The Circular Economy and the Waste Management Hierarchy
Since 1975, the circular economy has found a frame of reference in the internationally accepted Waste Management Hierarchy. This approach prioritizes five key steps:
- Pollution prevention (source reduction).
- Reuse.
- Recycling.
- Treatment.
- Disposal or landfill (Council of the European Communities, cited by Zhang et al., 2022).
This model establishes a clear path to minimize environmental impact, but in practice, modern systems have ignored or poorly implemented it, exacerbating planetary imbalances.
Ancestral Examples of Circular Economy: Terra Preta and Amazonian Sustainability
Before the advent of Westernized lifestyles, many ancestral cultures, such as the pre-Columbian Amazonian Indians, practiced sustainable circular economies. One prominent example is terra preta, a nutrient-rich soil created from organic waste and charcoal. This approach not only improved soil fertility, but also built the ecological foundations of what we know today as the Amazon.
In contrast, Western modernity, with industrialization, migration to the cities and consumer culture, has broken these cycles. The result: degraded ecosystems, overexploited resources and a growing disconnection between humans and nature.
The Three Step Strategic Approach: A Valuable Tool with Cautions
During the talk, Nhapi & Gijzen's (2005) Three-Step Strategic Approach was presented as a proposal for managing water quality in cities. This approach - which includes pollution reduction, water treatment and reuse - can play a key role in the transition to sustainability. However, its implementation must be carefully managed to prevent it from justifying unsustainable practices..
For example, while promoting reuse is positive, it should not perpetuate systems such as flush toilets, which amplify both consumption and pollution. While this approach may be a viable solution in the short term, it is imperative to complement it with strategies that address the structural causes of the problem. Technologies such as dry toilets or ecological sanitation systems, which break with the extractivist model, should occupy a central place in these proposals.
In this sense, the Three-Step Strategic Approach is a tool that, properly applied, can catalyze significant changes. The key is not to use it as a palliative to maintain current unsustainable practices.
The Challenge of Cultural Change: From the Paradigm of Power to the Paradigm of Care
The biggest obstacle to achieving a circular economy is to change the desires and habits of the modern citizen. As Bernardo Toro states in TEDxPura Vida 2012 - Care is not an option, it is urgent to move from a paradigm focused on success, power and accumulation, to one based on care:
- Care of ourselves.
- Care for others.
- Care for nature.
It is not about saving the planet, because it will continue to exist with or without us. It is about saving our existence and that of future generations.
Small Actions, Big Changes
Each individual can contribute to this paradigm shift with concrete actions, such as:
- Reduce unnecessary consumption.
- Compost organic waste and grow your own food.
- Promote systems such as dry toilets that reduce dependence on water resources.
- Supporting community initiatives that seek to regenerate the environment (e.g. community gardens).
These practices not only strengthen our connection with nature, but also promote autonomy and resilience in the face of climate and social crises.
Conclusion: Care to Survive
The talk of water quality modeling and management poses a significant technical challenge, but for these strategies to succeed, they must be integrated into a broader framework of circular economy and cultural change. Humanity must learn to care or face its own demise. As citizens, our greatest contribution is to adopt practices that promote balance with nature, because, in the end, true resilience starts from everyday practices.
And you, what are you doing today to take care of yourself, others and nature?
References
- Nhapi, I., & Gijzen, H. J. (2005). A 3-step strategic approach to sustainable wastewater management. Water SA, 31(1), 133-140.
- US EPA. (2023). Learn About Pollution Prevention. https://www.epa.gov/p2/learn-about-pollution-prevention
- Zhang, C., Hu, M., Di Maio, F., Sprecher, B., Yang, X., & Tukker, A. (2022). An overview of the waste hierarchy framework for analyzing the circularity in construction and demolition waste management in Europe. Science of The Total Environment, 803, 149892. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149892
