A current study by the UN Environment Program predicts almost 65 percent more waste worldwide by 2050. The experts warn of massive consequences of this development for health and the economy.
The world has a waste problem and it is becoming more and more drastic: According to a recent study by the UN Environment Program (UNEP), the global amount of waste, which was 2.3 billion tons in 2023, will continue to rise sharply, with massive impacts on health and… have economy.
If the current pace is maintained, the annual amount of waste could reach 3.8 billion tons by mid-century, according to the recently published UN report.
The mountains of waste will therefore grow particularly strongly in countries where handling them is very harmful to the environment, for example through landfills that pollute the soil, release pollutants and greenhouse gases, or through incineration without the use of energy.
Waste costs could almost double
Without countermeasures, the direct and indirect costs of waste processing are expected to almost double and reach $640 billion (591 billion euros) annually by 2050, the environmental program estimates. In 2020, the direct cost of waste processing was estimated at $252 billion. Including the costs of pollution, health problems and climate change, the study comes to a total of $361 billion for 2020.
However, the study shows, using different assumption models, that the costs could be limited to $270 billion by 2050 through waste reduction and appropriate waste management.
There is an urgent need to initiate “drastic waste reduction” and invest in the circular economy, the organization demanded at the 6th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, which took place in Nairobi this week. “Many fast-growing economies are struggling with the growing waste burden,” said UNEP Director Inger Andersen.