Zero Waste Approach Towards a Sustainable Waste Management

The 15th International Conference on Waste Management and Technology, held virtually from June 28-30, 2020, in Beijing, China, featured a special session where young scholars presented innovative research on various aspects of waste management. This forum provided a platform for these scholars to discuss and explore different technological and systemic approaches to improve waste management, including the rapid carbonization of agricultural waste and the coordination among stakeholders.

The presentations highlighted the inevitability of waste generation due to increasing resource consumption by expanding urban areas. It emphasized the importance of moving away from traditional landfill and dumping methods, which are seen as sub-optimal and problematic, to more sustainable and value-oriented waste management practices. Innovations like microwave pyrolysis were discussed as beneficial technologies that could help manage waste more effectively and provide co-benefits, such as creating usable materials from waste products and reducing emissions from traditional disposal methods like burning.

The session underscored the need for cities to adopt zero waste goals, which involve comprehensive strategies encompassing reduction, recycling, and reuse of waste. It called for a concerted effort among researchers, technology developers, city planners, and policymakers to integrate advanced waste management solutions that align with sustainable development goals (SDGs).