Modern Waste Reduction Strategies

The article provides an analytical overview of strategies to solve the problem of industrial and household wastes of modern civilization. The review is structured in three ways. The most radical direction of reducing consumption waste is the correction of needs (of a person, society, industry). In this direction, civilization has huge reserves, as many modern needs are artificial. The situation is described through the transformation of the Maslow Pyramid into a civilization waste generator. The possibilities of greening needs are analyzed. The processes of the formation of virtual needs and the processes of virtual satisfaction of needs (“no waste†) due to the computerization of society are analyzed. The second direction of waste minimization, which does not revise the existing needs of the individual and society, the article systematically analyzes the replacement of non-ecological goods with the greener ones, greening of production, correction of behavioral stereotypes, greening processes of meeting needs. The third direction is today the most loaded in containing the rising flow of waste. This is the improvement of neutralization technologies: processing to conditions of secondary resources, or to conditions that allow reliable isolation of waste from nature and society. The system of the three directions considers the achievements of the world science and practice in a variety of areas of waste management. It has been shown that in no sphere can the problem be solved as purely technocratic. In each sphere, the solution requires a synthesis of an effective socio-ecological-economic system, including not only comprehensive technical-economic, ecological-economic and socio-economic research, but also deep sociological, socio-psychological analysis. Special attention is paid to the domestic issues. Examples of outstanding socio-ecological-economic decisions are given. Examples of large-scale errors due to the lack of system analysis are given. Special role of non-profit sector of economy is emphasized in evaluation of reserves of optimization of waste management systems.