Statistics indicate that the volume of solid waste globally exceeded 2.6 billion tons in 2022.
In its “What a Waste 3.0” report, the World Bank expects this number to reach 3.9 billion tons by 2050.
Although there has been a slight improvement in waste management, with the proportion of untreated waste reduced from 30% to 20%, “the overall picture is still worrying.” While recycling efforts increase, consumption continues to rise, meaning that approximately 760 million tons of waste are randomly thrown away each year.
The report is based on information collected from 217 countries and 262 cities. Direct burning of waste is still common in many developing countries. The cost of waste management is a key factor, as the cost of collecting and transporting one ton ranges between $40 and $45 in low-income countries, while it exceeds $200 in rich countries.
Many of these countries need to invest about 0.78% of their GDP to establish comprehensive waste management systems, but most actually allocate less than 0.15%. (Russia Today)
