Resource & Waste Management

This module was developed by UNB Sustainability and the Office of Experiential Education to introduce key topics in resource and waste management.

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This module was developed by UNB Sustainability and the Office of Experiential Education to introduce key topics in Resource and Waste Management. 

Let’s begin by looking at what we mean when we talk about resources:

Natural resources are natural assets (raw materials) that support life and meet people’s needs. They can be used for economic production or consumption and are necessary to support all life on Earth.

Natural resources can be used directly for food, recreation, housing and infrastructure, transportation, and technology. They can also be used indirectly for air quality control, flood and storm protection and climate control.

There are two categories of natural resources: renewable and non-renewable:

Non-renewable resources are finite. They do not regenerate on human-time scales. Once used up, the resources are gone forever. Examples include fossil fuels, coal, and oil. An often-overlooked example is Canada’s most undervalued natural resource, fresh water.

Renewable resources are considered “infinite.” These resources can be replenished at roughly the same rate as they are used. But, without proper management or conservation, renewable resources can also be depleted. Renewable resources are key sources for renewable energy. Examples include forests, solar energy, and wind energy.

In this module, we will look at the relationship between natural resources (including both renewable and non-renewable resources and sustainable waste management. We'll look at several key concepts, including the resource lifecycle and the waste management hierarchy. We’ll also look at some of UNB’s waste management initiatives.

Did you know?

Fresh water is considered a non-renewable resource. Making up only 3% of the world's water, fresh water is precious. As glaciers continue to disappear, groundwater reservoirs are used up, and lakes and rivers run dry due to climate change, protecting our fresh water resources should be a top priority.

Introduction to waste

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“Non-hazardous waste can also be a risk to human health. Plastic is one example as it may not directly harm humans the indirect effect is detrimental to human life by creating environmental waste that is now choking the oceans and distributing micro-plastics into our drinking water. This is one problem with classification systems. We need a better way of looking at waste. Perhaps reclassifying waste based on whether it can safely be returned to the earth such as organic waste that can be composted vs waste that may have detrimental effects further downstream.”
- Cecelia Brooks, Saint Mary's First Nation Elder

Key definitions

Natural resources: Natural assets (raw materials) that support life and meet people’s needs. They can be used for economic production or consumption and are necessary to support all life on Earth. Natural resources can be used directly for food, recreation, housing and infrastructure, transportation, and technology. They can also be used indirectly for air quality control, flood and storm protection, and climate control.

Renewable resources : Resources that are considered “infinite.” These resources can be replenished at roughly the same rate as they are used. Examples include forests, solar and wind energy.

Non-renewable resources: Finite resources that do not regenerate on human-time scales. Once used up, the resources are gone forever. Examples include fossil fuels, coal, and oil.

Sustainable resource management: Managing resources in a way that ensures resources are not depleted to the point where they impact future generations.

Resource lifecycle: A series of stages a resource goes through from primary production or extraction to “end-of-life” or “cradle-to-grave.” Traditionally a resource lifecycle is linear, following a pattern of extraction, manufacturing, distribution, consumption, and disposal. A lifecycle can be interrupted and transitioned to a cradle-to-cradle model, where resources are reintroduced instead of disposed of.

Waste management: Strategies for dealing with materials no longer in use. There are various processes available including recycling, reusing, destroying, processing, and preventing waste.

Hazardous waste: Waste with harmful or dangerous properties. Hazardous waste is often categorized as ignitable, corrosive, reactive, or toxic.

Non-hazardous waste: Materials that are not considered to be dangerous but can still harm the environment. These materials must still be disposed of properly. This type of waste is usually found in typical household and business garbage.

Waste management hierarchy: A framework used to prioritize waste management decisions. In order of most desirable management decision to least: prevention, minimization/reduction, reuse, recycling, energy recovery, and disposal.

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