topos 129

no 129
2024
to po s.
zero waste

COVER
PHOTO: Alexander Weiß
How a small piece of plastic became the object of
hatred for many Europeans. Since July 3 2024 in
the EU, lids on disposable drinks containers with
a capacity of up to three liters must be firmly
attached to the container. The background to this
introduction is an EU-wide study which found that
plastic lids on single-use drinks containers are
among the ten most common types of plastic
waste found on EU beaches. These tethered caps
are a source of great frustration for consumers.
After all, there are certain limits to sustainability.
Personal comfort when drinking, for example.
A quick bike ride to the weekly market – taking
with you: organic mesh bags and Tupperware.
The flat white on the way to work is available in
the ReCup for a one euro deposit, and the poke
bowl from the food truck in the ReBowl at
lunchtime. At home, beeswax wrap replaces aluminum
foil, and attention is paid to food waste.
If necessary, food is boiled down. Any leftover
food is distributed via food sharing. Organic
waste ends up in the worm bin. Furniture and
clothes are second-hand. And everything that is
no longer needed is resold or given away. It
would be a shame.
A look at many everyday lives and lifestyles –
especially in the world's major cities and Insta
channels – shows this: Zero waste aspirations
are real (and very hip). At the same time, however,
a look at our streets – as well as current statistics
– shows also that zero waste is not real at
all: When it comes to waste, our society is living
a huge paradox. Because while the hipster-academic
bubbles of this world boast about the sustainable
use of our planet, the production of
waste is increasing worldwide. A recent study
by the UN Environment Program predicts a 65
per cent increase in waste by 2050 – with a massive
impact on health and the economy. Waste
costs could almost double and there is an urgent
need to drastically reduce waste.
So it's no wonder that many of the world's
major cities have proclaimed themselves “zero
waste cities”. The ultimate goal of zero waste is
to create a system where all materials are
reused, recycled, or composted, and nothing is
sent to landfills, incinerators, or the environment.
A zero-waste city is idealistic, an almost
unattainable goal. Nevertheless, in this issue of
topos we dare to discuss how it could become a
reality. To this end, we take a look at New York
City (USA), Kiel (Germany), Dar es Salaam
(Tanzania), China and Bangladesh, and examine
the current approach to waste and efforts to
achieve zero waste.
Our coverage shows; it's a goal that's driving
innovation. But the zero-waste city is also not
just about technology or policy – it's about culture.
Our portrait of the company Patagonia
highlights how fashion companies can lead the
way in sustainable production, while our story
about environmental activist Robin Greenfield
challenges us to rethink our consumption habits.
We are particularly pleased with the contribution
of John Morton, who, on behalf of the
World Bank, offers insights on how international
finance can support zero waste systems,
reminding us that this is a global challenge that
requires global solutions.
As we close out the year with this issue, we invite
you to join us in reimagining our cities not just
as places we live in, but as living systems where
nothing goes to waste. After all, in the pursuit of
truly sustainable urban environments, every
scrap counts. With this in mind: Happy Holidays,
I look forward to 2025 with you.
TOPOS E-PAPER: AVAIL-
ABLE FOR YOUR DESKTOP
For more information visit:
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THERESA RAMISCH
Editor-in-Chief
t.ramisch@georg-media.de
topos 129 005

CONTENTS
OPINION
Page 8
CURATED PRODUCTS
Page 102
THE BIG PICTURE
Page 10
METROPOLIS EXPLAINED
Page 12
URBAN PIONEERS
Page 14
THE ZERO WASTE MAN
Robin Greenfield
Page 36
FACTS AND FIGURES
How much waste does the world produce every year?
Page 18
CITIES ON ZERO WASTE
An introduction
Page 20
PLASTIC WASTE
Micro and macro problem
Page 24
ENERGY WASTE
The radioactive waste problem
Page 62
CHINA: A LONG WAY UP
The world’s largest waste producer
Page 64
METHANE WASTE
The powerful greenhouse gas
Page 72
CITY GAMECHANGERS
Page 112
IMPRINT
Page 113
EDGE CITY
Page 114
NEW YORK CITY: MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE
WALL
The big apple and the big trash
Page 26
BANGLADESH: AGAINST ALL ODDS
Pollution and the
mismanagement of waste
Page 74
FOOD WASTE
Edible or not?
Page 34
REPAIRING IS CARING
Patagonia and their programm
Page 84
FAST FASHION
Fast, faster, fashion
Page 42
KIEL: FIRTH FOR FUTURE
Germany's first “zero waste“ city
Page 44
FACTS AND FIGURES
When did Rwanda ban plastic bags?
Page 52
DAR ES SALAAM: LET'S SORT THINGS OUT
Africa's city challenges in waste management
Page 54
FACTS AND FIGURES
7000 gallons of water compared to
one tonne of paper
Page 90
ZERO WASTE TECHNOLOGIES
Smart Solutions
Page 92
CRADLE TO CRADLE
The waste of building
Page 98
CONTRIBUTORS
Page 100
OCEAN WASTE
A global problem
Page 82
Photos: Robin Greenfield, Naja Bertolt Jensen on Unsplash
006 topos 129

