From Waste to Wealth: From Consumption to Sustainable Environment

From Waste to Wealth: From Consumption to Sustainable Environment

The environment – the ecosystem in particular – remains one of man’s most invaluable capital assets. Key realities of the twenty-first century like global warming, natural resource depletion, and environmental degradation are however indicative of the fact that we are fast loosing this great asset.

Poverty, like the environment has been with us from a very long time. It remains a reality that spans humanity’s history. Much unlike the environment however, poverty seems not to be going anywhere. Poverty is called by numerous names. Prominent descriptors of poverty border on well-being. Poverty has a lot to do with privation or not having. It subjects people to conditions of dependency – including dependence on others and the environment for survival. With the growing poor population and the fast depletion of environmental resources, our chances of living for today without compromising the chances of the future to do same is seriously challenged.

Conceptualizing sustainable development paints a picture of a living that ensures healthy and productive lives, that is in harmony with nature and one that is fair to current and future generations. In our contemporary example, sustainable development may denote persistent positive increase in basic growth indicators some of which are addressed by the Sustainable Golas (SDGs).

Environmental sustainability expects us to see the environment beyond being mere means to some end “but [to see it] as a trust passed to us by our ancestors for our benefit, but also to be passed on to our descendants for their use” (Weiss 1992, p. 19). Indices on environmental sustainability have always been based on population density, economic vitality, and quality of governance (Esty et al 2005). Inspite of efforts unfortunately, most LDCs are still coping badly with high population, rapid urbanization, poor infrastructure, lack of portable water supply, ill-structured drainage systems, poor housing and poor waste management systems with a substantive sector of the rural population yet not served (Dada, 2011; Gbadegesin and Aluko, 2010 cited in Shuaeeb, n.d.).

All these realities mount enormous pressure on the environment and are potent in subjecting people to poverty and consequently, underdevelopment. Attaining environmental sustainability and poverty eradication in the LDCs may well be something like painting the Forth Bridge. This paper looks at the possible connection between poverty, the environment and sustainable development. The aim is to uncover the nexus amongst these elements and to suggest how addressing one may help addressing the other from literary point of view.

The overall intent of Agenda 21 is to evolve “an effective strategy for tackling the problems of poverty, development and environment simultaneously should begin by focusing on resources, production and people and should cover demographic issues, enhanced health care and education, the rights of women, the role of youth and of indigenous people and local communities and a democratic participation process in association with improved governance”. In other words, the agenda suggest adopting a holistic strategy for ensuring sustainable development. The consumers – especially their waste output and attitude is the crux of this discourse.

Waste as an Attitude; Waste as an Output

The question is clearly not that of what we consume but how we consume. Wasteful habits or attitudes are almost in our nature. This is also a potential impoverishing life style; one that also degrades our environment and depletes our resources both in the short and long run. There is over-consumption for instance (Dickey, 2008) which according to Leonard (2008) is a plot to increase the wealth of the ‘corporation’ and ‘trashing’ our environment.

Surprisingly, vegetables represent the largest (45%) waste generated in the state in 2010 (Oresanya, 2011). Lagos is the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria. The statistics in other parts of Nigeria can be projected using these figures and relative to their relative configurations as compared to Lagos. Although vegetables portend less environmental hazard compared to plastic, the volume of vegetables ending up as waste could have been of some nutritional benefits to Lagosians. Shoppers request additional bags at tills, we find more excuses to read printed matter rather than other formats, we waste water, flair gases, waste electricity/energy, we do not car-pull thus putting enormous pressure on the road and releasing more carbon monoxide. Corcoran et al (2010, p. 9) have also observed that our present attitudes (to waste management for instance) do not only portend grave threat to our well-being  they also challenge our chances of success at reducing poverty and “sustaining the integrity of some of our most productive ecosystems”. All these and borrowing from Gosden (1995) prompted the earlier question: is the question that of what we consume or how we consume? Or is it either, neither or both?

On waste as output, we appear too busy consuming and embracing industrialization to reflect on the consequences of our actions. As a study in North America show, only 1% of the products we purchase remain in productive use only six months after production. The rest end up as wastes (Leonard, 2008). We have seen earlier how oil spillage stands tall among environment degrading wastes (Jike, 2004).

