About this Discussion

Every year, an estimated 11.2 billion tonnes of solid waste is collected worldwide and decay of the organic proportion of solid waste contributes about 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Poor waste management – ranging from non-existing collection systems to ineffective disposal – causes air pollution, water and soil contamination. Open and unsanitary landfills lead to contamination of drinking water and can cause infection and transmit diseases. 

The way a country manages its solid waste has significant long-term implications for public health, the economy and the environment. Therefore, it is essential to promote an environmentally sound solid waste treatment and disposal programme. Investing in greening the waste sector can generate multiple economic and environmental benefits. 

Greening the waste sector primarily involves the three “R’s” – reduce, reuse and recycle – with the long-term vision being to establish a circular economy in which the use of materials and subsequent waste is limited, most unavoidable waste is recycled or remanufactured, and any remaining waste is treated so as to minimize environmental damage or even create additional value through recovering energy embedded in material or products.

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Waste Management

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United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP)

In Latin America and the Caribbean, one third of all food produced for human consumption is lost and wasted annually. In the first stages of the supply chain, between production and processing, 220 million tons of food are lost. Much more is lost at the marketing and consumption stages. This… Read More

| Hybrid Conference (Online, Ghana and Switzerland)
World Resources Forum(WRF)

On October 12-14 2021, the Ministry for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation of Ghana and the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment are hosting the World Resources Forum 2021 to foster a multi-stakeholder dialogue around "A Green Deal for Sustainable Resources". Read More

United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP), Global Wastewater Initiative

Emerging pollutants is a term used by water quality professionals to describe contaminants that have been detected in water bodies. These may cause harm to human health and the ecological systems and are typically not governed under the current environmental laws, posing as a greater risk to our… Read More

Created a Post in Waste Management

Seychelles "Eco-District" award to encourage sustainable waste management.

"“The selection criteria range from community involvement, coordination, communication, nature conservation and conservation initiatives, to community responsibility and networking," says Jeanette Larue, the Director General of the Public Education and Community Outreach Division in the Seychelles Ministry of Environment.

Photo by Philipp Meeh on Unsplash

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https://www.afrik21.africa/en/seychelles-eco-district-award-to-encourage-sustainable-waste-managemen...

Smartphones contribute to approximately 10% of global e-waste, which was estimated to weigh more than 50 million tonnes in 2019. And according to the Royal Society of Chemistry, 6 of the key elements for mobile phones will run out in the next 100 years. What's the average of your smartphone's lifespan? Is it better to repair or recycle?

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https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/repair-not-recycle-tackle-ewaste-circular-economy-smartphones...

Created a Post in Waste Management

Research journal Science on July 2, 2021, published a special issue aiming to examine “a wide range of topics related to plastics and the problems they present.” Of the nine articles in the issue, four discuss the effects of plastic pollution on the earth’s systems and animals, two discuss the technologies hoping to contribute to plastic circularity, and one is a policy discussion supporting an “international legally binding agreement that addresses the entire life cycle of plastics.”

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https://www.foodpackagingforum.org/news/science-publishes-special-issue-on-our-plastics-dilemma

An interesting article about the recycling industry in Australia not being ready for ban on exporting plastic waste that will come into force tomorrow, with a risk of sending recyclable items to landfill. Despite the agreement from the federal, state and local governments to ban exports of a range of recyclable items last year, after China and Indonesia blocked imports of waste from Australia and other nations, the country's waste and recycling sector might not have the capacity to process after all.

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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-30/recycling-industry-not-ready-for-ban-export-plastics/10025398...

Each year, the volume of global food waste can reach up to 1 billion tons, with 60% of it coming from household. The UNEP Regional Office for West Asia and GO4SDGs launched a campaign to raise awareness to reduce food waste during Ramadan, foster behaviour change, and boost sustainable action. Although this year's Ramadan has ended, we should continue raising awareness about reducing food waste.

Learn more about the GO4SDGs food waste project in West Asia: https://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/news/fasting-feasting-and-food-was…

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https://youtu.be/BZSj_kstR94
Swissnex

With the rising alerts of the environmental threats and calls for joint actions around the globe, more efforts have been made to build a more eco-friendly environment of the future. Among other initiatives to tackle climate change related issues, such as reduction of CO2 emissions and landfill… Read More