Future Trends: The Beginning Of The End Of Traditional Waste Management And Recycling?

By Author: yesfullcircle
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Every day we hear stories about the impact of the 4th industrial revolution, new technology, disruptive innovation, and circular economy in our lives. Waste management and recycling have traditionally been a “static” industry, as changes were usually small and incremental.

However, this pace of change is likely to accelerate, and we should be ready to recognize and be prepared for technology trends that will change waste generation rates, location, and processing methodologies. Below are some possibilities to consider

Decentralization of waste generation and closing the loop

Technology innovations such as e-commerce websites, GPS tracking, and WhatsApp have made shopping at home easier. We order online, and items are delivered in the comfort of our homes at a time of our convenience. Because of the nature of delivery, packaging material tends to be more for online shopping compared to traditional brick and mortar shop purchases.

The same for online food delivery. In a restaurant, one gets food served in reusable crockery, but with online delivery, food is delivered in plastic containers, together ...
... with plastic cutlery. As a result, both residential waste generation rates and waste composition types are likely to change. Simultaneously, we have the advent of 3D printing. As 3D printer prices drop and technology becomes simplified, we are likely to see the massive proliferation of these devices in homes.

They could become a common standard in homes like a TV or fridge. What is the link between 3D printing and e-commerce? Closed-loop. Closed-loop is the foundation of the circular economy, whereby a waste output from 1 process becomes the recycling input of another process. 3D printers used to require virgin material as inputs.

However, 3D printers, using either recycled input material or incorporating an ability to incorporate a mini recycling system, are being developed and tested. Once they are effectively commercialized, users could use a variety of inputs, for example, packaging waste, for these 3D printers to make what products they want. As a result, we could see the decentralization of waste generation, and reduction/elimination of waste streams from these decentralized locations.

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