and refrigerator will not be thrown into the trash can due to expiration. This practice also allows you to eat freshingredients.

Bulk purchasing can help you reduce the number of packaging bags. At home, glass cans are used instead of plastic bags for storage. This will also make the kitchen more beautiful and tidy, and convenient for storage.

2. Bedroom: fewer but better

Keep only the clothes we like, and try to buy clothes with better quality, so that they can stay in the closet longer. Other clothes can be given to friends or donated to special recycling agencies.

You need only two or three beautiful sheets at most, matching the decoration.

3. Bathroom: reduce the number of beauty products

We will always accumulate many sanitary products with the same function or cosmetics that we want to try, and eventually they cannot escape the fate of ending up in the trash can. The best way is to use multifunctional products in bulk containers, such as household shampoo and mild soap, neutral body milk, nourishing cream or oil. Further, you can also choose solid cosmetics. Toothpaste, deodorant and shampoo all have solid versions, which are convenient to carry without packaging. Even use basic ingredients to make your cosmetics. This is easier than we thought, and by doing so, we can know exactly what is used on our skin.

4. Laundry: self-made household products

Step 1 - Simplify and focus on multi-functional products: multi-functional cleaners and detergents. White vinegar is a magic cleaning product. It can not only disinfect and remove scale, but also clean windows and mirrors... The whole process can be completed with sponge and rag.

You can also make your own cleaning products with soap, white vinegar, bicarbonate and essential oil.

5. Office/study: restrict paper

Duplex printing is needless to say. For books and magazines, libraries are your allies. For unnecessary leaflets that you often receive, you can place a label to indicate that you do not want to receive these advertisements in your mailbox. In the digital era, you can also use apps on mobile phones or tablets to reduce the use of paper.

6. Children's room: give/exchange clothes and toys

If you choose to buy and sell baby equipment in the second-hand market, many problems can be solved, such as the bed becoming too small, and clothes being used only for one season. Organize regular exchange meetings between neighborhood families to give or exchange children's clothes and toys, and promote neighborhood friendship.

7. Garden: compost and recycle

Most garden waste is organic. That means they can compost! It will be better if there is a local place to recycle them. Or create compost in the garden. You will get high-quality raw materials to feed the plantation and save on fertilizer.

HomeBiogas, an Israeli company, has designed a methanator that can recycle all biological wastes: all kinds of food residues, such as meat debris, and even pet feces!

This methanator contains six liters of water. At the beginning, it is necessary to "activate" the bacteria by watering or excreta of ruminants (cattle, sheep, horses...). Put the machine in a sunny place, and the heat generated by bacteria will naturally convert waste into biogas. The methanator can also produce liquid fertilizer for gardens.

8. Going out: carry-on bag

Carrying something with you is enough to limit the waste generated. For example:

Take a cup with you and avoid using the plastic cup for the coffee machine;

Use your own cloth bags when shopping;

Avoid disposable tableware;

Use towels or cloth handkerchiefs to avoid disposable paper towels;

If you bring your own food, replace the plastic wrap with reusable plastic bags and tarpaulins.

9. Leisure time: experience instead of goods

Walking in the fresh air, playing games, visiting cultural sites... The list is endless. They can also be used to replace the garbage generated by food and leisure products, leaving a good memory.

The same logic can be used when giving gifts. Provide services instead of things: massage, theater, cooking lessons, travel, surprised parties…

10. Recycle

There is a saying that garbage is a resource misplaced.

Household waste is mainly divided into four categories: recyclable garbage - blue, kitchen waste - green, hazardous garbage - red, other garbage - gray.

*Kitchen waste: food residues such as leftovers, vegetable stalks, vegetable leaves, animal viscera, tea leaves, fruit residues, fruit shells, melon peels, residual branches and fallen leaves of bonsai and other plants, and waste edible oil.

Notes:

1. Please do not throw plastic bags, cooking wine bags, quick frozen food packages, beverage bottles, etc. into kitchen waste;

2. Do not put glass such as wine bottles, milk cartons and other paper boxes into kitchen waste;

3. The peel produced in the living room shall be put into the kitchen trash can;

4. It is better to squeeze out the water and fasten the bag mouth before putting kitchen waste.

*Recyclable garbage: paper (newspapers, leaflets, magazines, old books, cardboard boxes and other uncontaminated paper products, etc.), metal (iron, copper, aluminum and other products), glass (glass bottles), drink bottles (coke cans, plastic drink bottles, beer bottles, etc.), plastic products other than plastic bags (foam plastic, plastic bottles, hard plastic, etc.), rubber and rubber products, milk cartons and other Tetra Pak packaging.

Notes:

1. Before paper recycling, remove plastic covers, tapes, coils and other non-paper items;

2. Paper boxes or or cartons shall be recycled after removing the adhesive tape, disassembling and flattening;

3. For aluminum foil package, remove and the straw and flatten the package before recycling;

4. The residues in metal containers should be poured out first, and then recycled after slightly cleaning with water;

5. Remove the cap and straw of glass and plastic containers, empty the contents, and wash and dry the containers before recycling;

6. The residue in plastic products shall be taken out, and the plastic products shall be washed slightly and then recycled.

*Hazardous wastes: batteries (storage batteries, button batteries, etc.), waste lamp bulbs, expired drugs, expired daily cosmetics, hair dyes, pesticide containers, herbicide containers, waste mercury thermometers, waste small household appliances, waste printer cartridges, selenium cartridges, etc.

Notes:

1. Generally, hazardous, infectious, inflammable and explosive wastes are hazardous wastes;

2. Attention shall be paid to the integrity of hazardous wastes such as lamp tubes to prevent the leakage of hazardous substances due to breakage.

*Other garbage: contaminated and unrecyclable paper (paper cups, photos, carbon paper, pressure-sensitive paper, receipt paper, postcards, photo albums, toilet paper, diapers, etc.), contaminated or other non-recyclable glass, plastic bags and other contaminated plastic products, waste clothing and other textiles, worn ceramics, women's sanitary products, disposable tableware, cigarette butts, dust, etc.

Notes:

1. It refers to all garbage except recyclable garbage, hazardous garbage and kitchen garbage;

2. If the category cannot be determined according to the classification standard, it shall be classified into other garbage.

In general, the key points of reducing household waste can be summarized as follows:

•Reject things you don’t need;

•Reduce what is needed and cannot be rejected;

•Reuse things that cannot be rejected or reduced;

•Recycle things that can neither be reduced nor reused.

Source: zhihu.com

●Background

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Initiated by the United Nations

On January 1, 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including 169 targets, of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force. Countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.