Pulling together to achieve net-zero
For signatories of the Paris Agreement, the deadline to reduce CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030 is looming, with many governments and private sectors ramping up their efforts towards environmental sustainability. But it would be misleading to look at environmental sustainability as simply a box-ticking exercise by government and big corporates, and we would miss the opportunity to change our personal habits too. The reality is that sustainability requires a holistic approach and purposeful effort to reduce consumption and embrace a cleaner, greener way of life from every tier of society.
Take sustainable print and document management as an example. From our side, Kyocera has intensified our efforts to focus on longevity, 3R design (reduction, reuse and recycling of components) and low power consumption. We are well aware that our printers exemplify these efforts through their low energy consumption, eco-friendly toner, and use of recycled and recyclable plastics, among other features. However, sustainable print and document management doesn’t end there. We rely on our customers to do their bit by adopting digital transformation, printing less, recycling their paper and ensuring that they follow the sustainable end-of-life process for toners and other components.
This is great, and, these efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle should be carried through into all of our homes. The book, Zero Waste Homes, by Bea Johnson outlines a 5-R framework for people to adopt in their personal lives. It is similar to Kyocera’s business approach, except she’s added an additional two Rs – starting with Refuse and ending with Rot. The approach is relatively simple and can go a long way to reducing personal waste and their resulting emissions:
- Refuse unnecessary plastics, be they promotional giveaways, cheap toys or overly packaged foodstuffs. I would add that we should be refusing our consumer culture. Ask yourself, do you really need that new thing on special?
- Reduce by choosing products with minimal packaging, limit the amount of new clothing you buy, and choose digital version of books and magazines. Don’t buy more food than you can consume.
- Reuse glass jars for storage instead of buying plastic, repair clothing and broken household items, donate what you no longer need.
- Recycle what you can’t reuse. Know what items you can place into recycling bins and be sure to only dispose of electronic waste at designated recycling drop-offs.
- Rot what can be used for compost. Anyone who has a small available area can compost their food waste and other biodegradable items easily. I would add that an earthworm farm is also a great way to manage waste in the household and then create compost for your plants.
While scientists concur that we can’t stop global warming, we can significantly slow its impact. Striving for net zero by 2050 is not a “nice to have”, but a necessity and it is only something we can achieve through efforts from the private sector, government and personal initiatives.
David Welters - Solutions Architect - KYOCERA Document Solutions South Africa
