Global Waste Management Outlook
United Nations Environment Programme, 2015
ISBN: 978-92-807-3479-9 :: 346 pages
Foreword
Good decision-making about how we manage the waste we create is one of the most important contributions humanity can make to reducing its impact on the natural world. The Global Waste Management Outlook (GWMO) is being released at a critical moment, one where the world is considering a new regime to keep global warming to below 2 degrees above pre-industrial temperatures, and, at the same time, discussing what the future development agenda will look like and how it will be funded.

Environmental sustainability is the core issue that will need to be addressed for development to focus on human well-being and yet stay within the limitations of planet’s capacity. Environmentally sound waste management is one of the key elements for sustainable development.

Already, science has demonstrated that we are on an unsustainable path, and that urgent and united action is required to correct this. The global population, currently at 7.3 billion, will grow in the coming decades to 9 billion and perhaps 11 billion by the end of the 21st century. Some 80% of this growing population will live in cities, most of which are yet to be built. Of this projected 9 billion people, 3 billion will belong to the middle class, with sufficient disposable income to purchase the consumer goods that others enjoy elsewhere in the world, further draining the planet’s already strained natural resources.

Moving to a circular development model – which works to reduce waste before it is produced, but which treats waste as a resource when it is – is essential, and holistic and integrated sustainable waste management will be crucial.

The GWMO is the first comprehensive, impartial and in-depth assessment of global waste management. It reflects the collective body of recent scientific knowledge, drawing on the work of leading experts and the vast body of research undertaken within and beyond the United Nations system. The six chapters inform the reader about trends, provide an analysis on governance and financial mechanisms, and offer policy advice on the way forward. The main document targeting professionals is accompanied by two summary documents, one for decision makers and the other for the public more broadly.

This GWMO offers a profound analysis of the enormous potential better waste management provides to assist in meeting the sustainability challenges ahead.

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Press Release
The Mounting Problem: World’s Cities Produce up to 10 Billion Tonnes of Waste Each Year, UN Study Estimates
Holistic waste management could save countries hundreds of billions USD and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20% annually
Antwerp, 7 September 2015 – Inadequate waste management has become a major public health, economic and environmental problem, with 7-10 billion tonnes of urban waste produced each year and 3 billion people worldwide lacking access to controlled waste disposal facilities.

Fuelled by population growth, urbanization and rising consumption, the volumes of waste are likely to even double in lower-income African and Asian cities by 2030, warns the Global Waste Management Outlook – launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) today.

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said, “An urgent response to the world’s mounting waste problem is not only a public health and environmental necessity, but also a sound economic investment. Inaction is costing countries 5-10 times more than investments in proper waste management. A greater commitment by nations to systematically apply the 3 R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – can transform the problem of waste into a resource for our economies…