OPINION
THE GREAT WASTE
SEPARATION LIE
Here we are, dutifully separating our trash into neat little categories—plastic, paper,
organic waste—because we’ve been led to believe that this simple, repetitive action can
save the planet. It’s the most feel-good eco-lie since reusable shopping bags became trendy.
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opinion
Here’s the truth: waste separation is little more
than a façade, a theatrical performance to make
us feel better while the real issues continue to
rot—literally—out of sight. It’s time to drop the
delusion and ask the hard question: is all this
trash sorting really making a difference, or are
we just playing eco-dress-up?
Lies
Let’s start with the obvious: waste separation
doesn’t work. Yes, you read that right. It’s a
colossal failure on many levels, and there’s no
shortage of evidence to back this up. Take the
charming example of the plastic recycling system.
We all know the ritual by now: rinse out
your yogurt containers, toss them in the correct
bin, and pat yourself on the back for “saving the
environment.” Except, spoiler alert, most of that
plastic doesn’t get recycled. In fact, according to
reports, only about nine per cent of all plastic
waste ever created has actually been recycled.
The rest? It’s either incinerated, shipped to
developing countries (more on that later), or
just sitting pretty in our landfills for the next
thousand years.
You see, while you’re busy obsessing over
whether your plastic bottle is PET or HDPE, the
real issue is that recycling facilities can’t keep up.
Many plastics can’t be economically recycled at
all because the process is either too complex or
too expensive.
Trading waste
But it gets better. Even when we do manage to
send our waste to recycling facilities, much of it
doesn’t stay local. Ah, the global waste trade—
what a brilliant solution! For years, wealthier
nations (looking at you, USA and Europe) have
been exporting their trash to poorer countries.
In 2018, China, which used to take in almost half
of the world’s recyclable waste, decided to stop
playing the global garbage dump and banned the
import of most plastic waste. Other countries
like Malaysia and Vietnam soon followed. And
suddenly, our neatly sorted waste had nowhere
to go. Whoops. Since then, the waste has piled
up in our own backyards, or worse, ended up in
places even less equipped to deal with it.
Let’s not forget the miracle of incineration, often
marketed as “waste-to-energy.” Sure, burning
trash might generate electricity, but let’s call it
what it really is: burning. The process releases
CO2, particulate matter, and toxic pollutants
into the atmosphere. So much for waste separation
being environmentally friendly.
Consumer guilt
Now, on to the pièce de résistance of the waste
separation farce: consumer guilt. It’s an age-old
tactic, blaming individuals for systemic problems.
Governments, corporations, and industries
have perfected this strategy—distract the
public with little tasks like separating your trash,
while they carry on polluting and mass-producing
single-use items with reckless abandon.
Waste separation shifts the responsibility onto
the consumer, giving industries and policymakers
a free pass to continue business as usual. We
spend our time agonizing over whether we
should wash the peanut butter jar before recycling
it, while companies continue to churn out
new plastic products like it’s going out of style.
Systems
Let’s not forget the inefficiency of the system
itself. In many cities and countries, separated
waste is ultimately recombined during collection.
Yes, you read that right. The time and effort you
spend dividing your plastics from your papers
can be undone the moment it hits the back of a
garbage truck. Municipalities often lack the
proper infrastructure, personnel, and facilities to
handle the different streams of waste effectively.
The sad reality is that many local waste management
systems simply don’t have the capacity to
process the sheer volume of recyclable material,
so they just end up mixing it all together, leaving
your eco-friendly efforts in the dust.
Again lies…
And then there’s greenwashing. Ah, greenwashing—the
art of making something appear envi-
ronmentally friendly when it’s really just a pile
of marketing nonsense. Companies love to slap
a little green leaf on their packaging or announce
that they’ve switched to “recyclable” materials.
News flash: recyclable doesn’t mean recycled.
Just because a product could theoretically be
recycled doesn’t mean it will be.
Finally, the narrative around waste separation is
more about a convenient way for governments
and corporations to pretend they’re addressing
environmental issues while leaving the real
problems unsolved. Plastic production is still
increasing, landfills are still overflowing, and
our oceans are still choking on waste. So while
you might feel a little better about throwing
your aluminum can in the right bin, let’s not kid
ourselves—it’s not enough. It never was.
Solution seeker
The solution? Systemic change, not individual
guilt trips. It’s time to hold corporations and
policymakers accountable for the waste they
create. Rather than focusing on whether your
shampoo bottle goes in the blue or green bin,
we should be demanding reductions in singleuse
plastics, less industrial waste, and most of all
investments in real sustainable alternatives.
In conclusion, while the idea of waste separation
sounds like a noble and simple solution, it’s
mostly just a green-packaged lie. The system is
flawed, inefficient, and ultimately a distraction
from the larger environmental issues at hand.
So next time you find yourself obsessing over
which bin to use, remember: the planet won’t be
saved by you sorting your trash—it will be saved
by rebuilding the worldwide plastic production.
TOBIAS HAGER is a journalist and Chief Content
Officer and member of the management board at
GEORG Media. Responsible for all GEORG brands
such as topos magazine, BAUMEISTER and Garten +
Landschaft, his focus is on the areas of content, digital,
marketing and entrepreneurship.
topos 129 009

