The Problem
Solid waste management is a universal issue. Individuals and governments make decisions about consumption and waste management that affect the daily health, productivity, and cleanliness of communities all around the world.
Poorly managed waste is contaminating the world’s oceans, clogging drains and causing flooding, transmitting diseases via breeding of vectors, increasing respiratory problems through airborne particles from burning of waste, harming animals that consume waste unknowingly, and affecting economic development such as through diminished tourism. These are just some of the numerous problems associated with poor waste management.
As countries develop from low-income to middle- and high-income levels, their waste management situations also evolve. Growth in prosperity and movement to urban areas are linked to increases in per capita generation of waste. Furthermore, rapid urbanization and population growth create larger population centers, making the collection of all waste and the procuring of land for treatment and disposal more and more difficult.
Theses facts all point to a growing global issue with current waste management systems under sever strain as the volume of rubbish has increased with economic growth and as the global garbage industry has changed.
Growth and Trends
An estimated 2.01 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste were generated in 2016. This number is expected to grow to 3.40 billion tonnes by 2050 under a business-as-usual scenario.
Current Waste Generation
The world generates 0.74 kilogram of waste per capita per day, with rates being generally correlated with income levels and urbanization rates. However, as urbanization is expected to increase, these rates are expected to increase, with growth rates in developing nations expected to show exponential growth.
Projected growth
Since waste generation is generally expected to increase with economic development and population growth, regions with high proportions of growing low-income and lower-middle-income countries are anticipated to experience the greatest increase in waste production.
The total quantity of waste generated in low-income countries is expected to increase by more than three times by 2050, as these countries are positioned for the greatest amount of growth in economic activity as well as population
Why do we need new waste management systems and practices?
Waste disposal practices vary significantly by income level and region. Open dumping is prevalent in lower-income countries, where landfills are not yet available.
About 93 percent of waste is burned or dumped in roads, open land, or waterways in low-income countries, whereas only 2 percent of waste is dumped in high-income countries.
More than two-thirds of waste is dumped in the South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa regions, which will significantly impact future waste growth.
These all come at a great cost to the environment and society…
Pollution
Bad waste management practices can result in land, water and air pollution and can cause adverse health effects to those living
Hazardous chemicals and leachates that get into the soil may result in hazardous substances entering surface water, groundwater or soil with detrimental effects to human health.
Inefficiency
Conventional methods of disposing of solid municipal wastes through landfills and dumpsites have operational drawbacks and inefficiencies. Dumpsites are firstly, not designed to break down waste, but merely store them until these sites are full.
Landfills are dumpsites have a short life expectancy, and new new areas will eventually have to be administered taking up land space for other developments
High Costs
Current waste management solutions are costly to maintain. Landfills and dumpsites incur high operational costs throughout their lifespan, with further rehabilitation costs to mitigate the negative environmental impacts required upon their eventual closure.
Additionally, additional costs are incurred across the value chain in the form of transportation,logistics, equipment and maintenance.