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Sustainable Waste Management

What is it?

Think of your next shopping trip, to the supermarket or to buy the latest TV, as a trip to the tip. Because that is exactly what it is. Everything, and we mean, EVERYTHING, you buy will eventually or very quickly become garbage. The plastic bags you transport your shopping in, the cardboard and styrofoam containers holding your take away food, the packaging of the items you buy and indeed the items themselves will, without a doubt, and probably very quickly be thrown away.

This garbage will be transported to the local landfill or blow endlessly across our landscape and into our waterways, where it will rot slowly for one to several thousands of years - poisoning the land, leaching into surrounding surface and groundwater and creating toxic gases and fumes.

Australians are second only to the United States (amongst OECD countries) in per capita waste production. A huge 1.2 tonnes of garbage is created per person, per year in Australia. It is called urban solid waste and is categorized into three sections:

Municipal (domestic & council) – 40%
Commercial & Industrial – 23%
Construction & Demolition – 37%

You and your household are directly responsible for 40% of the waste produced – and therefore are directly able to reduce 40% of the 1.2 tonnes created annually – and indirectly responsible for the other 60% through the products you buy and the services you use. Unfortunately, 95% of Australia’s garbage is wasted in landfills. Landfills are a wasteful and unsustainable method of waste disposal because:

Landfill sites pollute and render toxic precious land resources
Garbage contains resources, that can be re-used and recycled, but are currently being wasted
The wasted resources are creating toxic liquids and gases that are leaching into our surface and groundwater resources and fouling our air supply

Ancient landfill sites are called middens. Archaeologists sift through middens to learn about people and cultures that left little or no written record. We, however, thousands of years later, have been witness to, and enjoy technological advancements beyond the wildest dreams of our ancestors and have a rich and varied written, oral and visual history to give to our descendents. Is it not sad and bewildering then – that despite all our technological and social advancements – we are still disposing of our waste in the same way as our ancestors? Thousands of years later, when we are now, unlike our ancestors, acutely aware of the finite nature of our water, air and land resources, still using landfills and wasting precious resources that could be re-used and recycled.

Sustainable waste management is one of the keys to environmental sustainability. We, and our environment, can ill afford to behave in the same way as our ancestors.

Sustainable waste management is about responsible consumption of products and services and viewing waste as a resource to be utilized and not as a problem to be ignored. It is about refusing to buy products that are disposable and cannot be re-used or recycled, reducing the amount of products and services we buy, re-using products and recycling as much of our waste as possible.

Fair Trade

Economic globalization in its current form risks exacerbating poverty and increasing violence if not unchecked.

Joseph Stiglitz - former Cheif Economist, World Bank, 1997-2000

The current form of economic globalization is termed Free Trade or neoliberalism. It is the international condition by which no restrictions are placed by a government or governments on the ability of business to import or export. It is driven by the search for the lowest possible production cost and the highest possible profit. The alternative to Free Trade is called Fair Trade it is driven by social, cultural and environmental sustainability.

According to Elizabeth Martinez and Arnoldo Garcia, from Corporate Watch, Free Trade is about making trade between nations easier. It is about freer movement of goods, resources and enterprise in a bid to always find cheaper resources, to maximise profits and efficiency. It promotes the 'trickle down effect' of economic growth.

Unfortunately, Free Trade, or the constant search for greatest profit and efficiency is not often compatible with social justice, human rights, access to equality of education and opportunity and environmental sustainability. Simply, because these are goals for the greater good and can be in direct conflict to achieving lowest production costs with greatest output.

The International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) states that Fair Trade, in contrast, is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers.

Fair Trade is more than just trading: it proves that greater justice in world trade is possible. It highlights the need for change in the rules and practice of conventional trade and shows how a successful business can also put people first.

The primary aims and objectives of Fair Trade are:

Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers

Fair Trade is a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Its purpose is to create opportunities for producers who have been economically disadvantaged or marginalized by the conventional trading system.

Transparency and accountability

Fair Trade involves transparent management and commercial relations to deal fairly and respectfully with trading partners.

Capacity building

Fair Trade is a means to develop producers’ independence. Fair Trade relationships provide continuity, during which producers and their marketing organizations can improve their management skills and their access to new markets.

Payment of a fair price

A fair price in the regional or local context is one that has been agreed through dialogue and participation. It covers not only the costs of production but enables production which is socially just and environmentally sound. It provides fair pay to the producers and takes into account the principle of equal pay for equal work by women and men. Fair Traders ensure prompt payment to their partners and, whenever possible, help producers with access to pre-harvest or pre-production financing.

Gender Equity

Fair Trade means that women’s work is properly valued and rewarded. Women are always paid for their contribution to the production process and are empowered in their organizations.

Working conditions

Fair Trade means a safe and healthy working environment for producers. The participation of children (if any) does not adversely affect their well-being, security, educational requirements and need for play and conforms to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as the law and norms in the local context.

The environment

Fair Trade actively encourages better environmental practices and the application of responsible methods of production.

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