The Global Garbage Crisis: No Time to Waste
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Poor waste management-a global crisis: UNEP
Waste experts from around the world have gathered in Osaka, Japan for a two-day conference which started on Monday to discuss the global waste crisis.
The conference is convened every two years by the Global Partnership on Waste Management which is hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Donn Bobb reports.
UNEP is warning that faster population growth, urbanization and economic development are producing increasing quantities of waste that are overburdening existing waste-management systems.
Citing World Bank figures, it says approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of municipal waste is generated each year and volumes are expected to increase to 2.2 billion tonnes by 2025.
The agency says the threat posed by poor waste management is particularly prominent in low-income countries where waste-collection rates are below 50 per cent.
However, UNEP adds that even in countries with proper waste management systems, simply collecting and disposing of waste out of sight is no solution.
UNEP suggests some of the measures that can be taken to tackle the problem of waste are changing the design of a product, producing more with fewer resources, reusing products and recycling.
Donn Bobb, United Nations
Duration: 52″
