Waste as a driver of change

Part 1: The nature of the problem 

            and why we have it

Introduction:

Fig.1 Humans use the term “waste” to describe materials 

that have been used but are no longer wanted.

No organism is 100% efficient. As resources are consumed, wastes inevitably are generated. The actions of humans are no exception, and waste is an unavoidable aspect of our existence. However, as human society has developed, the wastes it produces have changed, in both nature and quantity.

“Waste” is the general term used for any unwanted or undesired material, yet it is not easily definable. No definitive list exists of what does and does not constitute “waste”. Under European legislation, it is “any substance or object the holder discards, intends to discard or is required to discard”. The legislation states that once a substance has become waste, it will remain waste until it has been fully recovered and no longer poses a potential threat to the environment or to human health.

Interestingly, this definition highlights the important notion that “waste” is an anthropogenic concept. Humans use this term to describe materials that have been used but are no longer wanted, either because they have no more value to us or because they no longer serve the desired function. In contrast, natural ecosystems have evolved to be highly efficient, with the waste products produced by one organism becoming the feed stocks for another. In this sense wastes are not “wasted” but instead used as resources. “Waste” as we know it does not exist.

The problem for us is not the production of waste in itself, but rather the quantity now generated by society, its toxicity, and the impact that our inefficient use of materials has on resource depletion, climate change, the environment, and human health in all corners of the planet.

Managing the waste we generate is a formidable challenge for governments around the world.

How to dispose of refuse economically and without degrading the environment is a problem shared by developed and developing countries alike. Yet, are governments missing the point? Should we not be addressing the causes of the problems, rather than just looking for end-of-pipe solutions?

What is the problem?

The scale of the problem

Fig. 2 Territory size shows relative proportion of the

 world's population living there.

Fig. 3 Territory size shows proportion of total

 global municipal waste generated there.

Calculating the amount of waste generated on the global scale presents several issues. There are numerous ways to define, describe, and monitor waste. Some countries, on the other hand, lack reporting of any kind. These factors together present significant issues when attempting to generate and examine comparable data from one country to the next. A recent report1 estimates that 1.2 bn tonnes of municipal waste were collected worldwide in 2004. The main producers of municipal waste are the United States and Europe, each collecting more than 200M tonnes of waste per annum. The US seems to be the worst offender, with over 700kg of domestic waste per person generated every year. The US is closely followed by Australia and parts of Western Europe, with 600-700kg per year. In contrast, the average resident of Nairobi in Kenya generates only 220kg per year; in Mumbai in India, annual waste generation is as low as 120kg per person.

Fig. 4 Territory size shows proportion of total

global municipal waste recycled there.

These trends can be mapped graphically. When comparing total municipal waste generation against the population of countries across the world, it highlights that although China and the US generate similar net quantities of municipal waste, the latter produces a much higher rate per capita.

In terms of recycling, developed economies collect a high net quantity of waste for recycling, but this is in part due to them producing large amounts of waste in the first place. Interestingly the US, which collects a high net volume of material for recycling, does not appear in the list of the top 10 countries with the highest recycling rates (Fig. 2-4).

Fig. 5 Waste and wealth: links between 

increasing GDP and waste generation.

Waste is generated in many ways, but its composition and volume largely depend on country specific consumption patterns and industrial and economic structures. It has been widely observed that the generation and collection of waste are globally linked to both GDP (gross domestic product) and urbanization. The economies of developed countries depend on the consumption of goods and services to drive the economic growth seen as fundamental to meeting society’s needs.

Fig 6. Global household expenditure.

This leads to the increasing production and use of natural resources that are required to keep consumers spending. Unsurprisingly, as consumption increases, so does waste generation (Fig 5). Future population projections indicate that the situation is likely only to get worse, with a suggested 9bn people living on the planet by 2050, and there are no signals to suggest that global levels of consumption will decrease in the near future (Fig 6).

What are we producing?

Fig. 7 Composition of municipal solid waste 

(MSW) in the USA and Uganda (%).

