No Time To Waste

 By: Hannah Meadows



    In the article “What a Waste: An Updated Look into the Future of Solid Waste Management”, it discusses the major affects of waste disposal and the statistics of it. It is stated that 90% of waste is openly dumped and burned in low- income countries. The poor is suffering the most repercussions of our actions. World Bank Director for Urban and Territorial Development, Sameh Wahba, explained, “Poorly managed waste is contaminating the world’s oceans, clogging drains and causing flooding, transmitting diseases, increasing respiratory problems from burning, harming animals that consume waste unknowingly, and affecting economic development such as through tourism.” All of these problems affect every part of the world and every living thing in it. People usually do not think about how much waste they are producing because it is easy to throw something away and never think about it again. However, once you throw it away, it is never really gone, it sits in a landfill until it eventually gets burned which consequently produces very harmful gases.
    Another major problem waste disposal can cause that people usually do not realize is climate change. The greenhouse gases produced from burning waste can actually cause climate change in the world. The article states in 2016, 5% of global emissions were generated from solid waste management, excluding transportation. The World Banks, “What a Waste 2.0” report found that the world generates 2.01 billion tonnes of municipal waste annually, with at least 33% of that not managed in an environmentally safe manner. In an updated 2018 report, it was found that urbanization, population growth, and economic development will push global waste to increase by 70% over the next 30 years.
    
Shocking Statistics:
      
          - In 2016 alone, the world generated 242 million tonnes of plastic waste
       
         - The volume of plastic waster bottles we produce could fill up 2,400 Olympic stadiums, 4.8 million Olympic-sized swimming pools or 40 billion bathtubs

          - The amount of plastic waste we produce weighs the same as 3.4 million adult blue whales or 1,376 Empire State Buildings combined 

           - East Asia and Pacific region currently generates most of the world’s waste at 23%
   
          - Waste generation is expected to triple by 2050


    The good news is, many organizations are working to fund sustainable waste management programs. Since 2000, the World Bank has committed over $4.7 billion to more than 340 solid waste management programs around the world… and yes the cost is worth it. World Bank loans have supported the rehabilitation of the main landfill site in Azerbaijan and established a state-owned waste management company. This change also helped achieve a 25% recycling and reuse rate. In China, World Bank loans have supported the construction of a modern anaerobic digestion facility to ferment and recover energy from organic waste, which will benefit 3 million people. Although waste disposal seems like a big problem, it can be changed with the help of everyone. Big changes have already started and if we continue down this path, it is hopeful we can change the outcome of our future and how we manage waste.

Link to Article: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/immersive-story/2018/09/20/what-a-waste-an-updated-look-into-the-future-of-solid-waste-management 


Comments

  1. Mitchell WeitkampSeptember 24, 2021 at 9:09 AM

    Wow! This article was amazing to read and it really allowed me to gather an understanding of the amount of trash that is in the world right now. One part I particularly enjoyed was the shocking statistics. I could not believe that we generate 242 million tons of plastic and I was also shocked when I saw what that added up to. I also really liked how the pictures related so well to the article, that improved my understanding a lot.

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