Global waste to triple by 2100, says World Bank

Global – Global solid waste generation will almost double from 3.5 million tonnes per day at present to 6 million tonnes by 2025, before peaking in the year 2100 at 11 million tonnes, it is estimated in a report published recently by the World Bank.

There are major country-to-country differences in waste volumes, according to the study. For example, the average person in Japan generates around one-third less refuse than a person in the USA even though the two countries have a similar GDP. ‘€˜This can be partially attributed to many Japanese municipalities requiring materials to be disposed of in clear bags, which reveals who is and is not making an effort to recycle,’€™ the World Bank argues. Moreover, recyclables are typically sorted into dozens of categories as a result of the limited space for landfills in Japan.

The researchers also note that people create significantly more refuse when they move to cities and when they become wealthier. Daniel Hoornweg of the University of Ontario, one of the authors of the World Bank report, says: ‘€˜Honestly, I don’€™t see waste disposal as a huge environmental problem in itself. But it’€™s the easiest way to see how the environment is being affected by our lifestyles overall.’€™

For more information, visit: www.worldbank.org
Source: Washington Post