Challenge and Solution
Challenge: * Economic Development toward Infinity - Energized by Zero Waste = Waste-As-Value - WAV-Links
Summary: The US Gross Domestic Product is based on only 6% product. 94% is waste or unintended product. In economic hard times, we can invent new businesses whose profits come from materials diverted from the landfill... "recycling to infinity." Communities like Los Angeles, CA and Albuquerque, NM have goals of Zero Waste by the year 2030. Imagine closing all landfills by 2030! How can we collaborate to face these challenges, drive the solutions to those challenges, and even thrive?
Description:
Waste As Value (WAV-Links)
New Mexico Phase 1 Project Summary
PURPOSE: To provide green jobs through more successful “green” micro entrepreneurs in a troubled New Mexico (and US) economy, and networking better between support service-providers who would help them.
To facilitate easy, effective, systematic methods of communication and technical solutions to link producers of waste with (new) entrepreneurial consumers of waste and with transporters of waste - and with new/creative solutions to materials use and flows… “greening” supply/value chain partnerships, up and down-stream… in a way that
• energizes economic development by offering existing and potential entrepreneurs easy information they can profitably use…
• utilizes the creative, technical and traditional solutions of designers, scientists youth and land-based elders in the region…
• begins to reduce wastes toward zero… utilizing more of the 94% of materials that are wasted or unintended that experts say make the US Gross Domestic Product…
• in a way the reduces transportation costs of wastes …and
• reduces transportation costs of wastes and keep the economy more local…
• regenerates our local economies and communities through new interactions and new businesses with an enlivened entrepreneurial ecosystem… …and
• helps reduce climate change (per EPA Region 2).
PHASE 1 SERVICES – Face to Face:
o All services will be offered for as-free-as-possible to participants. Start up businesses are difficult. Creating innovative green micro business is even harder and riskier. Those businesses can help our local communities far more than other businesses have done before.
o The emerging Phase I focus industry may be construction and demolition wastes, or waste-stream driven biofuels.
1. Facilitate local/regional matchmaking forum meetings to link representative and large producers of waste with current and potential consumers of waste and haulers in a setting that also includes scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory to identify scientific solutions, and with regional creative/designers for more possible solutions for new/emerging businesses. Adapted from the highly successful manufacturers’ matching making forums in Chicago and United Kingdom.
2. Similar forums assisting local/regional groups of industries to discuss better downstream outcomes of wastes by better upstream design, manufacture and packaging, including artists, scientists, designers.
3. Similar creative collaboration problem solving forums by focusing on problematic waste streams in communities or waste streams with high volume/low market ratio, to assist affected businesses to begin to solve the immediate problems.
4. Forums assisting groups of businesses to identify materials and energy efficiencies, through easy Environmental Management Systems.
Phase 2 activities have already been supported by the entire New Mexico Congressional Delegation under the leadership of Senator Tom Udall.
Solutions:
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