Only 75 years ago, people were living in a pre-plastic, pre-chemical, and pre electronic era. Humanity’s waste was a much less volatile commodity than it is today. As with total volume generated, the composition of waste is also strongly linked to a population’s wealth. As GDP increases and people migrate from rural to urban environments, waste streams become more sophisticated, containing a much lower proportion of biodegradable food waste and far more plastics, metals, glass, and toxic products that are increasingly difficult to manage and dispose of safely. An individual living in an emerging country with limited contact with Western society produces a domestic waste stream that can be almost entirely composted (Fig. 7). It is estimated that in Uganda approximately 82% of the waste consists of food, vegetable or garden matter. In rich countries the opposite is the case, with the amount of compostable waste dropping to approximately 31% and the remainder comprising man-made products.

The nasty side of waste:

The wastes produced by modern society and industry can have far-reaching and sometimes long-term and irreversible consequences for human health and the environment. Of particular concern are the hazardous wastes that lie behind the luxury and convenience of modern living. Even the materials simply thrown away in our own bins can be:

(1) ecotoxic - causing damage to the environment;

(2) carcinogenic - causing cancer;

(3) persistent - remaining dangerous for a long time; and

(4) bio accumulative - accumulating as it makes its way up the food chain.

Although it is very difficult to place a figure on the global generation of hazardous waste due to un-uniform definitions as to what does and does not constitute hazardous waste, it is estimated to be upward of 150M tonnes every year.

Of particular concern are electronic wastes, a category near non-existent just 20 years ago but now rapidly becoming a global issue. Currently e-waste makes up ca.4% of waste in the EU, but it is increasing fast, at ca.3-5% annually, three times faster than the growth in total waste flow. In developing countries the situation is similar, with e-waste estimated to triple between 2006 and 2010.

E-waste is of concern because electronic commodities contain a complex mixture of materials and chemicals, which are very difficult to separate and recover, and can be harmful to humans and the environment if not disposed of correctly.

Fig. 8 What is e- waste?

A typical computer comprises 23% plastic, 32% ferrous metals, 18% non-ferrous metals (lead, cadmium, antimony, beryllium, chromium, mercury), 12% electronic boards (gold, palladium, silver and platinum), and 15% glass. The toxicity of the waste is mostly due to the lead, mercury, and cadmium, with the non-recyclable components of a single computer containing almost 2kg of lead. An additional factor is that much of the plastic used in computers contains flame retardants, which makes it difficult to recycle. Old computers tend either to end up on landfill or be exported to developing countries for reuse. However there are many reported cases of exported computers being dismantled and contaminating the environment.

Waste affecting human health:

If hazardous waste enters the environment it can have devastating consequences. One of the earliest waste disasters took place in the Japanese fishing village Minamata, where in 1953 people began to experience headaches, convulsions, and blindness. By 1966, 43 people had died and 66 had become permanently disabled by the illness. “Minamata Disease”, as it became known, was caused by the release of methyl mercury in industrial waste water from the Chisso Corporation chemical factory between 1932 and 1968. The mercury bio accumulated in the food chain and poisoned the local inhabitants when they ate locally-caught fish and shellfish, resulting in the deaths of over 2000 people in the area.

Fig. 9 Bio-accumulation

As of March 2001, 2955 individuals had been officially identified by the Japanese government as having contracted Minamata disease, but the real number is likely to be significantly higher, with around 20000 people having applied to the Japanese government to be recognized as sufferers. Chemicals are still regularly contaminating the environment and finding their way into the food chain (Fig 9). This can happen through direct discharge from industry as at Minamata, via waste leaching at disposal sites, through direct application of pollutants into the environment, or accidental spillages and leaks. The issues of bio accumulation of wastes in the food chain were first presented to the general public in 1962 by Rachel Carson. Her famous book, focusing on the dangers of the agricultural pesticide DDT, shocked the public and triggered awareness that hazardous wastes can persist in the environment and build up in the bodies of wildlife and people. DDT was eventually banned in many countries, but it is still used in parts of the developing world.

