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Foreword With more people living on this planet, more consumption, more waste, more pollution, less land available for landfills, and fewer resources, what will we do with all the waste? Because these elements are connected, it is our responsibili- ty, as consumers and producers, to rethink our consumption and production patterns and, where appropriate, modify trends and shape the development of our society into more sustainable pathways. Decisions taken today determine the choices and solutions available tomorrow. Within this web of interconnected factors, waste represents a major node, one that cannot be considered separately from other global issues such as resource sustainability. As a by-product of our activities, waste can represent a significant burden for hu- man society and the environment. The most obvious way to begin reducing this burden is through finding opportunities to use waste as a resource, transforming this burden into a challenge and an opportu- nity. This simple idea of ‘closing the loop’ and evolving from

‘cradle-to-grave’ to ‘cradle-to-cradle’ has already spread spon- taneously across various sectors of the economy, especially in the informal sector of many developing countries. The waste management sector can contribute to generating national in- come, instead of hampering it. While the economic benefits are often readily perceived, the social and environmental costs of these activities need to be made explicit in economic calcu- lations. We need to have a broader vision for the future that accommodates new developments and realities as well as en- sures that unavailable wastes that are generated are managed in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. To address the numerous issues highlighted in this publica- tion, all actors need think in terms of integrated waste and resource management on both the local and global scales. Many options have been and are being developed to translate our shared responsibility into effective measures. The trends identified in this report hold interesting prospects for society in general as well as for business, in terms of innovation, job opportunities and sustainability.

JimWillis Executive Secretary Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

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