The need for the Private Sector in a Zero Waste, 3-R, and Circular Economy Materials Management Strategy

In global discussions about the future of waste management, “recycling” is the word on everyone’s lips.  Specifically, up to now in the meetings of the Asia Regional 3-R Forum, as well as at the 2010 18th Cycle and coming 2011 19th cycle of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD 18/19) in New York, the discussion is about zero waste, recycling revenues, and avoiding incineration. How can this global abstraction of eliminating waste become more than symbolic politics? The real-world experience of achieving recycling rates above 25%, as documented in the UN-Habitat publication Solid Waste Management in the World’s Cities and the GTZ/CWG informal sector study, relies heavily on the involvement of the private sector, and in particular representatives of the micro, small, medium, and informal private recycling sector, junk shops, exporters, and end-users in the recycling value chain. But up to now these stakeholders, together with local authorities, have been largely absent from the global discussion. Through a brief look at the history and infrastructure of recycling in Europe and North America, combined with a look at the recycling performance of Asian and world cities, this paper makes the case for the involvement of the private sector, and offers some suggestions about roles and types of businesses.

The complete version of the paper can be dowloaded from the following link

http://www.uncrd.or.jp/env/spc/docs/plenary3/PS3-f_WASTE_Anne%20Scheinbe...