Today, new chemicals are causing problems. A 10-year study by WWF looked for chemical contamination in a wide range of food items in seven European countries and found it in all of them. For example PCBs (poly chlorinated biphenyls), which are globally banned and have been shown to adversely affect neurological development, were found in every food item in the analysis. Phthalates are used to soften plastics and are found in numerous consumer products from vinyl flooring to cosmetics, but they are also endocrine-disrupting chemicals that interfere with hormones. Being soluble in fat, they bio accumulate in fatty foods causing health risk to those who consume them. As previously noted, mercury can enter the environment through waste streams, and it is estimated that up to 10% of American women carry mercury concentrations near the levels considered to put fetal development at risk of neurological damage.

kitchen triangle

KITCHENS:

Kitchens being the primary workplace within the house should be well located internally with respect to the pantry, dining room and utility room. It is a room in which a householder may spend long periods so careful design is important. The kitchen is also often a meeting point for the family if it contains a dining area.

• Minimum area for a cooking recess is 5-6 m².
• For normal kitchen it is 8-10 m².
• Normal kitchen with dining or snack area is 12-14 m².

Kitchen Arrangement:

• It is important to keep the kitchen work area compact, even if the kitchen is of the large “living” type or a small type and an equal consideration should be given to a possibility of more than a person working there.
• The kitchen arrangement may vary according to their shape and size but the basic function at different area of the kitchen should be well known.
• The classic kitchen triangle can be also followed. 

Kitchen triangle:

The classic kitchen triangle regulates in the workflow. The three points of the triangle are: Sink, Oven and Refrigerator. In the kitchen, the Cook should be able to move unimpeded between the three main points, and the distances between these points should not be far.

Kitchen arrangement layouts:

ONE WALL LAYOUTS:

• Simple and inexpensive and perfect for long and narrow kitchen.
• While it does not follow the kitchen triangle its linear design still allows for unimpeded traffic flow. Counter space is at a premium.
•  It is not the best design though as it can be improved with either the corridor or L - shape kitchen design plans.

CORRIDOR LAYOUTS:

• With counters on the both sides the corridor style kitchen design is highly functional because it uses the kitchen triangle.
• This layout gives a bit more space for the cabinets, though crowding between the two main works spaces may be a problem. Still, the corridor style kitchen design is a highly affordable and functional plan.
• This design is mostly used in houses and apartments.

L SHAPED KITCHEN DESIGN PLAN:

• This arrangement is very popular, though this plan work out with the crowding problems found in the corridor plan, we still find the kitchen triangle, though the range and refrigerator distances are a bit longer.
• This arrangement allows much more counter and cabinet space than the corridor design. The corner counter space is difficult to reach for food preparation so it is often used for storing mixers, toaster ovens and small appliances.
•  With the increase in the counter space, a double sink can also be installed.

DOUBLE L SHAPED KITCHEN DESIGN PLAN:

• Highly evolved kitchen design layout, this double L allows two work stations.
• The smaller “L” has a cook top (not an oven) and a sink. The major cooking operations are focused on this area, while food preparation goes on in the larger of the “L” spaces. These larger “L” also has tons of open counter space because the cook top has been moved away.
• Though highly evolved, there is not much gaining of space for cabinets: the smaller “L” has only a short run along the wall for cabinets (though cabinets can be hung off the ceiling above the cook top, if required.)

U SHAPED KITCHEN DESIGN PLAN:

• The U shaped kitchen plan can be thought of as a corridor shape plan with a closed end giving extra space for a range or a sink.
• This arrangement maintains good workflow by means of the kitchen triangle. The close end also provides plenty of space for extra cabinets.

KITCHEN STORAGE:

If there is any room in your house that you need efficiency, the kitchen is the number one place. For a novice cook, one may be trying to rush and finish cooking. While a seasoned veteran chef will tell  an efficient kitchen, is a happy kitchen. In home, safety, organization, and great food all stem from the efficient use of storage.

From small galley kitchens, to enormous gourmet kitchens, follow these ideas to help prevent frantic searching and enjoy the experience of cooking.

