How the zero waste concept works in practice and how our integrated sustainability consulting incorporates its philosophy and innovative approaches

Waste is a by-product of our consumerist lifestyle. When we buy less and buy better, use less, reuse for as long as we can, recover, repurpose and recycle fully, we can say, we are operating in a circular economy. Most agree, it is a desirable goal and waste-free future that awaits us! Zero waste helps us reduce our global emissions. So it is an important tool, helping us protect the climate. By constantly innovating in this area, in the spirit of Kaizen, we can bring about systemic changes, fast. Simultaneously, when companies adopt positive business models, that have community interest hard-wired into their structure, this helps us to create a focal point and a framework for innovation. 

By design rather than by chance, such a rapid deployment of solutions that these, more evolved companies and organisations have helped streamline, is then possible. As a result, we build resilience and transform the way we live our lives and feel more optimistic about the future we co-create together, both individually and collectively. However, such rapid and effective uptake requires a great deal of streamlining and communicating authentic sustainability.  In ways that allow sharing of the best, most affordable and scalable solutions and know-how for others to emulate and improve upon in the shortest timescales.  That way we can further our goals of ecological restoration, which is key to our political stability and peace, locally in our communities and therefore, globally. 

Reduce waste to maximise business opportunities

Zero Waste offers many practical answers. We realise, however, that as our societies move closer towards collective problem-solving through integrated models, can we then unearth the concept’s full potential. In our experience, we cannot have integration of these principles and modes of operation without enhanced levels of cooperation. That’s why Earthvoice fully supports the scheme and works with companies and organisations that want to be part of the solution by joining the ranks of the leaders.

In fact, waste minimisation and management are an integral part of our sustainability consulting proposals and one of the seven pillars forming the basis of our Integrated Sustainability toolkit. In practical terms, this translates into an in-depth assessment of the hotel’s current practices whilst developing new, and incorporating, already existing, effective pragmatic tools for regenerative resource management within a strategic framework tailored to each hospitality and catering operation.

An innovative approach to hotels’ smart resource management

We assist you in approaching your venture’s waste management primarily as resource management that enables your company to take steps to maximise the potential for growth and align with the SDGs and ESG performance. This, in turn, if done properly, can lead to fulfilling zero-waste goals, helping you to move beyond conformity alone and enter the path of achieving ultimate sustainability whilst generating Earth gains. The concept we coined in the late 1990s and promoted since. Case studies of the most advanced companies that adopt a social enterprise philosophy have consistently shown that a congruent resource management strategy builds social capital within the company itself and the community the company’s practical actions support. Companies listed as certified B Corps are among leading practitioners of this new socio-economic model.

Ecotourism resource management as a dynamic tool for a broad-scale regeneration

It is not surprising to see this approach and thinking ready to be replicated around the globe, is bringing different sectors together to collaborate, as more actors pause and take notice of how new sustainability performance boundaries are set every day. It is my tried and tested belief that, by creating regenerative alternatives to the old travel and tourism paradigm, we can regenerate entire communities and forward-looking companies have an important role to play in this.  As sustainability performance benchmarking is a growing and constantly evolving field, with many pieces that need to be reconciled. Great news is that this offers us countless possibilities for growth that positively impacts the company’s ROI in the long term and the community at large.

 

Resource management centres

How? One way of doing is through establishing special resource management centres, which we called Ecoplazas.  For instance, such logistical centres can become a focal point for both, our collective and individual efforts. And as we are facing a big challenge, Zero Waste initiatives are a great way of being involved in this common goal.

Good news is we have the tools necessary to make this transition. By shifting our focus and pooling resources, we are capable of dealing intelligently with our own waste through seeking more effective and environment-friendly ways of reusing and repurposing it. It really boils down to that. The quality of our resource management is a sure path to becoming truly successful as a species that does not jeopardise its own present and future existence.

Optimal resource management

Certainly, we can micromanage our resource use at a household level and thus contribute to the zero waste living. By doing so, we inevitably send out the right social message to all, including the commerce. We unequivocally say that we desire new, people and planet conscious ways of interacting with the world that gives us all raw materials from which products are made. To sum up, when the optimal resource management becomes companies’ main focus and an ongoing process, rather than a destination, we will then see a greater alignment of our man-made systems with those of nature.

                                                                                                 Slideshow photos: “Monde allant vers…”. Source. Urban Ore. Source.

Creating a perfect storm of climate solutions with zero waste

In the 1970s a grassroots group had tried to awaken the populations to this issue, as they foresaw the consequences of what the global inaction could look like. They succeeded in their goal of inspiring No Waste reality. Their social and environmental legacy and vision echo in the current zero-waste policies and practices across many countries.

Zero Waste offers many answers, which we listed in our follow-up article on Zero Waste, that help us live better and more sustainably. Hence, Earthvoice fully supports the scheme. Crucially, our in-house innovation – the Integrated Sustainability toolkit – helps travel and (eco)tourism operators design and develop their unique, regenerative social enterprise models and accelerate their sustainability performance. In short, we do this through either enhancing and boosting hotels’ eco credentials for more optimal positioning in the competitive market. Or, simply by getting them started with sustainability first. This is a precursor to building a fully-fledged program of actionable, sustainable enhancements. They span and integrate the entire operation and its relationship network.