What improves waste management? - Veolia Environmental Services

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02 CONTENTS 04 REPORT What improves waste management? 12 COLLECTION From cart drivers and rag-pickers to computer-assisted pickup 18 LANDFILL From uncontrolled dumpsites to environmental sanitary landfills 22 INCINERATION From burning to energy production 26 OZONE Why a shield in the stratosphere is toxic on the ground ? 30 MULTINATIONALS How far is too far? 35 SPECIAL REPORT Singapore: a whole-hearted commitment to the environment 40 HISTORY 1853, the year it all began for the VE Group
EDITORIAL T he anniversary of the founding 150 years ago of the Compagnie Générale des Eaux, Veolia Environnement’s forerunner, is a perfect opportunity to take stock of the waste management industry, to review its past and speculate about its future. Distilling into a few pages the technical innovations that have shaped waste collection and treatment for over a century makes you stop and think about the future. The advances in waste management reflect changes in society and attitudes—the attitudes of individuals, of manufacturers and of authorities. They spotlight the way we organize cities, impact nature, look at pollution and factor in human health—all issues of vital importance to contemporary societies as they contemplate their future. Looking back at the beginning of the industrial era in Western societies sheds light on the problems mega-cities in emerging countries are currently facing. It also highlights points up the fact that the strides made by developed (North) nations cannot be assimilated and achieved by developing (South) countries overnight. Looking back also helps us to grasp the enormity of the changes in our industries and society’s gradual recognition of what we do. Rag-pickers, dustbin rakers and other trash collectors from the fringes of society gave way to porters—whose jobs elevated them to the first rung on the social ladder—and such highly skilled occupations as engineers, chemists, logistics experts and IT specialists. In countries where waste collectors are still treated like pariahs, it is up to us to train and restore the dignity of those who labor every day to keep our planet clean. Finally, from a historical perspective, the pernicious accumulation of waste associated with urbanization and higher living standards, amplified by changes in production methods and consumption patterns and the creation of non-biodegradable and non-recyclable materials, especially plastics, seems like a relatively recent phenomenon. It was not so long ago that our rural areas were waste-free zones. “Salvage-recycle-return to the earth” practices were based on the principle of “waste not, want not.” Eliminating waste is a key component of sustainable development. Best environmental policies are a return to the age-old traditions of rural economies: painstakingly sorting through trash in order to reuse what you can and return what is left to the earth, as safely as possible. Manufacturers are going back to the past in halting the production of environmentally harmful materials, such as PVC. Designing resource-economical products and manufacturing processes represents a similar decision to reject the wastefulness of consumer societies. Environmental progress depends on more than just research programs and technological innovations. It is also driven by behaviors that might be termed, if not regressive, at least recessive! Denis Gasquet Chief Executive Officer of Onyx 03
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Page 6 and 7: 06 sured by comparing the per capit
Page 8 and 9: 08 steps to ensure public health. R
Page 10 and 11: 10 that goes beyond simple technica
Page 13 and 14: FROM CART DRIVERS AND RAG-PICKERS T
Page 15 and 16: industrialized world, it was a diff
Page 17: cubic meters (19 metric tons) to 18
Page 20 and 21: 20 tilted more towards a cost-benef
Page 23 and 24: FROM BURNING TO ENERGY PRODUCTION S
Page 25: Fluidized bed incinerators Long use
Page 28 and 29: 28 industrial pollution. Under the
Page 30 and 31: MULTINATIONALS : HOW FAR IS TOO FAR
Page 32 and 33: 32 government incapacity to act, co
Page 34 and 35: 34 issues: how to know when their a
Page 36 and 37: The national recycling plan adopted
Page 38 and 39: Vehicles equipped with a powerful v
Page 40 and 41: 150 years of environmental progress
Page 42 and 43: 42 1934 1900 waste management spani

What improves waste management? - Veolia Environmental Services

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