Vision

ATLAZ is the universal framework to build a system free of waste externalities.

Nature’s material balance is perfect. What's redundant for one organism serves a purpose for another: the concept of "waste" doesn't exist. But we humans aren't just another living being, as we have the freedom to will and to act, and therefore the ability to craft and create from nature, not just within its equilibrium. However, just as ethics and morality arise when we step beyond instinct, material inefficiencies emerge when we step above the balance of ecosystems. This is why waste is an inherent consequence of human action applied to the material world.

Despite waste existing since the first civilizations, its current scale is unprecedented, with the industrial revolution marking a significant turning point.

• The scale of the problem is staggering, and shows no signs of slowing down: globally, over 2 billion tons of waste are generated each year, a figure that has been consistently growing over the past half-century.
• Current solutions are far from cost-efficient: consuming up to 20% of municipal budgets, global waste management expenditures exceed USD 2.1 trillion.
• Despite all efforts, effective results have yet to be achieved: more than 30% of the world’s waste is not managed in compliance with safety standards, in some cases reaching up to 50% of the population unserved.

While technological advancements enhance most material aspects of our lives, the waste problem persists. This is because waste isn’t merely a problem of efficiency; it's because it bears an intrinsic responsibility. Discussions become productive centered around the human element—our role in society and the fundamental responsibility we hold to do no harm to our peers. How should waste’s responsibilities be fulfilled and by whom? This is the question at the core of all debates. In an ideal world, those who produce waste bear its effects. However, reality is more complex and allows for a divergence from this ideal. It is our view that the present configuration of waste systems leads to the involuntary transfer of waste’s effects, including economic costs, environmental degradation, and health hazards.

Humanity needs an overarching framework to provide clarity and bridge the knowledge gaps, and ultimately build an ethical solution, where individual incentives align with the greater good. Designed from first principles, this framework reshapes the approach to waste by integrating its effects into the economy, moving beyond environmentalism, naive legal interventionism and technological determinism, to establish a solution that can stand the test of time.