The developed world is drowning in garbage with rising consumerism. Global urbanisation and a swelling middle class contribute to higher volumes of waste and increasing costs due to regulations.Few communities have tolerance for landfills or toxic fumes associated with incinerators, and developing countries are no longer willing to serve as dumping grounds. Seeking to reduce costs of waste management, governments promote recycling and impose regulations at every stage from production to packaging.

Confronting growing awareness of the challenges of huge stockpiles of waste, researchers develop new technologies, working with entrepreneurs and designers to transform waste into new products which are then sold back to consumers. Plastic bottles are pulverised to become soft fleece jackets. Glycerin from biodiesel fuel production is fed to farm animals. Animal waste is heated and sterilised, then shaped into pellets for use as fertiliser or animal feed. Electric impulses separate contaminants to purify wastewater.

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Waste not, want not: How industries are finding innovative ways to deal with trash