Waste + Waste

Over billions of years the earth has created spectacular landforms. So too has man, but, in a fraction of the time. The difference? Materials. The earth used sediments and rock to create vast mountain ranges, submarine fans, dunes, deltas and way more. We instead use mining wastes, scrap metals, food and plastics and have created toxic ecosystems. In recognition of these anthropogenic impacts, the United Nations established the Sustainable Development Goals, comprising seventeen targets for the global community to achieve by 2030. Improving our approach to waste is one of these. So what can we do? SOMETHING! ‘Waste is a design flaw’ and implies, as for the majority of us, that we view the end of a products life as the point at which we have no more use for it. However, every product is made up of elements, compounds and minerals, and it is in these terms that we need to think. In this experiment, we will learn about two types of waste, mining and food, and examine what happens if we combine the two. Can they be joined in matrimony to produce a more sustainable tomorrow and help us on our crusade for a zero waste society?