CABINETS:

• The cabinets are the  ideal place for storage. It can used as the upper and lower cabinetry of the kitchen. Although, the reality is all cabinet storage is not created equal.
• If you are only using 1 or 2 standard stationary shelves per cabinet, you are not maximizing their use so try to use pull out shelves for large pots and pans, mixing bowls, and small appliances as they help in  maximizing the storage for stacking, as well as save your back from digging to the back of the cabinet.
• Long, vertical pull out storage are ideal for spices, and condiments. Ideally, these are placed adjacent to the stove/oven area for quick reach, and return of the items.
• Adjacent to the kitchen sink, pullout trash and recycle bins are handy as cleaning of hands immediately follows after handling these  items.

DRAWERS:

• Try to separate large and small utensils from each other as it allows for ease of choosing the right utensil without fumbling and searching.
• Locating aluminum foil, wax paper, trash bags, and storage bags in a drawer prevents boxes from collapsing and falling off of a pantry shelf.
• If space has been created, refrigerated drawers are available for keeping  food and snack items in arms reach. These drawers enable everyone to get their own food easily, and won’t interrupt your food preparation.

KITCHEN ISLANDS:

There are portable and fixed kitchen islands that add storage and extra counter space.

Islands with casters are ideal for kitchen’s that need flexibility in space and function.

Fixed kitchen islands can house shelves, drawers, a lower microwave shelf, and display area for cookbooks and collectibles.

 Kitchen organizer professional’s can also help in planning out each storage space to get the maximum use out of cabinets and drawers.

OPEN SHELVING:

 Open shelves are used over the counter to maximize on storage and display at the same time.These are

 considered for storing dishware, and decorative pieces.

Pots and pans can hang from pot racks to add storage and ease in cooking over the stove as storage isn’t always about hiding items but to serve a function and look beautiful  on doing it.

The enjoyment in the kitchen depends on how efficiently you can cook, to move on to enjoying your meal. These storage tips may just make you a happier cook.

MATERIAL:

• The materials and finishes which minimize the maintenance and cleaning should be used.
•  There should be sufficiently light in color to create a pleasant work atmosphere.
• Decorative materials like suitable colors, matching textures and decorations should be used to create an atmosphere that is attractive, cheerful and restful.

LIGHTING:                  

The kitchen is a heart of every home. It is where comforting and delicious feasts are created and devoured, secret and revelations are discovered, and love and kindness are shown so the kitchen should be properly complimented not only with appropriate decor but also with attractive lighting designs.

A perfect kitchen lighting design can make any kitchen stand out, not only will the proper lighting accentuate your kitchen space and appliances, it can make it appear as it was professionally done even when it is not.

For proper implementation of a kitchen lightning design, there are four kinds of lights can be used.

These are the task, accent, ambient and decorative lighting.

• The task lighting focuses on making the kitchen as working place. This is the most appropriate lighting that lets you see you sharp and accurate. They usually are situated between the work surface and the person running the kitchen.
• The accent lighting, on the other hand, accentuates the whole kitchen and adds dimension and depth to the whole space and is usually low voltage. These fixtures can be placed inside a glass cabinet to spotlight delicate china, wonderful glassware, and other beautiful pieces.
• Ambient lighting can immediately improve your kitchen look. They need extra lights to create a soft yet warm glow that soften shadows, these kind of lighting creates the homey feel that was missing in the kitchen.
•  Decorative lighting adds zest and sparkle to the kitchen. With decorative lighting, make sure not to overdo it as it can make your space look overdone and cluttered.

Any properly situated kitchen light can improve your kitchen’s look.

Any light helps us to invent and create numerous finger licking meals, perk up the mood, and make you feel even more comfortable and cozy.

VENTILATION:

• The kitchen should be well ventilated.
•  The strong wind direction around the kitchen area should not be followed.
•  The exhaust fan can be used for removing strong objectionable kitchen odors.

FLOORING:

The kitchen is typically the busiest spot in the house so flooring that wears well too, children, pets, heavy foot traffic and kitchen spills can all take a toll, so when weighing flooring options think about a floor's durability and ease of maintenance.

