The world needs to act to curb the rise in polluting waste, warns the UN March 7, 2024

Without urgent action, the world's municipal waste mountain is expected to grow to 3.8 billion tonnes by the middle of the century, according to the UN (SAM PANTHAKY)

By AFP - Agence France Presse

The world generated 2.3 billion tons of municipal waste last year. The garbage pile is expected to grow by another two-thirds by 2050, the UN said on Wednesday, warning of devastating costs to health, economies, and the environment.

Pollution is set to increase, according to new research by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), with projections suggesting that the greatest growth in waste will occur in regions that currently rely on open dumping and burning - practices that emit greenhouse gases and leach toxic chemicals into the soil, waterways, and air.

Without urgent action, the mountain of waste is expected to grow to 3.8 billion tons by the middle of the century, according to the estimate, which exceeds previous forecasts.

It also suggests that the economic burden will almost double when the "hidden costs" linked to improper waste disposal, arising from pollution, poor health, and climate change, are taken into account, reaching around $640 billion a year by 2050, compared to around $361 billion in 2020.

"Waste generation is intrinsically linked to GDP, and many fast-growing economies are struggling with the burden of rapid waste growth," said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.

According to her, the report can help governments in their efforts to "create more sustainable societies and ensure a livable planet for future generations".

The report by UNEP and the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) was launched at the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi.

It follows a 2018 report by the World Bank, which estimated that the world would generate 3.4 billion tons of waste annually by 2050.

- 'Zero waste' -

ISWA said the new report and estimates are a "guide and a call to action" to find solutions.

These solutions include preventing waste generation in the first place, as well as better disposal and treatment methods, which could limit annual net costs by 2050 to around 270 billion dollars, according to the report.

But it is possible to do even better by switching to a more circular economic model in which increased prosperity is not automatically linked to increased waste.

The report claims that this could generate a net economic gain of more than $100 billion a year.

"The findings of this report demonstrate that the world urgently needs to shift to a zero-waste approach while improving waste management to avoid significant pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and negative impacts on human health," said the report's lead author, Zoe Lenkiewicz of UNEP.

The world's landfills are a major source of emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane, which is released when organic waste, such as food scraps, decomposes. At the same time, the transportation and processing of waste also generates planet-warming carbon dioxide.

"Indiscriminate waste disposal practices can introduce hazardous chemicals into the soil, water bodies, and air, causing long-term and potentially irreversible damage to local flora and fauna, negatively impacting biodiversity, damaging entire ecosystems, and entering the human food chain," the report states.

The report states that burning waste can release so-called "eternal chemicals" into the air, with the potential for significant harmful effects on human health and the environment.

The report added that research suggests that up to one million people die every year as a result of diseases related to poor waste management, including diarrhea, malaria, heart disease, and cancer.

Kelly MACNAMARA

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