On plastic wastes, Adekunle et al (2004) observed that while packaged water is deemed highly desirable, affordable and handy, this consumption behaviour portends health hazards. Again, the environmental challenges of improper disposal of these plastic packages are equally environmentally undesirable (Babatunde and Biala, 2010).

Some thoughts

First, individual households and consumers need to adopt responsible behaviours like green consumerism. Green consumerism describes consumption behaviour that is mindful of the effect of consumption behaviour on the environment. This ideology also favours sustainability. But Green consumerism alone may not suffice except conscientious efforts at conservation are incorporated (Hardner and Rice, 2002).

Consequently, there is more need to intensify environmental awareness among the populace especially as it is observed that environmental consciousness may incite environmentally responsible consumption behaviour (Schlegelmilch, Bohlen and Diamantopoulos, 1996; Harvey Mead, 2007 in Dickey 2008, p. viii)

Secondly, there is the need to approach waste management holistically.  The starting point is to view every product as a potential waste. And to view every waste product from its life-cycle perspective (i.e. carry out a life-cycle analysis). This according to Dickey (2008, p. 5) entails “evaluating the environmental impact of a product, process or service, from the extraction of natural resources to the elimination of waste, including fabrication, delivery, product use and dismantlement of the product at the end of its life cycle”. Dickey’s waste product’s life cycle is depicted graphically below.

Environmental impact assessment as indicated in Dickey’s definition above is yet unpopular in most LDCs as indiscriminate felling of immature trees goes on daily with impunity in what is left of our forests. Same goes for environmentally responsible consumption behaviour. But we may however be on the road to some success in recycling. And we are not alone. Barr, Gilg and Ford (2001) have also found recycling as a favoured option in a UK study.

Thirdly and ironically too, besides conservation, with such waste output and attitudes observed earlier, potentials abound to escape poverty and improve our environment even from wasted resources. A key advantage of recycling is in its ability to turn waste into wealth. A few examples are shown below.

The conversion of red mud, a solid waste by-product of Bayer’s process, into one of the raw material in the manufacturing of Cement, is a good example of turning waste to wealth. It also reduced land and dust pollution and removes other logistic challenges of disposal (Balasubramaniam and Kumar, 2008). Janakiram and Sridevi (2010) have also shown how cow dung and other solid wastes of different proportions can be used to generate electricity as well as produce other valuable gases and chemicals including nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium. Ezejiofor, et al (2011) equally showed how seemingly common-place orange peels can become a resources with great potential for economic prosperity yet securing the integrity of the environment and improved health.

The waste situation in Lagos State observed earlier is an example closer to us. Much of Lagos State’s efforts are in the areas of waste recycling and waste conversion. Through a plastic recycling buy–back programme, plastic waste is pelletized and converted into waste collection bags. Other waste products are equally converted into compost (like Janakiram and Sridevi’s 2010 example) and organic fertilizer.

Through another waste to energy (WTE) project, gas capturing facilities are installed on landfill sites to capture and utilize methane gas which hitherto constitutes serious air pollution. These efforts are, as expected, not for nothing. Apparently, the state is on the road to cleaner environment. Besides this, by adopting a market based solution to waste challenges, much investment opportunities are thus created leading to gender empowerment and job creation.

Conclusion

It is shown in this paper that to sustain development is to – among other things – eradicate poverty and increase or at least sustain the integrity of the environment for our benefits as well as for the benefits of future generations. This is sustainable development indeed.

While we may look onto the government and foreign donors for help with eradicating poverty, much lies in our own hands (Kotler and Lee 2009). Poverty is a thing of the mind; to remove poverty from the land, it must first be pushed out of people’s minds. Again, as consumers, our role is critical in achieving sustainable environment or development through environmentally responsible consumption (McGougall, 1993 cited in Chan, 2001, p. 390). The charity of poverty alleviation thus better begins from home. It takes the adoption of poverty escaping and environmentally responsible consumption behaviours like reusing items (like shopping bags, water bottles, etcetera) that are still reusable; reducing usage of bio-non-degradable products like poly bags, water bottles, etcetera; reducing demand for printed matter where possible; reduce water usage/wastage; encourage and engage in carpooling; flair less gases, switch off electricity and other energy means while not in use, etcetera.

It is posited here that through such and other appropriate consumption behaviour and attitude, LDCS may well on the road to comfortably achieve sustainable environment and eradicate poverty.

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