The idea of untouched nature as an important source of waste for landfill may seem odd, but for America's National Parks, it is a sad reality. "While commendable policy of zero waste production dominated the thinking of people in the industry, enforce similar plans in our country is not easy," says Julie Klein, sustainability consultant of the National Parks Association (NPCA). He adds that unlike giants such as Nestle, Walmart and Nike parks have minimal opportunity to influence what people take a hike, and especially how much they will carry back. The result is, at best, crowded containers which end up in distant landfills.
The first three national parks to address a nationwide problem as Yosemite, Denali and the Grand Teton. They received little assistance from an unexpected quarter. Role of voluntary counselor acquitted the company of Subaru, which itself went on zero-waste production ten years ago. Management of parks and environmentalists but from the automaker does not expect an easy task. For example, Alaska's Denali Park is the nearest recycling center is located 80 km. Moreover, it can not cope with the power of a large volume of waste. That's why 80% of the local waste exported from the park ends in a landfill.
"Build a line specifically for Denali is also worthwhile because most waste is produced during the season, within 100 days," says Klein, who says: "It's like build a church for Easter Sunday." Although the situation is better in Yosemite, which landfill only stores around 30%, but owes it close to the composting facility and a functioning market reclassified raw materials around the Bay Area. The tragic situation in Wyoming Grand Teton park, where to undertake garbage to a landfill in the state of Idaho, 150 km distant.
"Each national park has a number of differences. For example, in Denali annually visited by around 425,000 tourists to Yosemite over 4 million. Solutions must be tailored. Simply put, it can not only stay throughout the parks, "says Klein.
What role can play in dealing with the Japanese Subaru? As described Denise Cooganová that has the automaker charge mode zero waste production, for starters, make a small audit "composition" containers "When we started, the first step was to plunge into the bins and make a detailed inventory of all components of the waste. Then we could move on to sorting and to offer customers the material for recycling. "
National Parks could be as Subaru avoided until the mid-generated waste by getting rid of unnecessary packaging. "The parks will be necessary to negotiate with key partners, whether they are needed or US supermarkets Cisco Foods that visitor centers to deliver food. To the new rules of the game should proceed as vendors of souvenirs and other companies linked to tourism, "says Cooganová." If we get this marriage of convenience between the public and private sectors succeed, surely will achieve success. "
Source: Ekolist.cz
The author: Radomír Dohnal
