Future of Waste – Keynote

“Waste is the cultural byproduct of our industrial complex. Humanity has not considered how best to apply circular principles in reducing and eliminating waste. That complacency stops today!”

Nikolas Badminton, Chief Futurist

Nikolas Badminton is the futurist keynote speaker that provides your audience with key insights, signals and trends relating to the future of waste reduction, management and sustainable zero waste business practices.

In this futurist keynote he will teach you 3 essential lessons.

Lesson:  Understand global megatrends and how waste is the cultural byproduct of our industrial complex

There are forces in the world that have far-reaching impacts across our struggling industrial complex. These include, economic power shifts with China and India as first and second with the United States in third place, the population boom in Africa and Southeast Asia, movements to megacities that will be over fifty million people in size by 2050 (Lagos, Nigeria will be the largest), the worsening global drought and water scarcity with effects on growing food and energy production. 

In addition to this we find that waste is a cultural out of every part of societal consumption. Everything we do creates waste and today there is twice the mass of waste plastic as there is of living mammals. The leaders of humanity didn’t care. Now is the time that we do.

Lesson: See the exponential technologies are helping change our relationship with the products we build and waste as a whole

Nikolas will guide you through the technologies that are helping change our waste landscape.

So many technologies are having an incredible impact – Big data analytics, Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and machine learning, logistics management systems. robotic automation, Internet of Things and the sensor economy, smart cities, genetic editing, sub-orbital Internet, GPS, blockchain and cryptocurrencies, wearable computing, virtual reality, augmented reality, the metaverse, 3D printing and additive manufacturing, cybersecurity, Nanotechnology, quantum computing, and more.

Lesson: See how society needs to shift it’s mindset towards waste management, and sustainability

We’re at a critical point in human history and our failing industrial complex. 3.4bn tonnes of solid municipal waste will be generated by 2050, and 33% of that same waste today is not managed in an environmentally safe manner (source: World Bank). In addition, we see that 80% of all plastics ever produced remain in the environment, and the total mass of plastics (novel entities, as defined in the Planetary Boundaries framework by the Stockholm Resilience Centre) on the planet is now over twice the mass of all living mammals. It’s astounding and supremely worrying.

We must take action today to embrace the Circular Economy, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), zero waste strategies, active recycling, the resale economy, product life cycle assessment, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) capabilities, socially conscious investments, and so much more.

Shift your mindset from what is to WHAT IF…

What if you create bolder visions of your futures, strengthen strategic planning capabilities, anticipate unforeseen risks, and understand the value it provides to the market, your customers, and your shareholders? What if you create an anticipatory organizational capability? And, what if you empower all employees to be curious about the futures that lay ahead of us in 10, 20 and 30+ years?

Next Level Futurist Keynotes

Nikolas delivers futures exploration, education and experience in the futurist keynotes he researches and delivers to you and your audience. He undertakes specific research, divines unique perspectives and shares future insights for your industry. The result is a collaborative and impactful futurist keynote that event attendees deeply connect with, and are changed by.

Let’s plan and incredible event experience together

Contact Nikolas Badminton to discuss your organization’s needs to understand Futures Design at a deeper level and to ignite your event with a world-renowned futurist speaker.

About Nikolas Badminton FRSA, Chief Futurist

Nikolas is the Chief Futurist for the FUTURIST THINK TANK (futurist.com), a Fellow of The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (The RSA), and works with trillion-dollar companies, central banks, governments, startups and those willing to challenge our poverty of imagination, awaken curiosity and create incredible futures.

He has worked with hundreds of world-leading companies, including NASA, Google, Microsoft, United Nations, United Way, Bayer, Corteva, Bank of Canada,  American Express, AT&T, Thales International, Rolls Royce, Heineken, Procter & Gamble, Government of Canada, UK Home Office, Government of Cayman Islands, IDEO, and many more.

Nikolas has been a mainstay in the media for the past decade talking about our futures. He’s appeared in the ‘Smart Drugs’ documentary, was an advisor to the ‘Age of AI’ series with Robert Downley Jr and appears in the upcoming series ‘The Secrets of Big Data’ on Discovery. He appears regularly on SIRIUSXM, and on CTV’s Future Friday. His essential research has also been featured by the BBC, VICE, The Atlantic, Fast Company, Techcrunch, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Forbes, Sputnik, Venturebeat, and Global News. He also produces and interviews incredible thinkers on the renowned Exponential Minds Podcast.

In Fall 2022 Nikolas’ new book on futures design, long term thinking, and strategic foresight will be released – ‘Facing Our Futures’. This essential book will provide executives and organizations with the foundations for futures design and the tools to imagine new futures, create bolder visions, anticipate unforeseen risks, and strengthen strategic planning. Nikolas’ thinking can also be seen in the opening chapter of ‘The Future Starts Now’. Both are published by Bloomsbury Business.