Prosperity Without Pollution

The solutions redesigning a waste-free future

There’s nothing natural about waste. In nature, resources are reused and never truly discarded. The same cannot be said of the modern world.

Instead of pollution and landfill, what if we left behind a waste-free legacy?

This question is driving creative solutions around the globe. Just as humans created the idea of waste, many are now working to deconstruct it – and using what remains to build a circular society.

In this vision of the future, today's materials become tomorrow's raw ingredients. Oceans are free of plastic pollution. Mountains of rubbish are eaten by microbes. Nature's cycles are replicated and, in turn, restored.

We haven't always been so wasteful. For most of human history, materials had a high value, and were treated accordingly. We fixed broken items and made use of anything that was left over. Organic matter decomposed and became the building blocks of new life.

This system was disrupted by the Industrial Revolution. As means of production shifted, our economy transformed, and by the mid-1800s cities like London had a major waste problem.

Now, the equivalent of 822,000 Olympic-sized pools worth of municipal waste is thrown away each year. This figure stands to double by 2050 – unless we turn it around.

A new wave of innovation is showing how we can change our ways while still enjoying modern comforts. Whether it's turning old juice pouches into tables and chairs, using fungi to break down construction waste, or fashioning textiles from pineapple leaves, each solution is a practical step toward eliminating waste for good.

What else do we stand to gain from redesigning the system? In short, less waste leaves room for more resilience. It's estimated that the circular economy could create 700,000 European jobs by 2030. It also has the potential to significantly cut emissions across sectors from food to construction.

A waste-free world isn't just possible; it's already taking shape.

With thanks to the following contributors:

Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech

Cameron Hepburn, Professor of Environmental Economics at University of Oxford

Liat Arad, VP of Marketing at UBQ Materials

Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO of TerraCycle

Ernie Simpson, Global VP of R&D at TerraCycle

Daniel Reyes, Co-Founder and VP of R&D at Mycocycle

Joanne Rodriguez, CEO of Mycocycle

Rony Khan, Co-Founder of Eco-Fresh Agro

Dr. Annie Cheung, Research Scientist at Celtic Renewables