Waste Reduction Week in Canada is dedicated to celebrating progress and promoting action across seven key waste-themed areas. This year’s theme, called Then – Now – Future, asks us to think about actions we can take to reduce waste in our current lives. But it also challenges us to envision a circular future that we, and future generations, can feel proud to live in.
To that end, we asked a few of our CCTO volunteers to reflect on a big question: What does a world without waste world look and/or feel like to you?
Here’s what three of our volunteers had to say:
“To me, a world without waste is a world where all the physical objects in our life are designed with a clear purpose. That doesn't mean they have to be boring. I like the idea of having less 'stuff' but everything is better quality and more beautiful. Finally, a world without waste looks like objects are designed to be taken apart and reused when they stop working. Mostly, I would really love not to have a bag full of garbage going to the landfill each week.”
- Tara Wilkie
“I would like to see a world where everything that we use, every material that’s a part of the products we buy, has an eventual use or place to go that isn’t a landfill. It would be amazing to arrive at a place where our economy and just general way of life is more circular, where we are willing to recycle and reuse existing materials and products instead of throwing items out. Fundamentally, I think it boils down to being more purposeful in our systems of production and consumption, which includes things like how we manage resources, how we create and consume goods, and what we then do with those products. If anyone’s interested in learning more about the circular economy idea, the Ellen McArthur Foundation is a really interesting source that I’ve been looking at a lot recently.”
- Scott Kennedy
"Waste free world for me is one without a huge garbage truck! It is one where we recognize and perhaps reward individuals and communities with least amount of waste. Importantly, waste-free world is one where we are conscious of our consumption and resist ourselves from becoming a throw-out generation. A world that learns to share, swap, reuse and donate."
- Divya Joy
We encourage you to take some time to reflect on this question as well. What would a world without waste look like to you?
And, more importantly, how might you be a part of turning that future into a reality?
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