About

Who are Zero Waste Brussels?

Zero Waste Brussels came about when two Brussels residents (Aimee and Geraldine) had the same thought at the same time. How come, while the Zero Waste movement is taking off in communities around the world, no one had yet started a local campaign group to give the movement a foothold in the heart of Europe? While a lot is being done here on different aspects of waste (organic waste, reuse of clothes, recycling), not much was being done to get the overall Zero Waste message out to businesses and consumers. In October 2013, over cake, coffee and the occasional glass of red, Zero Waste Brussels was born.

What is this Zero Waste movement? 

I'll explain it and then I'll link you to some geniuses who can probably explain it much better than me.

Source: www.zerowasteeurope.eu

Zero Waste basically means that the best way to deal with the waste our system produces is not to create it in the first place. When we find ways of doing things that don't produce waste, not only are we using the most resource efficient method possible, we're cutting waste disposal out of the system. No more need for landfill (toxic for the earth, bad for biodiversity, blight on the landscape, seems to breed unsavoury Sopranos-esque businesses), no need for incineration (toxic for the air and thus the whole ecosystem, poor resource-efficiency) and no need for bio-mechanical separation of mixed household waste. 

The 'Waste Pyramid' - the options for dealing with waste in order of desirability - has 'avoidance' as the number one step. For example, designing a café in a way that avoids the need for disposable tableware (hey! A dishwasher!). The second step is 'reduction' - deciding that with regular washes the café only needs 50 glasses, not 200. Then comes 'reuse and repair' - the glasses could be bought second hand, or be upcycled jam jars (hello, hipsters!) and with careful use and the occasional repair can be reused over and over again for years. Once the glass can no longer be used - it is sent for 'recycling', or in the case of organic waste, composting. Disposal of residual waste becomes the last resort and almost unnecessary if all the other steps are followed. Traditional waste management skips all these steps and goes straight to disposal - waste is buried or burned.

Why do we need it? Can't we just try to recycle more?

Most people, including a lot of environmentally-aware people, consider that by throwing something in a blue bag from time to time, they've done their bit. Recycling is 'green', right? Well, it's a partial solution to our wasteful habits, but the steps that come before it - reducing and reusing - are steps away from our throwaway culture of consuming and disposing of objects and packaging. Do we ever think of the effort and cost involved in producing these things? Do we think about where they go when we throw them 'away'? We are encouraged not to.

Individuals can have a massive impact by trying to close their own resource loop. Think about how you can contribute to a resource-light, efficient ecosystem.

Right. Who were these geniuses you were talking about?

Well there is a pretty sound discussion of Zero Waste principles on the Zero Waste Europe website.

The granddaddy of the Zero Waste movement is the American scientist-turned-activist Dr Paul Connett, whose book and regular lectures set out the case for a zero waste economy.

If you like your theory a little more animated, try Annie Leonard's Story of Stuff and Story of Solutions.

And if you want to know how to declutter your life and produce less waste in practical terms, try Bea Johnson's hit blog.