Global waste volumes to increase by 70 percent by 2050

Global waste volumes are expected to increase by 70 percent by 2050 based on current levels, according to the Washington-based World Bank’s new “What a Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050” report.

Driven by rapid urbanization and growing populations, global annual waste generation is expected to jump to 3.4 billion tons over the next 30 years, up from 2.01 billion tons in 2016, the report finds.

Although they only account for 16 percent of the world’s population, high-income countries combined are generating more than one-third (34 percent) of the world’s waste. The East Asia and Pacific region is responsible for generating close to a quarter (23 percent) of all waste. And by 2050, waste generation in Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to more than triple current levels, while South Asia will more than double its waste stream.

Plastics are especially problematic, according to the study. If not collected and managed properly, they could contaminate and affect waterways and ecosystems for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. In 2016, the world generated 242 million tons of plastic waste, which accounted for 12 percent of all solid waste, according to the report.

What a Waste 2.0 stresses that solid waste management is critical for sustainable, healthy and inclusive cities and communities, yet the importance of these practices is often overlooked, particularly in low-income countries. While more than one-third of waste in high-income countries is recovered through recycling and composting, only 4 percent of waste in low-income countries is recycled.

Based on the volume of waste generated, its composition and how the waste is being managed, it is estimated that 1.6 billion tons of carbon-dioxide-equivalent emissions were generated from the treatment and disposal of waste in 2016—representing about 5 percent of global emissions.

“Mismanagement of waste is harming human health and local environments while adding to the climate challenge,” Laura Tuck, vice president for sustainable development at World Bank, says. “Unfortunately, it is often the poorest in society who are adversely impacted by inadequate waste management. It doesn’t have to be this way. Our resources need to be used and then reused continuously so that they don’t end up in landfills.”

The report notes that good waste management systems are essential to building a circular economy, where products are designed and optimized for reuse and recycling. As national and local governments embrace the circular economy, smart and sustainable ways to manage waste will help promote efficient economic growth while minimizing environmental impact.

“It makes economic sense to properly manage waste,” World Bank Urban Development Specialist and lead author of the report Silpa Kaza says. “Uncollected waste and poorly disposed waste have significant health and environmental impacts. The cost of addressing these impacts is many times higher than the cost of developing and operating simple, adequate waste management systems. Solutions exist, and we can help countries get there.”

Supporting countries to help make critical solid waste management financing, policy and planning decisions is key to rectifying the problem, according to the report. Potential solutions include:

• Providing financing to countries most in need, especially the fastest growing countries, to develop state-of-the-art waste management systems.
• Supporting major waste producing countries to reduce consumption of plastics and marine litter through comprehensive waste reduction and recycling programs.
• Reducing food waste through consumer education, organics management and coordinated food waste management programs.

“Reducing waste generation requires a lot of behavior change and a change in consumption patterns,” Kaza says. “We are seeing that when people are required to pay based on the volume of waste they generate, they are more conscious of the amount of waste they are disposing. One example of this is when people have to use specific bags for disposal and pay for larger garbage bags. Another is when RFID (radio-frequency identification) chips are used to track waste generated by specific individuals or households. In Korea, RFID cards are used for people in high-rise apartments to deposit their food waste into a specific container, allowing the government to charge them based on the amount of food waste they dispose. Another targeted approach for a specific type of waste is with the plastic bag bans or plastic bag fees we are seeing which make consumers use fewer plastic bags when at the grocery store or other shops.”

Since 2000, the World Bank has committed over $4.7 billion to more than 340 solid waste management programs in countries across the globe.