The book that will teach you how to live a ‘waste free’ life

Ron Gonen’s book, The Waste-Free World, frames environmentalism in economic and business terms. This angle proves an effective means of getting to readers who might otherwise be sold a very different narrative. Still, it’s the book’s clear explanations that make the lessons presented palatable and engaging.

Most climate-centered books wrangle to push their narrative of sustainability from the point of moral virtue. Gonen avoids this pitfall through astute business cases and common sense. Of course, his strong sense of purpose still seeps into the text, but in a manner that invites both the most passionate and the skeptical.

In this way does he win over readers whose moral compasses may not align with this own. After all, the numbers never lie. The Waste-Free World does nothing if not effectively using data to back the book’s basic argument—moving to a cyclical economy is essential.

The Waste-Free World

As the current CEO of Closed Loop Ventures, Ron Gonen has led a career that spans decades in the environmental sector and across various roles both with public and private partners. Before his current role with the investment firm Closed Loop Ventures, he served as Deputy Commissioner of Sanitation in New York City, where he handled public policy and the collection of the city’s renewables. He has received several distinctions such as ‘Champion of the Earth’ by the United Nations and serves as an adjunct professor at his Alma Mater, Columbia University.

Despite his wealth of experience, Gonen spends little time touting his accolades. Instead, he dives into the subject matter, first coming after the notion that recycling is a myth, going on the offensive against lobbyists and industries that have worked to discredit the value of circular methods of production and distribution. Bringing what can only be described as an objective take to the efficacy of recycling, he clears the space for dialogue as to how a circular economy can heal the planet and bring in economic opportunity.

Early on, the book pulls from the author’s aforementioned experience as a public servant, detailing real-life ways he’s introduced circular economy innovation to a positive force for his city, such as a curbside composting program. I immediately received a sense of Gonen’s expertise.

The book organizes itself into two parts. The first part is where the reader is introduced to the dangers facing our planet and the ideas that hold Americans and others back from adopting a circular economy model. What struck me about this section was how The Waste-Free World does not point fingers at any specific person or group, instead of going after ideas.

In this way, it skirts around being what so many books are, political hit pieces that appeal to their pre-determined target markets. Not only does it reinforce the authenticity of Gonen’s mission in the mind of the reader, but it provides real insight into what the obstacles faced are, setting them up to be overcome.  

Part two is where I believe Gonen’s expertise shines forth.

Guiding us through the history of our dependence on certain materials such as plastics, he draws a connection between the past and present, easing us into solutions for the future.

By this point, above and beyond many of the other environmental non-fiction works, I was prepared to accept the arguments set forth as to where we can collectively go. From simpler suggestions such as repurposing food waste to more complex solutions that involve concepts like Ecosystems Accounting, the case is effectively made without bearing us down with the facts. The short excerpts effectively fed me information without going too far into the weeds and losing my interest.  

In truth, I could not find any elements in the book that would dissuade me from having read it. It is indeed dense, but while the author fits a lot of information within the 220 or so pages of the text, it is well-connected to the central theme of conservation and sustainability. In a sense, this is to say the book’s very structure is ‘cyclical’ in nature, and few words are wasted.

The verdict

My final take upon completing The Waste-Free World is to provide an informative and enjoyable read, whether you are looking to go chapter to chapter or binge during a long plane ride.

The book effectively dissects an important issue, presenting reasonable and palatable arguments backed by data and real-world situations. And, while so much of the book is filled with what’s wrong with our society, I ultimately came away with a sense of hope for the future.

Gonen’s words left me with much to consider, and they will certainly stick with me for the months to come. Agree with his conclusions or not, readers will be provided with new knowledge to inform their lifestyles and worldviews better.