I am not going to tell you about some new technology or AI implementation. I want to focus on the importance of using recycled materials in production.
Two years ago, I started evaluating the damage of trash to the climate and our environment. Looking thoroughly at how other countries are facing and dealing with trash, in order to take real-life examples. I found a Swedish model really fascinating. Just think about these numbers, they recycle 99% of waste and less than 1% ends up in landfills. More than 40% of Stockholm’s energy is provided by waste incineration.
In the late 1980e, their government has already started thinking about saving the climate. Year by year the society mentality had been changed dramatically by trash recycling education. The government has involved many aspects related to the population. Now even in kindergartens, there are lessons on recycling. One of the key aspects of such education is to teach the population to separate waste collection.
Additionally, Sweden does not have its own oil and gas reserves. Such alternative energy sources are the key to solving many problems. Sweden does not have enough of its own garbage to run incineration plants. Therefore, they began to import garbage from neighboring countries, such as Norway, Great Britain. And due to the received energy, more than a million apartments are heated. And almost seven hundred thousand more provide electricity. It is described by the phrase «Trash to treasure».
However, there are negative sides to adapting the recycling system into reality. It refers to the countries which have not so advanced in terms of the recycling program. Recycling is not just a matter of recovering recyclable material. It’s a totally economic system that requires interest from the government, society, and business. At present, the cost of collecting and processing recyclable materials significantly outweighs their own value as a product that can be sold back to the industry.
Recycling means a lot for business and government. As Weine Wiqvist, CEO of the Swedish Waste Management and Recycling Association said that “reusing materials or products means using less energy to create a product, instead of burning one and making a new one from scratch”. As an example, top managers of companies like American Airlines, Bell Atlantic, and Coca-Cola inserted a fresh look on using recycled materials. They bought recycled products and invested them in green R&D as part of their business strategy. The result is impressive- they have closed the recycling loop, cut down on waste, and increased profit margins. They desire the public’s negative attitude towards recycled bottles to be changed. That means using recycled products gains a bigger profit and at the same time, the company can declare itself with an attractive side. Plus, there’s clearly consumer demand for green products, and Rubbermaid, Moore Business Forms, and International Paper, etc.
While the market has its uncertainty, corporations can start forming a strategic way by collaborating with public organizations and other business interests. That has an economic interest for the business side. But there is no way to work on creating that true value in long term, especially when it comes to economic problems that neither can solve alone. They must reinvent their relationship.
Emphasizing the recycling industry just might be one of the answers to an ailing local economy, provided corporate managers and government policymakers are willing to work as partners rather than sinister opponents. The Swedish model is a great and inspiring example, which emphasizes that successful teamwork is driven by the best intention.
Resources:
https://www.trtworld.com/europe/swedish-recycling-so-successful-it-is-importing-rubbish-24491
https://hbr.org/1993/11/recycling-for-profit-the-new-green-business-frontier