The first goal of this research work is to have a clear understanding of the waste management situation in the Lyon area, and a global – holistic - vision of the situation. My experiences have led me to realize that waste management was a major problem in our society, and that the current situation was far from being sustainable. My experience is that of a recently graduated engineer, attending the Master of Science in Systemic Design, who has been working in the waste management industry for over two years, and who is a citizen of Lyon and of the world. My research work will help me identify problems in the current waste management situation in Grand Lyon.