The market
The global waste and recycling market was worth $450 billion in 2010. Extrapolating from data from a large-scale study by Paris-Dauphine University in France, it was determined that unwanted items weigh approximately 4 billion tons annually, of which only 2.7 billion tons are collected. The remainder pollutes and poses a health risk. The total volume recycled is around 1 billion tons. The world's richest billion people generate 1.4 kg of waste per person per day, while the poorest 2.4 billion produce 0.6 kg of waste per day. The United States and Australia are the world's leading waste producers. Turkey sends 97% of its waste to landfills, while Switzerland disposes of only 0.5% in or underground. Japan is the world leader in incineration, burning 74% of all waste, followed by Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerland, each with around 50% going up in smoke. The largest recycling program is energy recovery, which, unfortunately, leaves behind toxic waste. In Europe, this waste treatment process is good for 200 million tons per year. This includes 7.3 million tons of plastics, in addition to the 5 million tons that are recycled. At 49%, South Korea has the highest municipal waste recycling rate. Italy and Spain reach around 30%, while countries like Germany, Switzerland, Norway, and Denmark recover only between 15% and 17%. Hungary recycles just 1.1% according to the latest available figures, while the Netherlands scores a surprisingly low 2.3%. After energy recovery, composting is the second most widespread recycling practice, accounting for 100 million tons per year worldwide. If we included human waste, the figures could easily increase tenfold, while also generating methane and replenishing the topsoil. Metal waste and paper have a higher market value and are therefore recycled at 400 and 250 million tons respectively. These figures are official and represent the formal economy. Developing countries recycle informally and practice reuse on a large scale. Recycling is an economic necessity, with the added benefit of reducing landfill content by 75 to 95 percent and providing a means of livelihood. Cairo, the capital of Egypt, has approximately 40,000 people involved in informal recycling. Starting in 2002, most commodity markets faced shortages and price increases. Global economic growth and the takeoff of the Chinese economy created this challenge in meeting demand, ending two decades of an illusion of abundance. At the same time, secondary markets for waste recovery and recycling have seen prices multiply due to China's appetite. By 2010, the share of secondary markets for materials such as paper and non-ferrous metals was already larger than that of the primary market based on forestry and mining.
Innovation
From an economic perspective, waste is a negative externality outside the market. Regulations attempt to correct this by internalizing post-production and post-consumption costs. However, pricing remains a political decision through the introduction of taxes that influence the price, or emission standards that impact the quantity. In this way, waste is assigned a value, and the externality now has a price. It is widely recognized by policymakers and economists that the emergence of truly global markets for scrap metal and paper reflects the development of strong demand for steel and pulp, particularly in countries lacking suppliers, such as China and Turkey. The challenge remains how to generate more value without resorting to heavy taxation that is indiscriminately passed on to the consumer, while still offering higher quality at a competitive price. Antonia Edwards graduated from the University of Brighton with a Master's degree in Interior Design, after studying Art History at University College London. She began her career as an interior and fashion editor. When one of her creative friends started painting illustrations on old, discarded chairs and tables, she was amazed by the unique results. With a little research, Antonia realized that the concept of transforming something old and unwanted into something beautiful is a problem creatives love to solve. She believes that working within the parameters of prescribed materials can spark imagination and creativity that wouldn't necessarily arise when starting a project from scratch with materials sourced from anywhere. Using what you have is one of the core principles of the Blue Economy.
The first cash flow
Antonia launched an online magazine called "The Upcyclist." Having gained extensive experience in online publishing, she began reporting on all things fashionable and stylish online. The website quickly became a resource for creatives and consumers alike, inspiring people to create something from recycled materials, adding functionality and beauty, and also to buy and sell the finished product. Antonia distinguishes herself from many other initiatives that highlight and support innovative reuse. She carefully selects products with a quality and style that could make a difference in the market. She positions her blog as the go-to resource platform for the beautiful and innovative reuse of unwanted and unloved materials and objects from around the world. Instead of the mass reprocessing of standardized goods, she reports on restoration, reclamation, revitalization, redesign, reuse, and repurposing. Antonia embarked on a journey of upcycling creation, using both sourced and sought-after materials, particularly for artistic projects. In less than two years, she presented 12 architectural projects, 54 fashion designers, 27 furniture makers, 24 jewelry makers, 10 lighting manufacturers, 8 glass recyclers, and 15 small woodworking businesses. In just a few years, Antonia built a platform for entrepreneurs who meet her high standards in 38 countries. In 2011 alone, Antonia reported on 178 entrepreneurial ventures.
The opportunity
Antonia has expanded to include textiles, metals, sculptures, installations, plastics, and paper products, identifying individuals and startups who have mastered the process of transforming waste into high-quality products with greater environmental value. Antonia strives to raise awareness of the story behind each object and move away from shiny, mass-produced consumer goods. This fosters a new breed of creativity while offering a fresh perspective on the objects we already own. On an individual level, Antonia takes a second remarkable step: networking and compiling specific opportunities into a unique report, such as Juliet Bawden's "The Shirt Off His Back," which covers 30 projects transforming everyday, end-of-life shirts into a range of home accessories, including duvet and chair covers and light dimmers. The examples Antonia presents inspire many people to embrace the upcycling trend, like Freddie Saul, whose father founded the renowned British fashion brand Mulberry. He worked on documenting the "Upcycled Furniture Collection," which is now stocked in prestigious London stores. All the furniture is handcrafted from recycled materials, including reclaimed wood from ballroom floors. Freddie now designs and manufactures with a team in Somerset, UK. South Africa, and Cape Town in particular, has developed a thriving recycling industry that has generated thousands of jobs, but there is one designer who has now reached the pinnacle of interior design. Katie Thompson transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary by repurposing broken and unwanted furniture. She created the company REcreate, offering a range of upholstery lighting with tapestry prints, accessories such as a suitcase chair, a milk bottle, and typewriter lamps. Antonia functions as a Blue Economy community, creating a platform that inspires others to do more and better. She applies open-source principles and has the ingenuity to add beauty and style to her presentations, which is likely to change the perception of anything unwanted forever, while giving meaning and purpose not only to our material world, but also to our professions and lifestyles.
