Current development results in a linear flow from raw material to waste, which cannot be sustainable in the long term. Plus, a global population of 7 billion people means that there are 7 billion waste producers in the world. At present, dumping and landfilling are the primary practices for getting rid of municipal solid waste (MSW). However, this waste contains resources that we ve yet to utilize. To create sustainable societies, we need to approach zero waste by recovering these resources.

There are cities and countries where zero waste is close to becoming a reality. Landfilling of...