THE BIG PICTURE
No questions left (over)
The credo is: zero waste. Kamikatsu is well on the way to achieving this - 80 per cent of its waste is
recycled. In comparison, the figure for the whole of Japan is only 20 per cent.
Japanese hygiene standards, where every single piece of fruit, vegetable or cookie is wrapped in plastic,
make it difficult for the residents of Kamikatsu to separate their waste. Nevertheless, they do it, firstly
because it is compulsory in Japan, and secondly to get closer to their zero waste goal. There are a total of
13 composite materials, which are divided into 45 categories. Waste paper, for example, is not just waste
paper, but is divided into cardboard boxes, books, magazines and newspapers.
For cost reasons, the village of around 1400 inhabitants does not have a waste collection service, so
residents are asked to help separate and dispose of waste properly. However, only clean waste can be
recycled; items that are still contaminated with residues are incinerated. The modern recycling center of
the town on the island of Shikoku has the shape of a question mark, you could almost think that the town is
asking the world the question: What to do with the mountains of garbage? In Kamikatsu, the answer is
selling and upcycling. The proceeds from selling the waste to industry benefit the village community. Next
to the recycling center is a hotel that houses the Kuru Kuru store, which sells what the villagers wanted to
dispose of but can still be used. From crockery to used but not yet completely empty batteries. Upcycled
objects can also be purchased here, such as lamps made from old glass or textiles made from old clothes.
TEXT: JULIA MARIA KORN
Photo: Kamikatsu Town
010 topos 129

the big
picture
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zero waste
NEW YORK CITY:
MIRROR, MIRROR
ON THE WALL
The rich and famous live in the Wilhelminian-style
buildings of the Upper West Side, between Central
Park and Riverside Drive: Yoko Ono, David Duchovny,
Keanu Reeves, Donna Karan. But down on the pavements
it looks like Calcutta: black plastic rubbish
bags, loosely tied up newspaper parcels, an old mattress.
It smells, liquids seep out of the slit open bags,
and in between fat, fearless rats scurrying from piles
of rubbish to bins. Rubbish in New York: an eternal
problem that is being solved elsewhere.
EVA SCHWEITZER
Photo: Eva Schweitzer
026 topos 129

New York City's
perennial problem: over
14 million tonnes of
rubbish are produced
every year, polluting not
only the streets but also
the environment.
topos 129 027

SUSANNE KARR
THE ZERO WASTE MAN
Living a zero waste lifestyle might seem like a daunting challenge to many, but
for Robin Greenfield it's a joyful mission to inspire change. With his bright outlook
and down-to-earth approach, he's proving that reducing waste isn’t just
possible — it’s empowering. Through his actions and engaging communication,
he shows that even small steps can make a big difference for our planet.
Photos: Robin Greenfield
036 topos 129

zero waste
The rubbish of a normal
consumer within a
month, which Greenfield
carries with him.
topos 129 037

