ABSTRACT
There is a growing awareness of the need to radically decrease waste streams from production and consumption processes. This awareness has not only brought about the implementation of improvements in processes but has also led to increased circulation of materials. Unfortunately, industry has not always been able to make use of all reusable materials available; on the other hand, collection of the materials for reuse has not been as efficient as was estimated or expected. This has led to increasing frustration among both consumers and industry toward policy makers. To a large extent, this dilemma has arisen from the incompatibility between the goals of policy makers and the actual possibilities of rapid changes in production processes and consumer behavior. This incompatibility could only be avoided by setting more realistic goals for the reduction of waste streams, thereby reducing the excess costs resulting from inefficient policies.
