Too often we paint doom & gloom pictures of any challenging events or situations - specially our scientists and policy makers tend to do this, sorry guys/gals - but it takes courage and vision to look these things as opportunities and do something clever and new about them. So what about rubbish?Helen briefly explained in high level NGERS act and Australian Government's Green Paper, including the 'cap and trade' scheme before moving to providing her thoughts about how actually SMB community can benefit from the upcoming carbon economy. She probed us for comments and ideas, gave examples how by fostering direct involvement in individual or small clusters of businesses there are wins - not only for the environment, but for the economy, communities and obviously for the part taking businesses.
No doubt interaction between technological innovation, business/lifestyle changes, financial markets, and political governance may be needed. Think about truck company co-operating with fast food chain to use their old deep fryer fats as biofuel whilst providing logistical services for them?Incidentally, on the same night, I found this article about 'Rubbish is the new gold' . And it is so true! Without efficient recycling framework and processing plants (incl. logistics, handling) there is no recycled materials for factories to use. Obviously this framework exists today, but can this recycling chain handle the amount and variety of recycled products/materials that will be needed (or with laws, forced) in near future?
And am sure they will be need for specialised waste processing facilities for certain products & materials. I guess that the purer and higher quality the recycled material is, the better price it draws in the market. Councils are likely to play big part of the game whereby they may provide the collecting services, but instead of processing it themselves, they could make money out of selling the waste to the processing plants (and maybe for once reduce our rates, one hopes). So, look no further. Rubbish brings opportunities, you just have to think outside the square. Income for people who are willing to go out and collect waste from kerb sides and other public domains, innovate machinery for separating waste already in collection points, swap&change co-operatives(like freebay - not only vintage 'old' should be in fashion), make insulation from old packaging materials, build bicycles from excess building materials, who knows what else.
Maybe even human waste could come with a silver lining. After all, animal waste gets processed into fertiliser already. So our friend Kenny might just be the next (poo-) billionaire. Just imagine the headlines ;-)!
