Waste Generation
Introduction
Whilst humans are making progress across every aspect of this modern age, it is not without the consequences as such. In fact, waste generation and subsequent disposal have become an existential threat for the planet Earth. It is due to unsustainable consumption practices of the masses, and thus creating a significant negative footprint on the environment. Not only it serves as an enabler for climate change and global warming, but also is the major cause of desertification, food and water shortage, malnutrition and poor air quality index, etc. All these issues are interlinked and should be addressed promptly to control the magnitude of waste being generated on a global scale.
Why Waste Generation Is Increasing ?
According to World Bank’s report on solid waste generation titled “What a Waste 2.0”, it is estimated that global waste generation could grow about 70% by 2050 (in comparison to the levels of 2018) to reach a whopping number of 3.4 billion tons per annum. There exist multi-faceted reasons for the exponential increase in waste generation, while population increase tops the list. While the global population stands at ~ 7.9 billion, it has seen a tremendous increase since the 1850s. Due to this increased population, the resources of the Earth have been exploited in an unsustainable manner; after the industrial revolution more and more waste was generated owing to the development projects but unfortunately, no practices were adopted for its safe disposal. Additionally, there has been very less focus on recycling the used products as such; the World Bank estimates that 13.5% of today’s refuse is recycled while about 5.5% is composted. An astounding 40% of the waste worldwide isn’t managed properly, and instead is dumped or openly incarcerated. More so, there is a lot of disparity in terms of waste generation i.e., rich countries like United States, Canada, and European countries contribute 34% to the global waste generation per annum while their population accounts for only 16% of the world’s population.
Steps To Reduce Waste Generation
As more and more refuse is being generated, it is becoming an existential threat for the human race. The most important factor in controlling global waste generation is realizing the urgency and crucial nature of the matter. Awareness needs to be created amongst the masses for minimizing the waste generation at both individual and collective levels. 3R framework i.e., Reduce, Reuse and Recycle should be incorporated in all the relevant policy domains i.e., social and economic policies. These efforts can further be complemented by creating across-the-board consensus amongst all the relevant national and international stakeholders thus realizing the meaningful collaborations to achieve the synergies in reducing the quantity of refuse that is being generated today.
Aco-Recycling – Steps in the Right Direction
Multiple enterprises across the globe are making efforts to provide innovative solutions for smart and technology-based waste management. Aco Recycling is one such firm based in Turkey, that champions in high-tech and game-changing solutions for waste management and recycling. Its product line includes G-1 Smart Reverse Vending Machine, OnLAB Smart Waste Management Solutions, and Underground and Semi-Underground Waste Containers. These solutions are serving as an enabler to the digital transformation of traditional solid refuse collection and disposal.
Conclusion
As the waste generation is projected to grow to 3.4 billion tons per annum, it’s the immediate and most pushing need of the hour that humans realize the importance of minimizing their consumption and the subsequent waste generation. If not, a safe and sustainable environment for the coming generations would surely be a difficult ask. IT’S TIME TO ACT NOW.