'There is no such thing as waste': Expert tells WION sustainability summit on how Earth can move from dustbin to recycling hub

As we are about to march into 2026, extreme climate events and human-caused global warming are exponentially increasing. To tackle the growing waste crisis and adapt to a warming planet, sustainable practices are essential—spanning everyday behaviour to global economic systems. Bringing together experts from across the world, the second WION Sustainability Summit convened in Delhi on Tuesday (Dec 2) to discuss climate challenges and potential solutions.

At the third session of the summit, experts discussed multiple topics ranging from the global littering crisis, managing the waste problems, strong laws on waste and e-waste and human behaviour related to waste.

Describing the fundamental truth about the global littering crisis, Shannon B. Olsson, Founder & Global Director of the echo network, has noted that our planet doesn't have waste as it is created by humans that are used for their own use.

"Solving the plastic puzzle. There actually is no such thing as waste. I am actually an ecologist. Our planet doesn't have waste. Everything that is used by a living thing is another source for a living being. It is a construct that our humanity has created, and that is why we are living beyond our boundaries," says Shannon B. Olsson, Founder & Global Director, the echo network.

When questioned about the attempt to manage the problem we created, she responded that humans search for problems that don’t truly exist and the materials are not designed to be accessible or profitable, so businesses don’t feel responsible for solving them.

“We’re facing a waste crisis, and many organisations are trying to fix it. But the real issue is the lack of accessibility and connection within the system. We search for problems that don’t truly exist—the materials are not designed to be accessible or profitable, so businesses don’t feel responsible. They simply don’t see waste management as affecting their bottom line," Olsson added.

India's strong laws on waste and e-waste

When asked about India's strong laws on waste and e-waste, but still gaps remain, Dr Suneel Pandey, the director of Circular Economy & Waste Management Division at the think tank TERI, reacted that the rules exist, and if they were fully enforced, the problem would be far smaller.

“There may be multiple reasons, starting with proper monitoring and compliance. The rules exist, and if they were fully enforced, the problem would be far smaller. A major weakness lies in regulatory capacity, monitoring compliance and training officials to implement the rules effectively," says Dr Suneel Pandey, the director of Circular Economy & Waste Management Division at the think tank TERI.

Answering the question about the behavioural, controlled or failure of enforcement, Ripudaman Singh Bevli, the National Sustainability Changemaker, said, "I think it's all of those. We have seen this generational. User behaviour is extremely important."

When WION asked that behaviour changes be treated as a second option in terms of waste management, should it actually be a priority? Olsson responded that rather than individual level, everything must be looked at the systematic level.

"Behaviour changes are not individual, but actually it's a cultural. Everything we need to look at the systematic level rather than only the individual level. The model, which is known as COM (Capability, opportunity and motivation), and ideas is that unless humans, communities and countries have all the Capability, opportunity and motivation for behaviour changes. It's not necessarily waste that is the problem, but solutions are out there. The communities need to be aware. People do care about the problem, but we don't make it easier opportunities for them. And accountability in this process is also more important," she added.