Here's how the various options stack up:

WOOD:

• Wood fits a variety of decor styles, is warm underfoot and easy on the legs, and is a quiet floor option.
• The maintenance and durability of a wood floor depends greatly on what species of wood is being used and how that wood is finished.
•  One of the worries with wood is that it may scratch, but remember that wood floors can always be sanded and refinished.

LAMINATE

• Laminate floor is extremely durable and requires little maintenance.
• Laminate are factory-finished material, so it can be put in over an existing floor, making installation a snap.
• While laminate has its advantages, it lacks the warmth typically associated with natural wood and may be noisy at a times.

CERAMIC TILE

•  Ceramic tile allows for a great deal of customization in terms of colors and patterns though tile is easy to clean with a damp mop, the surrounding grout can be difficult to maintain. So larger tiles can be used to minimize the grouting.
•  Ceramic tile can be hard on the legs (and even harder on dropped dishes), doesn't help with sound control in a kitchen and can be cold underfoot.

VINYL

• Vinyl sheeting or peel-and-stick tiles can be a good bet for the budget-minded model.
• Vinyl is easy to install and is available in an endless array of colors and patterns. One of the drawbacks to vinyl floors is that the edges can curl.

OTHER MATERIALS IN GREEN OPTION:

LINOLEUM:

 Linoleum are made from linseed oil, cork dust, wood flour, tree resins, ground limestone and pigments  which are environmentally friendly.

BAMBOO:

• Another green option, provides the look of wood, but is made from bamboo grass, a rapid-renewable resource.
• If you choose bamboo because it's eco-friendly, make sure the factory finish is formaldehyde-free.

CORK FLOORING:

• Corks are made from the bark of cork oak trees, which are a harvested resource so are eco-friendly. Available in sheets and tile, cork is soft and warm underfoot and is extremely quiet.
• Properly sealed, cork can withstand moisture and can be vacuumed and damp mopped. Minor dents seem to pop out however; deep scratches will permanently damage the floor.

COLORING:

As kitchens cement their role as the central gathering place in the home, these are taking on more vibrant, energetic colors so it is better to have some mixing and matching of colors to create high energy.

Bold Is Beautiful

• Since most appliances are basic black, white or silver, and are still adding bursts of color on other surfaces and most kitchens have minimal wall space, so it is advisable to splash some bold color and make a statement without overpowering the room.
• Colors that complement stainless steel, as well as the darker cabinet colors are in style so mixing and matching of copper, henna and ginger as well as gold tones can be popular options.

Heat Up Your Kitchen with Color

• Adding color doesn't necessarily mean you're stuck with bright hues. Subtle colors are also popular for creating a soothing atmosphere for those who seek both comfort and food experience.
• Warm colors like apricot, yellows and reds continue to be popular in kitchens, as they are comforting and appetite stimulators for good psychology.
• Use of natural background fabrics and textures, such as grass cloth and rattan, along with more subdued and relaxing silver blues, gray-greens and tobacco browns found in nature can also be added to have a touch of depth and interest.

ON HISTORY AND CULTURE…

-Essay by: Bibek Shrestha.

Architectural history is often seen as a cavalcade of styles amid varying concepts of architectural beauty. This view regards the history of our discipline as a completed past that has no vital presence in the practices of the present. As a consequence, contemporary architecture is often presented and treated as an autonomous, self – referential, aesthetic & intellectual realm. And the qualities of its products are judged by the degree of their contempraneity, novelty and apparent uniqueness. Yet any meaningful creative work must be rooted and judged in a continuum of the culture and in the specific discipline or craft. In fundamental sense, then, the relevance of the artistic work is judged by the past as much as future.

Architecture essentially is an existential art that is to say; Architecture articulates our experiences and provides essential frames and horizons for the perception, understanding and evaluation of our own life situations. The very innovative architectural meanings cannot be invented; they are fundamental articulations of the human condition, ones that can only be re-identified and continually expressed anew in effectively surprising ways. Consequently, the true perspective of the architecture is always beyond architecture as an artifact or an anesthetized object- the perspective is one fundamentally reliant on a deeper history and culture. In our globalised world, the architectural practices being instant digital media and incessant deformation, the sheer possibility of “authenticity” and “cultural specificity” on architecture can be questioned. But I however think these notions are a predefined or conservative ways.

