5. Crack down on plastic pollution

Plastics are commonly used in electronics, textiles and single-use products. Some 85 per cent of single-use plastic bottles, containers and packaging end up in landfills or are mismanaged. Because plastic does not biodegrade, it contributes to major health impacts as microplastics infiltrate food and water sources. 

In addition to phasing out single-use plastics and improving waste management, establishing a global monitoring and reporting system can help end plastic pollution.  

6. Take on hazardous waste 

Chemicals are prevalent in daily life – electronics can have mercury; cosmetics may have led, and cleaning supplies often have persistent organic pollutants. Chemical and hazardous waste require specialized treatment and disposal, yet some governments fail to meet standards set in the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) conventions. Hazardous chemicals and waste cross borders, unauthorized or even illegally. 

Governments can commit to multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), like the BRS conventions, which institutionalize intergovernmental and cross-sectoral cooperation through binding targets and action plans.  

Citizens can educate themselves about substances and waste types that are restricted or banned under the MEAs and demand that governments and industries remove them from the global market. 

7. Rethink how cities are designed and managed 

By 2050, 68 per cent of the world is expected to live in cities. Investing in energy-efficient buildings leads to long-term reductions in construction and demolition, which generate significant amounts of waste and account for 37 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.  

UN-Habitat’s Waste Wise Cities and African Clean Cities Platform provide data and monitoring, knowledge, advocacy and bankable project development to shift cities towards zero waste. Many mayors, like 2023 UN Champion of the Earth Josefina Belmonte of Quezon City, Philippines, are leading initiatives to crack down on waste, including from food and plastics. 

8. Bolster waste management through investment and training 

Globally, around 25 per cent of waste is left uncollected, while 39 per cent is not managed in controlled facilities. Global waste management incurs a total net cost of US$361 billion annually. By ending uncontrolled disposal, reducing waste generation, and increasing recycling, governments can generate an annual net gain of US$108.1 billion by 2050.

SOURCE: www.unep.org