Holistic Resource Systems

Introducing Holistic Resource Systems

Holistic Resource Systems integrate waste management techniques designed to respond to regional challenges of managing resources and minimizing their impact on the planet. They are based on current policies and approaches on both national and regional levels that deal with existing products, materials, and waste flows. The composition of materials will inevitably alter over time, with systems being adapted incrementally to adjust to these changes. The unique advantage of using a Holistic Resource Systems approach is its capability to adapt to location requirements and future needs.

Holistic Resource Systems is comprised of:

• Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) for PET and metal beverage containers – maximizing captures of high-quality, high carbon-intensity material while reducing litter. DRS may also include glass containers.
• Separate Collections of organic waste, paper, glass packaging, textiles and e-waste – ensuring the maximum carbon benefit when recycling materials. Although separate collections are an intrinsic part of Holistic Resource Systems, the capture rates in even best practices are not good enough. Mechanical sorting to complement separate collections will always be necessary to achieve targets. Select materials may continue to be targeted via separate collections depending on the approach or cost-effectiveness.
• Mixed Waste Sorting (MWS) generates additional recycling above and beyond what the other elements can deliver. The incineration or burying of plastics and other high carbon materials unnecessarily generate GHG emissions. MWS reduces those emissions and puts the material back into the system for incorporation into new products.
• EPR policies to underpin the system are vital to its success.

Significantly reducing GHG emissions requires the implementation of Holistic Resource Systems worldwide. To achieve the highest recycling rate and maximum environmental benefits, every part of the system is vital to its overall success. MWS needs to be considered an investment priority now, as it is a required backstop to ensure we are capturing all the resources we can. Now is the time for bold action.

TOMRA is committed to taking post-consumer plastic packaging waste management to a new level worldwide. Having pledged to enable 40 % of all post-consumer plastic packaging produced globally each year to be collected for recycling by 2030, we take our commitment even further. TOMRA also intends to enable 30 % of all post-consumer plastic packaging to be recycled in a closed-loop system in the same timeframe. Additional analysis and case studies on Holistic Resource Systems will be made available in due time.