Waste Strategy Hierarchy

The waste strategy hierarchy is a conceptual framework designed to systematically tackle the risks and harms associated with waste, through all their forms. This hierarchy delineates a three-tiered strategy, emphasizing prevention, management, and remediation as key stages in the waste value chain.

Action Stages

Dealing with waste revolves around the axiom that waste is first a problem of risk, and second a problem of harm. Risks span from the inception of waste, and if they materialize, they cause harm or damage. The waste strategy hierarchy is a blueprint for action to address waste at each stage of its value chain:

  1. How can risks be prevented before their inception?
  2. How can risks be managed once they exist to prevent harm?
  3. How can harm be remediated once risks have materialized?

Chart - Action Stages.png

https://www.notion.so/icons/help-alternate_lightgray.svg Hierarchy Unidirectionality

The stages of the waste strategy hierarchy are unidirectional. This irreversibility underscores the notion that the farther away an action is from actual damage, the more optionality it has for the application of measures. This doesn't mean that maximum prevention is always the optimal path, but rather, that the margin for error diminishes as one moves closer to the point of realized harm—holding other factors constant.

Prevention Strategies

Prevention strategies approach to preempt the inception of waste or materials that tend to become waste at later stages. Being at the forefront of waste strategy, it addresses risks before they exist. Within this domain, there are two distinct strategies:

  1. Design: this stage involves all measures to prevent the physical creation of waste or materials that are likely to become waste at later stages. There are two methods to achieve this:

    AvoidanceElimination of specific sources of present and future waste generation through design measures.
    ReductionDecrease of the quantity of present and future waste generation through design measures.
    SubstitutionReplacement of materials with lower risk or higher recovery potential alternatives.

    https://www.notion.so/icons/help-alternate_lightgray.svg Process & Product Design

    The symbiotic relationship between process and product design is always at play, with changes in one often necessitating adjustments in the other. Changes in product properties usually require adjustments in the production or distribution processes, and vice-versa.

    • Process design: Optimization of production and distribution processes to reduce waste generation or its risks.
    • Product design: Optimization of product properties to reduce waste generation or its risks.

    It's worth noting that waste from the production phase often stems more from the processes (e.g., offcuts, defective items) while consumption waste is largely about discarded products.

    Example: when designing a bottle, its shape can influence not only the quantity of plastic used for the bottle but also the waste produced during the manufacturing process.

  2. Extension: this concept emphasizes extending the life of products or goods, thereby delaying their transition into waste. By prolonging usability, resources are kept in use for as long as possible, reducing the frequency at which they are discarded, leading to a decrease in waste generation. There are three methods to achieve this:

    ReuseUsage of items multiple times for their primary function without significant alteration of properties.
    RepairingMaintenance of defective items to render them useful for their primary function again.
    RefurbishingImprovement of items with limited functionality gains to make them desirable for the market again.
    RemanufacturingUse of items or item parts in new items for their original primary function.
    RepurposingUse of items or item parts in new items for different primary functions.

Management Strategies

Waste management includes all measures undertaken from the moment waste is generated until its end of life, minimizing risk materialization into harm. The primary objective is to safeguard human well-being and the environment. Strategies fall into two broad categories:

  1. Recovery: transformation of waste into valuable resources. This strategy involves inverting the incentives to own materials through value addition mechanisms. Resources can be either material or energetic.
  2. Control: permanent reduction of waste risks below an accepted level. This strategy involves treating or processing waste to eliminate or mitigate its hazardous properties.

Remediation Strategies

Remediation includes all measures undertaken to address the adverse effects of waste on human well-being and the environment. It is a reactive approach, activated when waste management fails or when unforeseen waste-related incidents occur. The primary objectives of waste remediation are:

  1. Rectification: actions aimed at addressing the root causes of harm.
  2. Restoration: actions aimed at rehabilitating the damaged environmental and human properties.
  3. Reparation: actions aimed at compensating for the incurred damages.

https://www.notion.so/icons/comment_lightgray.svg Typical Cases of Waste Harm

  1. Urban Waste Management Inefficiencies. Instances where urban waste management systems are overwhelmed or malfunction, leading to waste spillage in public spaces or natural habitats. The governing municipal authorities should account for the responsibility of these events.
  2. Consumer Misconduct. Situations where individual or collective consumer behaviors contribute to improper disposal of waste. This includes littering, non-compliance with recycling guidelines, or incorrect disposal of hazardous materials. The responsibility lies on consumers to adhere to proper waste management practices.
  3. Landfill Capacity Overflow. Circumstances where landfills exceed their capacity, causing waste to seep into adjacent areas. This can lead to soil and water contamination. Landfill operators are tasked with managing these leakages.
  4. Transportation Accidents. Scenarios where waste being transported is inadvertently released, often due to accidents. The transportation entity or the organization responsible for the waste at the time of the incident bears the accountability for the leakage.
  5. Industrial Accidents. Events where industrial activities result in hazardous waste escaping into the environment. The facility where the spill originates is responsible for immediate containment, thorough cleanup, and addressing any resultant damage.