Energy and Waste

The Anthropocene epoch is defined by the profound impacts of human activity on natural ecosystems. Industrial processing of raw materials produces vast quantities of man-made matter including materials, wastes, and residues, which Harpet ( 2001 ) termed the rudosphere . Monsaingeon ( 2017 ) further introduced the term poubellocene to characterize this era of waste and a wasteful world (UNEP 2024 ). In France, the article L541-1 from the Environment Code defines waste as “any residue from a production, transformation, or use process, any substance, material, product, or more generally any good or piece of furniture that is abandoned or that its holder intends to abandon.” In other words, the term waste is generic, qualifying any element that is abandoned. Waste is destined for abandonment (a status), while “residue” is a “leftover from a process and enters a new process (recycling, treatment,...