Towards sustainable cities in Europe : the waste management dilemma

Abstract

Throughout the years, the emphases placed on social progress and economic prosperity have increasingly depended on activities that deplete the earth's resources and cause pollution, and although historically our planet's regeneration capacity was able to cope with the environmental impact of human activity, during this past century, we have stretched this capacity beyond its limits. This gave rise to an unsustainable situation which, unless tackled in a decisive manner, may ultimately lead to our own demise. And precisely because of this danger, the international community in general, and the European Union in particular, have, throughout the years adopted a more pro-active upprnud1 to protect the environment. In this regard, particular emphasis has been devoted to the need to strike the right balance between production and consumption on one hand, and nature's ability to regenerate itself on the other.