The press, scientists and political powers are talking about
global warming and its effect on humanity and the planet.
On the other hand, when it comes to the waste emitted by our civilizations, we find
less publications. Let's see what it is !
The figures of waste produced
Waste can have various origins.
waste can have various origins. We often think of
household waste, but there is also waste from business activities, waste from
companies, waste from administrations and various suppliers.
The global figure
According to
Europe's official website, in 2018 (2020 being skewed with the
COVID), it was 2,338,530,000 tons of waste that European citizens
European citizens produced.
At the level of French-speaking countries :
- The
France emitted 343 million tons for 67 million inhabitants,
i.e. more than 5.1 tons per inhabitant. Attention the figure does not include
not only household waste but also the activities of
Belgium 68 million tons of waste. Reduced to its 11.43 million inhabitants, this is nearly 6 tons.

Source: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ten00108/default/line?lang=fr
Household waste
According to
the site of the observatory of territories, we observe that the
the Mediterranean and the Atlantic and the French Channel are the biggest producers of
manche are the biggest producers of domestic waste. The Finistère and the
Alpes Maritime are at the top of this inglorious ranking with more than
770 kg per inhabitant. The Rhone with 447 kg being the best pupil.
Source: https://www.observatoire-des-territoires.gouv.fr/quantite-de-dechets-menagers-et-assimiles-collectes-par-habitant
Plastic packaging so convenient but so catastrophic
Plastic
plastic packaging is a waste disaster. If manufacturers
manufacturers use them so massively is for their convenience. They
have many virtues in their eyes:
- They are waterproof
- They allow to preserve certain foods
- They are hygienic
- They are not expensive
- They can be manufactured in the most adapted forms for transport.
- Etc.
Is recycling the solution ?
The
best waste is that which does not exist. Recycling is a
second-best option. It is also and above all an industrial sector that can
profits by recovering waste but also by consuming a lot of energy.
A lot of energy.
For example, glass is 100% recyclable.
We are therefore good citizens by going to deposit our used glasses
in the dedicated bubbles. If we think about it, we are going to deposit
that could still be used, so that they can be broken and then heated for
broken and then heated to sometimes make new containers that are identical or almost
identical or almost identical to those " recycled ". If a part of the financial efforts
financial efforts made by the states would allow the standardization of
containers and to make a deposit, it could reduce the energy bill of this " 
the energy bill of this "recycling" and a small part of the emissions that
emissions generating the greenhouse effect.
It should also be noted.
that recycling plastic is not simple. Plastics must be
sorted, some composed of different molecules (layers of different plastics) are
plastics) are not recyclable at all and therefore must be burned or buried.
be burned or buried.
Everyone can reduce their household waste
Various
streams have been created by people who are sensitive to the problem of the amount of
of the amount of waste we generate. Of course, it is a matter of
to act according to one's possibilities and progressively by setting reasonable
The term "minimalism" is used in different contexts. According to the dictionary, the meaning of the word is as follows:
Minimalism is the conscious limitation to a minimum, to the bare essentials.
Minimalism
minimalism is to get rid of what is not important to focus on the
to focus on what is essential. This may involve unnecessary objects or
unnecessary or activities that do not serve an important purpose. If
you banish from your life what is not important to you and free up
and free up space, time, money and attention for what is important to you.
for what is important to you. Only what is pleasant
and satisfying. Minimalism maximizes what is meaningful and
value.
The minimalism has nothing to do with renunciation, deprivation or asceticism.
ZD or zero waste
Some people
some people try to simply produce no or almost no waste.
waste. Their production over the course of a year is limited to what fits in a
jar or a bucket. Getting to this point can only be done
by winning small victories every day or every week thanks to a waste that
victories each day or week with a waste product that we have avoided producing.
Composting or backyard composting
The
easiest to implement, for those who are not in an apartment, is a
apartment, is a composting to make use of organic waste.
For those living in apartments, the vermi or lombri-compost solution exists.
The 5Rs Rule
As stated above, recycling is only a stopgap. The 5R rule is there to remind us of that. Here's what it means in order :
- Refuse
- Reduce
- Reuse
- Recycle
- Compound the Rest
As
As consumers, we have the choice to buy waste or to refuse it.
refuse it. Bulk has its advantages but also its disadvantages, so
Opt for bulk or the least packaged products. Avoid buying
pre-packaged sandwiches at train stations or highway stations,
don't accept plastic spoons with your coffee, etc. It's easy, you just have to be there.
easy, just pay attention.
The consequences of litter
One article wouldn't be enough to describe all the consequences on
of the waste we produce. However, you can
visit the Turtle Hospital in the Florida Keys. Here's everything this hospital has harvested from the digestive tracts of these poor animals.
So waste can cause suffering to some living things.
Each to their own
It becomes
important to reduce the waste we produce. Everyone can make a contribution.
everyone can make a contribution, it's just a matter of thinking about it and paying attention. What
reasonable waste reduction goal could you set for yourself?
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