Coming hard on the heels of Biffa's book Future Perfect, the US EPA are also casting their minds forward to 2020.

Beyond RCRA: Prospects for Waste & Materials Management in the Year 2020 is a discussion paper which was developed jointly by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state environmental agencies. It aims to open and inspire dialogue on what the future could hold for the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) program in 20 years.

The paper identifies a number of trends that could affect the future of waste and materials management, resource conservation, and human and environmental health. The paper also suggests certain general strategies and tools that might be used to build a new vision for the future of the RCRA programme. While the paper is intended to stimulate thought and discussion about the future of RCRA, it is not a statement of any formal EPA or state agency policy.

Key trends to 2020
Pressures on natural resources will continue to increase
New technologies will change how resources are used and wasted
Need for more sustainable use of resources
More chemicals and new risks
Health effects of chemicals will be better understood
Methods for measuring and managing chemical risks will improve
Industry will consume and waste different types of materials
Industry will be more efficient and less wasteful
Wastes will still be with us
The information revolution will continue
Industry, individuals, and the environment will benefit
The global economy will be more highly integrated
Environmental protections will need to be more internationalized
People will have more influence in environmental decisions
The size and cultural diversity of the United States population will continue to increase,
and will affect environmental decision making
Goals
Reduce waste and increase the efficient and sustainable use of resources
Prevent exposures to humans and ecosystems from the use of hazardous
chemicals
Manage wastes and clean up chemical releases in a safe, environmentally sound
manner
Tools
Economic tools may be most effective
Informational and technical innovations may also be effective
Need for new regulatory strategies
More information could be a powerful tool
Potential for economic incentives and technical innovations
Some regulatory controls would be needed
Copies of the report (0.2MB) can be collected from the EPA's website at:
www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/vision.pdf