Culture is the very historicity of life- a lived reality; not an abstraction or a given narrative and it cannot be fabricated or invented. The experience of authenticity is not a notion of cultural or architectural anthropology; it arises from a full presence of lived and true life.

In today’s globalised culture, the deep problem, which I am facing or let’s say even I can’t deny , is its very experiential and emotional shallowness- its lack of aura of the real, as the current political and economic scenario forces us to support the globalization of lifestyles, customs and values. But the ethical duty of architecture remains: To resist this erosion of cultural, perpetual, historical and human quality.

Architecture continues to possess the capacity to root us in our domicile/adobe to enrich and dignify our daily life, to still further express values of life that gives us genuine satisfaction and joy.

Contemporary architects distribute their signature images around the world the very task and understanding of the architecture is distorted. Instead of being a means of structuring and articulating the living human world the art of architecture presents itself as an instrument of mental manipulation. So, In responding for the given functional, economic and cultural realities and demands, architecture has another responsibility:  To defend the historicity, authenticity and continuity of culture i.e. a critical practice of architecture must be based on internal and autonomous ideals and objectives of the discipline itself, as Responsible design is always based on the dialectics of a reality sense and idealized images of culture. As Alvar Aalto said in 1957 lecture: “Architecture … has an ulterior motive …, the idea of creating paradise … Every building … is intended to show that we wish to build a paradise on Earth for man” .On today’s egotistical  and conceited architectural theatre, this higher meaning of the architecture is lost.

The creative works outcomes are always supra- individual accumulations of experience and wisdom. Like any good poet listens to the “the wisdom of the novel”, in my view, Architects should similarly listen to “the wisdom of architecture”, the accumulated understanding the essence of architectural culture, encoded in the ancient and contemporary traditions of buildings. That’s when Architecture is truly a collective art form, although not only in the sense that it creates lived metaphors that concretizes the cultural and mental structures of the society. Architecture is an art essentially based on collaboration- the obvious co-operation with numerous experts, builders and craftsmen, to be sure – but moreover, collaboration with history and the wisdom that it possess.( I am emphasizing on significance of historical grounding  of creative work but not  promoting  architectural conservatism or implying architects to be an architectural historians. But what I am trying to say is, we need to grasp the continuity of the traditions, as well as the ruptures in the process of tradition.)

Most important, the history of our discipline and practice teaches us an art of respect and humility. The Russian American, poet Joseph Brodsky, once wrote, “Poetry is a tremendous school of insecurity and uncertainty. Poetry-writing it; as well as; reading it – will teach you humility and rather quickly at that, especially if you are both writing and reading it.” Brodsky‘s statement applies equally to architecture – particularly if you are both making it and theorizing about it! To work within our shared architectural heritage is to enter into a special realm. of architectural responsibility and humility. The primary significance of this historical sensibility is to assign you your position in the continued dialogue of culture.

shirish associates work

SHIRISH ASSOCIATES.

Challenges present themselves in many ways. Many people face challenges that are set upon

them by external forces and those forces overwhelm them. Some get the opportunity through the beneficence

of their family and friends to rise above basic survival and face challenges that are not innate to the

human struggle, but are those challenges centered upon higher aspirations. I have been so blessed in my life to

have never struggled for basic survival. Never has the want of food, clothing, or shelter been a cause for me to fail. In as much as I have been blessed, humility enters my heart as I consider how so much of what I have accomplished in my life has been because of those who have lifted me up throughout my life.

So what is architecture, then? Can we even define it? At this point in my life as an architect, I suggest that architecture is like a Platonic form, meaning it is an ideal that in its physical reality can never be obtained. For a building to be called architecture, it must not necessarily reach that ideal, but be in the pursuit of excellence to a degree that exceeds the average. It is an incremental lifting of the standards. Thus, it should be better than what has gone before.

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