“Despite efforts, little has changed”: UN concerned about waste around the world
According to a UN report published this Wednesday February 28, more than two billion tonnes of waste are produced each year around the world.
A figure which could explode by 2050 if no measures are taken, and which is accompanied by health, economic and environmental consequences.
In this June 4, 2018 photo, a man collects plastic and other recyclable materials from the shores of the Arabian Sea, littered with plastic bags and other waste, in Mumbai, India.
AP - Rafiq Maqbool
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The world is crumbling under a mountain of waste, this is the alarming observation made by the
UN
this Wednesday.
According to the UN organization, 2.3 billion tonnes of waste were produced in 2023 at an annual cost of 330 billion euros.
“
Despite efforts, little has changed
,” summarizes the new report produced by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
And this is not getting better, worries the UN.
“
Humanity has even gone backwards, generating more waste (...).
Billions of people do not benefit from waste collection
.”
At the current rate and if nothing is done, the direct and indirect cost of waste in the world should almost double to reach 640 billion dollars annually by 2050, estimates this report, both a "
guide and a call for action". 'action
".
This is explained in particular by a strong link between economic growth and waste production.
This link is even more visible in emerging countries which face a real risk of being submerged in waste.
In sub-Saharan
Africa
, for example, the report notes that the vast majority of food waste is not collected, or it is collected but then thrown into landfills or burned without treatment.
Also read: Zero waste: is it possible?
This category represents around 200 million tonnes and is accompanied by numerous health consequences: several hundred thousand people die each year from diseases such as diarrhea, directly linked to untreated waste.
This massive amount of waste also has environmental consequences because of all the pollution it generates.
However, the situation is not doomed to get worse, note the United Nations.
Infrastructure, circular economy, end of single use... A zero waste world is possible.
There would then be a net gain for the global economy which could reach up to 100 billion euros per year.
Read alsoIn Senegal, a “start-up” recycles waste to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
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