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Zero Waste at the WSSD 2002 (Earth
Summit)
Description of the campaign
GAIA
is calling on the Earth Summit to declare itself a Zero Waste
event and to implement systems to make this a reality. We
want the event sponsors and organizers to go Zero Waste for
a number of reasons:
- it
will provide a high profile endorsement of Zero Waste
- it
will educate all the delegates about the advantages and
feasibility of Zero Waste systems
- Zero
Waste is consistent with the recent Stockholm convention's
goal towards elimination of dioxin and furans
- a
number of investments in infrastructure (such as a composting
facility) and technical know-how in Johannesburg would have
to be made in order for the event to be Zero Waste. Long
after the WSSD is over, these resources would be available
to the broader community of folks working on waste issues
in South Africa.
The
goal of this campaign is to have the WSSD be a model Zero
Waste event, reducing wastes sent to landfills by 90% and
assuring that no waste from the WSSD goes to incinerators.
What
is Zero Waste?
"Zero
Waste" refers to a range of policies and practices designed
to achieve a sustainable use of materials and the minimum
of waste discarded. Zero Waste is a design principle that
goes beyond recycling by taking a 'whole system' approach
to the vast flow of resources and wastes discarded at events
such as the WSSD. Zero Waste seeks to eliminate waste, reduce
the quantities and toxicities of materials used, and reuse,
recycle or compost discarded materials. Zero Waste applies
sustainable development principles to resource and waste management.
The goal of a Zero Waste program is to dramatically reduce
the amount of discarded materials going to incinerators or
landfills.
What
is the World Summit on Sustainable Development or otherwise
known as the Johannesburg Summit?
At
the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, the international community
adopted Agenda 21 (http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/agenda21.htm),
an unprecedented global plan of action for sustainable development.
The Johannesburg Summit takes places ten years after this
initial phase. The summit presents an exciting opportunity
for today's leaders to adopt concrete steps and identify quantifiable
targets for better implementing Agenda 21.
Johannesburg
Summit 2002-the World Summit on Sustainable Development brings
together tens of thousands, including heads of State and Government,
national delegates and leaders from non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), businesses and other major groups to focus the world's
attention and direct action toward meeting difficult challenges,
including improving people's lives and conserving our natural
resources in a world that is growing in population, with ever-increasing
demands for food, water, shelter, sanitation, energy, health
services and economic security.
The
Summit will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa from
26 August to 4 September 2002. The Summit will be held in
the Sandton Convention Centre, just outside Johannesburg.
A non-governmental forum will take place at the nearby Gallagher
Estate.
Information provided by the United Nations Website for the
WSSD
http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/html/basic_info/basicinfo.html
Campaign
News
July
1, 2002
Earthlife Africa Announces a Zero
Waste WSSD Launch Party on July 6 in Johannesburg, South
Africa
June
10, 2002
WSSD to be a "Zero Waste" Event! Read
the press release
April
25, 2002 San Francisco, CA and May 18, 2002 Pretoria, South
Africa
In both CA and South Africa, Nitin
Desai, Head of the Secretariat for the UN Economic and Social
Council, met with Zero Waste Advocates from GAIA and EarthLife
Africa Johannesburg Branch. In both meetings, Desai confirmed
his commitment to organizing the WSSD as a Zero Waste event.
March
12, 2002
GAIA member Earthlife Africa received encouraging letter
from the WSSD's Civil Society Secretariat stating their
support for implementing a "Zero Waste WSSD."
March
8, 2002
GAIA sent a follow-up letter to Mr.
Nitin Desai, Secretary General of the WSSD at the United
Nations, again requesting his support for Zero Waste at the
WSSD.
February
2002
Johannesburg World Summit Company (JOWSCO), the organization
in charge of managing and coordinating responsible for preparation
logistics of the WSSD on behalf of the South African government,
gave initial verbal support of a "Zero Waste WSSD."
December
30, 2001
GAIA sent a formal request to Mr. Nitin Desai asking that
the World Summit on Sustainable Development be a Zero Waste
Event. Nitin Desai's official title is United Nations Secretary-General
of the Johannesburg Summit and Under-Secretary-General for
Economic and Social Affairs.
Read
the letter to Nitin Desai
Attachments
to letter:
Useful Links
Zero
Waste WSSD email list. To join, please email mwilson@essential.org
Zero
Waste Links
Grassroots
Recycling Network, http://www.grrn.org/zerowaste/
The Grassroots Recycling Network provides a complete section
on Zero Waste. It provides background on the concept of
zero waste, resources that include articles, implemented
zero waste plans in both public and private sector and links
to other websites of interest. In addition, a section looks
at Zero Waste around the world.
EcoCycle,
http://www.ecocycle.org/ZeroWaste
Ecocycle provides a good background on Zero Waste businesses
in the USA and around the world. It provides some good graphics
and good resources on producers' responsibility. In addition,
it provides a links to other Zero Waste websites.
http://www.northwaste.nsw.gov.au/pdf/waste_wise_event_NSW.pdf
A 56-page report on how to plan a waste wise event put out
by an organization in New Zealand.
http://wastewiseevents.wasteboards.nsw.gov.au/
This site provides a comprehensive look into all aspects
of creating a "waste wise" event through their
Seven Steps to a Waste Wise Event. This site also provides
great case studies on successful ZW events from all around
the world. Many of these case studies provide evaluations
on the
event itself and areas, which they felt they needed to improve
in.
The
Institute for Self Reliance, http://www.ilsr.org/recycling/wrrs.html
The Institute for Self Reliance provides reports on successful
projects in waste reduction ranging from building debris
to food waste. The Institute looks at the economic angle,
especially how Zero Waste can be used as a local economic
development tool.
UN
and WSSD Links
Text
of Agenda 21, http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/agenda21.htm
Official
Site for the WSSD 2002, http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/
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