Here are ten facts that demonstrate the importance of significantly reducing—or transforming—the garbage accumulated by humans across the surface of the planet
Humans could generate 3.4 billion tons of solid waste globally by 2050, according to the World Bank. Image: Shutterstock
No less than 2 billion tons of municipal solid waste—ie, all the waste collected and treated within the jurisdiction of municipalities—are produced each year in the world. Enough to fill some 820,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools, according to the World Bank. On the occasion of the International Day of Zero Waste, here are ten facts that demonstrate the importance of significantly reducing—or transforming—the garbage accumulated by humans across the surface of the planet.
Without significant action, global municipal waste production could reach 3.4 billion tons by 2050, an increase of 70% compared to the latest World Bank figures. This includes toxic and hazardous waste that is harmful not only to the environment but also to human health. The international financial institution specifies that the East Asia and the Pacific region is the source of most of the world's waste (23%), while the Middle East and North Africa region produces the least (6%).
Again according to the World Bank, the average person in the world produces 0.74 kg of waste per day, although there are significant differences depending on the standard of living. The higher the standard of living, the higher the amount of waste. The international institution specifies that the average amount of daily waste per capita varies from 0.11 kg to 4.54 kg depending on the location throughout the world.
Some sectors, such as transportation, have been singled out as being responsible for a major proportion of the world's greenhouse gas emissions but waste also contributes. According to the United Nations (UN), "decay of the organic proportion of solid waste" is responsible for about 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Hence the need for us to reduce the volume of our waste, whether through recycling or composting.
There's no way to talk about waste without talking about plastic. No fewer than 89 billion plastic water bottles are sold each year worldwide, according to Planetoscope. A mind-boggling figure that takes on an additional dimension when one considers that the lifespan of such a bottle is at least 450 years. Plus there are also the bags and other plastic objects that contribute to the pollution of the planet. A study published in 2017 by the journal Science Advances estimated that 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been generated by humans since the early 1950s.