Enhancing the Waste Hierarchy with Juno
December 14, 2023
When thinking about ways to make a positive environmental impact, people are quick to bring up “recycling” and its sustainable sidekicks “reduce” and “reuse”. So much so, that it may even seem like the very words are recycled over and over as we continue to see them in sustainability initiatives and public service announcements. While we know the 3 R’s are critical steps towards waste reduction, we often overlook their potential to drive powerful, sustainable change and revolutionize our approach to waste management and consumption. The key is understanding the full context behind waste disposal and, more specifically, the waste hierarchy. This expanded approach goes beyond the conventional understanding of recycling and has opened doors to new innovative thinking and solutions that can lead us to a more sustainable future.
Understanding the Waste Hierarchy
The Waste Hierarchy might be best thought of as a strategic blueprint, guiding us through the processes of waste management with a clear order to achieve a more sustainable outcome. This approach challenges the traditional linear “take-make-dispose” model by aiming to keep materials in use for as long as possible. Often depicted in an upside-down pyramid, generally each part of the waste hierarchy is in order of the most preferable ways to manage waste according to what’s best for the environment. It encourages us to rethink our relationship with waste by transitioning to more sustainable practices, prioritizing waste prevention, and minimizing the use of landfills and incineration. Here’s how:
Prevention
At the top of the waste hierarchy is prevention, a proactive approach that aims to tackle waste at the source. It involves minimizing waste creation in the first place, focusing on reducing the overall consumption of resources and the production of unnecessary items. This step allows us to think about our habits and to make mindful choices like prioritizing long-lasting, durable, eco-friendly products or embracing a more responsibly sustainable lifestyle. But, while it might be the most ideal way to combat waste, it is also one of the hardest ones to successfully achieve.
Reduce & Reuse
Of course, there are going to be times when waste can’t be avoided. Enter the dynamic duo of “reduce” and “reuse”, the next best strategies in addressing waste. “Reduce” urges us to minimize the amount of waste generated by cutting back on consumption. It challenges the view of “more is better” and allows us a chance to think about what we need rather than what we might want. “Reuse”, on the other hand, invites us to give items a second life, extending their use and keeping them out of the waste stream. It encourages creative thinking to find innovative ways to repurpose, repair, or refurbish items that might otherwise be thrown out. Together, they empower us to be more conscious consumers, making choices that align with our environmental values and contribute to an eco-friendlier future!
Recycle
Lower on the hierarchy than you might expect, recycling involves the collection, sorting, and processing of materials that would otherwise be sent to landfills and turning them into new products. The beauty of recycling lies in creating a system where products are reprocessed, and the usable raw materials are reintegrated into society. The problem is that recycling relies on the cooperation of individuals, communities, and businesses to understand which materials are recyclable, how to properly prepare them for recycling, and to support initiatives that prioritize the use of recycled materials. Unfortunately, this coordination often comes at a cost that must compete with the production of virgin materials. While recycling is undoubtedly valuable, it’s important to remember its most effective when working alongside the previous aspects of the waste hierarchy.
Recovery
When waste can’t be recycled or reused, energy recovery becomes a viable approach. Recovery focuses on creating value from waste by making use of advanced technologies and processes to convert it to energy, fuel, or other useful resources. This can be beneficial for waste systems that may not have strong recycling strategies put in place. However, like recycling, it should be seen as a complementary approach to responsible waste management, rather than an end-all-be-all for sustainable practices.
Disposal
When all else fails, waste materials will likely end up in landfills. While disposal is at the bottom of the waste hierarchy, it still plays a role in ensuring the safe handling of waste that has no other use. Although, it is important to realize that disposal should be regarded as a last resort. By prioritizing the preceding steps of waste hierarchy, we can minimize the amount of trash that ends up in disposal facilities and move closer towards a more resource-efficient future.
Juno® Technology and the Waste Hierarchy
Now, with a solid grasp on the aspects of the waste hierarchy, you can begin to see how Juno Technology plays an increasingly important role in recycling. Where one might think that disposal is the final resting place for waste, Juno offers hope that there is still a chance for salvaging it. Rather than impact the top half of the waste hierarchy (reduce, reuse, recycle), Juno can process a significant portion of waste from homes and businesses, even after best efforts to prevent, reduce, reuse, and recycle. Juno then effectively expands the recycle category by being able to limit what is sent for energy recovery and disposal.
By cooking and sanitizing the waste, Juno Technology can separate out the recyclables and divert up to 90% of the materials processed from landfills. According to Juno’s life cycle assessment, processing 300,000 metric tons of waste per year over a 20-year period (GWP20*) through a Juno facility can reduce CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) in the United Kingdom by about 234,000 metric tons. It’s through this innovative thinking and proven strategy that Juno Technology is able to fit within the waste hierarchy and recover waste that might otherwise be deemed lost. The most exciting part is that Juno can happen anywhere! To discover how Juno can integrate seamlessly into your community and assist you in achieving your waste diversion objectives, visit our website.
Read more about the findings of Juno’s life cycle assessment here.
*The U.S. EPA defines global warming potential (GWP) as a measure of how much energy the emissions of 1 ton of a gas will absorb over a given period, relative to the emissions of 1 ton of carbon dioxide (CO2). GWP20 measures impact over a 20-year period and GWP100 measures impact over a 100-year period.
Sources
Active Sustainability
EPA
GP Juno
Impacx
Plastics Technology
Thomas Net
WM
Environmental Services & Solutions Expo