zero waste
He utilises solar panels
and uses compost and
toilet waste to
enrich the soil.
Environmental activist Robin Greenfield is on a mission to raise consciousness.
He aims to inspire change and to disrupt habits by setting tangible
examples. To highlight the problems of the “normal” consumerist
lifestyle, he created the outstanding "Trash Walk". Last year, he undertook
another walk in Los Angeles called "30 Days of Wearing My Trash." For a
month, he lived like an average city resident — eating, shopping, and consuming
— while attaching every piece of trash he produced to his body. By
the end of the month, he wore a massive "trash suit" made of bottles, plastic,
paper, and cans as he wandered through the streets of LA.
His point was crystal clear –– we don't usually see the impact of all the
waste we produce. But waste doesn’t just disappear. As a walking "trash
man," he turned heads and initiated countless conversations with people
on the street. His bold statement sparked reflection and discussion among
people, triggering all kinds of reactions, similar to those in the cities where
he had done the walk before.
Living with Less
And Robin Greenfield is not doing art for art's sake. He has many practical
and useful recommendations on how to avoid trash, how to live sustainably,
how to find out what is really important in life. His attitude is
about insights and collaboration. One of the many, low key informational
videos on his website, is “The Story of Stuff ”, together with a huge
library of other videos, texts and background knowledge. It is easy to
read and never preachy. It shows the interconnections and contingencies
of 21st century capitalism. His book “Food Freedom” tackles another
one of the big problems of consumerist society: the broken system and
terrible mechanisms of industrial agriculture. As always, he’s donating
the profits to important causes — this time to Indigenous and Black-led
food sovereignty projects, many of which are run by women. He’s working
with others to build food systems that are regenerative, fair, and just.
By donating most of his earnings, he keeps his income low enough to
avoid paying taxes, allowing him to maintain independence and not support
government actions he opposes. He relies on exchanging knowledge
and skills to live with minimal financial resources. Robin Greenfield
enhances his credibility by living his values. He demonstrates contentment
through minimal material needs and inspirational actions, such as
038 topos 129

Throwing food away is
not an option for
Greenfield.
Photos: Sierre Ford and Livewonderful.com
The 'Trash Me' campaign
was covered by
hundreds of media
outlets around the world
and generated over a
billion media impressions,
stimulating deep
thought and inspiring
real change.
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zero waste
DAR ES SALAAM:
LET'S SORT
THINGS OUT
As one of Africa’s fastest-growing cities, Dar es Salaam
faces significant challenges in waste management,
generating an estimated 4,600 tons of waste per day.
While the city has attempted to address this through
various projects, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient
segregation of waste at source, and growing urbanization
continue to pose obstacles.
MARIA KWIRINE, ANA ROCHA
Photo: Nipe Fagio
054 topos 129

Imported plastic waste
from Europe poses
major problems for the
population of
Dar es Salaam.
topos 129 055

Litter on the coasts: The
increasing pollution of
the oceans with plastic
waste urgently requires
sustainable solutions in
Dar es Salaam.
Dar es Salaam, the commercial center of Tanzania, is among the fastestgrowing
cities in Africa. With a population of over 5 million, the city is
facing a serious waste management problem: it produces an estimated
4,600 tons of waste daily, and less than 40 per cent of it is collected. The
remaining waste is either left uncollected or improperly disposed of, causing
environmental degradation and posing health hazards. The city’s only
official unsanitary dumpsite, Pugu, is rapidly reaching capacity, making it
obvious that Dar es Salaam’s waste management infrastructure is under
immense pressure. Despite that, the city is exploring the possibilities of
zero waste systems to mitigate waste generation, improve recycling rates,
and lessen the burden on its overwhelmed waste disposal systems.
Waste Generation and Current Status in Dar es Salaam
Rapid urbanization and population growth drive waste generation in Dar
es Salaam, as well as economic activities that increase consumption and
waste production. A big portion of the city’s waste consists of organic
materials, followed by plastics and metals. Informal settlements contribute
significantly to the problem, where waste collection services are minimal,
and illegal dumping is the norm.
Current waste management practices in Dar es Salaam are hindered by
several factors, including:
• Lack of waste collection systems that are fit for purpose: low-income
neighborhoods have no access to waste collection systems and entire
populations have no alternative other than dumping or burning waste.
• Limited proper waste management: with more than 60 per cent of the
waste generated being organic, Dar es Salaam does not enforce waste segregation
at the source in connection to segregated collection. This limits
the possibility of composting organic waste and recycling recyclable
waste, with most recyclable materials picked by informal waste pickers.
• Insufficient policy regulations: 75 per cent of the waste found in the environment
in Tanzania is produced by local Tanzanian companies that face
no policy barriers for the unregulated production of single-use plastics.
056 topos 129

zero waste
Photos: Kevin McElvaney/Greenpeace, Muhammad Mahdi Karim on Wikicommons
Dar es Salaam, with a
population of over 5
million and an
estimated 4,600 tonnes
of waste every day, Dar
es Salaam faces a
major challenge.
topos 129 057