Gérer les déchets

This article critiques the goal of zero waste and the legislative and planning instruments implemented to achieve it. It places itself in the perspective opened by Julian Simon and the new economics of resources (NER), which challenges the idea that we should fear the depletion of natural resources (the position of the Club of Rome). It develops three proposals. First of all, he argues that the issue is not so much the volume of waste than its management (1). A small amount of untreated waste is more dangerous than a large amount of well managed. It then reminds us that high-income countries are those that manage their waste best (2). Finally, it supports the idea that waste policy should not be inspired by the reduction of the quantity of waste, but by the rule of responsibility; everyone should be responsible for their waste and bear the costs of its management (3). If these three results were taken into account in the debates, we would probably have public policies that is more respectful of the general interest (4).