Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Abstract

We can live sustainably only if we reduce, recycle, and reuse all the things we have been accustomed to in our cities. We are running out of quality water in our cities, and we have become vulnerable to droughts and floods. Our groundwater resource quality and quantity are being adversely affected as we use more groundwater without sufficient recharge of the aquifers. Solid waste in our cities is being sent to landfills further away from our cities, increasing cost of transportation and taking up valuable greenfields. Unless we treat solid and liquid waste as a resource, our quality of life will be adversely impacted in the future. This chapter will focus on managing solid and liquid waste in our buildings and cities.