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An Impossible Ideal: The Use and Misuse of Zero Waste
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Our misplaced loyalty to economic growth and our focus on industrial development have resulted in significant harm to the environment—something we desperately need to address. Yet many wonder if zero waste is a realistic goal or merely a pipe dream. Starting from an analysis of the laws of thermodynamics, this article argues that it is an impossible ideal. But if zero waste is not the solution, what can we do? Tian Song proposes that, along with the principles of the circular economy and reform of modern economic systems, the idea of zero waste can provide valuable insights into how we could establish a future ecological civilization.
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Tian Song
An Impossible Ideal: The Use and Misuse of Zero Waste
In mainstream ideology and public discourse, waste or garbage has always been seenas a technical or a management problem. Many people believe that garbage is merely awrongly placed resource, and thus the garbage problem could be solved with sufficienttechnological progress. As one organization puts it:
Zero Waste (ZW) is a re-envisioning of how society relates to production, consump-tion and disposal of the products and materials we use every day. ... Its goal is toend the generation of toxic and unnecessarily wasteful products through systemicredesign, channeling remaining discards into reuse or recycling for the creation ofnew products, and using those materials as engines of local job growth. It requirescoordination between engaged producers and consumers, governments and citi-zens, neighborhood activists and neighbors.1
This understanding of zero waste pins its hope on two things: efficient technology andefficient social management. Simply put, the zero-waste movement is predicated onthe idea that it is possible to have a society that does not produce any waste becauseeverything is recyclable and everything can be used again. However is this, in fact, areasonable assumption?
If we look at the issue from the perspective of thermal dynamics and ecology, achievinga truly zero-waste society is impossible. However, by examining the principles behindthe “circular economy” as well as the guiding principles of contemporary economicsystems, zero waste can offer us some valuable insights into what we need in order tocreate the basis for a future ecological civilization.
Zero Waste as a Closed Cycle: Biosphere 2
The challenges facing the zero-waste model can be illustrated by using the example ofBiosphere 2, an attempt to create a closed ecological system which failed dramaticallyduring two trials in 1991 and 1994.
Constructed in Arizona in 1987, Biosphere 2 was supposed to be a rehearsal of the con-ditions in a space shuttle traveling to another galaxy. It is based on the ideal of a closedmaterial cycle, a complete recycling of matter. For example, humans breathe in O2 andbreathe out CO2, plants take in CO2 and release O2. Humans eat parts of plants and dis-charge fertilizer for them. This, after all, is how it works on “Biosphere 1”—the Earthitself. Biosphere 2 was supposed to be a smaller version of Biosphere 1 and imitate thebioprocesses of nature. If this works, a space shuttle supplied with the necessary basicmaterials, including water and soil, bacteria, plants, animals, and humans, may run as aself-sustained system; the astronauts living in this space shuttle could have food forever.This is the ultimate zero-waste system in which the matter inside, supported by solarenergy from outside, could be used again and again.
In practice, however, this proved to be much more difficult. The first trial of Biosphere2 began on 26 September 1991. Eight scientists were supposed to live inside indepen-dently for two years: they planted food and tried to recycle and reuse everything inside;the only thing from outside was to be the sunshine. Ultimately, the experiment lastedfor 21 months and the eight scientists had to leave on 26 June 1993. The experimentfailed because Biosphere 2 was not able to be maintained as a self-sustained system.Scientists tried one more time; the second experiment started in 1994 and only lastedfor 10 months.
How do we explain this failure? Was it merely due to human error and the immensedifficulty of recreating something as complex as an entire ecosystem? Or can it tell ussomething about other unavoidable problems inherent in the very concept of a self-sustaining, closed system? The laws of thermodynamics can shed some light on thismatter.
How to cite:
Tian Song. “An Impossible Ideal: The Use and Misuse of Zero Waste.” In: “A Futurewithout Waste? Zero Waste in Theory and Practice,” edited by ChristofMauch, RCC Perspectives: Transformations in Environment and Society2016, no. 3, 15–25.
RCC Perspectives: Transformations in Environment and Society is an open-access publication. It is available online atwww.environmentandsociety.org/perspectives. Articles may be downloaded, copied, and redistributed free of chargeand the text may be reprinted, provided that the author and source are attributed. Please include this cover sheet whenredistributing the article.
To learn more about the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, please visit www.rachelcarsoncenter.org.Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society
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