Waste Management
Our current global economy is characterized by a "take-make-waste" industrial process. This is leading to the overconsumption of the planet’s resources and causing significant pressures on nature. It is estimated that the extraction and processing of natural resources contribute to an alarming 90% of biodiversity loss and water stress.
The World Bank projects that global waste generation could rise from 2.01 billion metric tons in 2016 to 3.40 billion metric tons by 2050. We are currently consuming natural resources and generating waste 1.75 times faster than the Earth can sustainably provide. Through waste prevention, reduction, recycling, and the adoption of circular economy principles, waste management businesses can support society in minimizing waste generation, maximizing resource recovery, and reducing the world’s reliance on natural resources.
The sector actions serve as a guide to transform business practices and value chains and ensure the waste management sector plays its part in halting and reversing nature loss by 2030 - the mission at the heart of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
The overview and report were led by Business for Nature and Accenture.
Scroll down to access additional resources, including the sector overview in Bahasa Indonesian, French and Spanish.
Impacts on nature
Waste management companies should direct their efforts towards addressing the most significant impacts on nature in their operations and value chains, namely:
Greenhouse gas emissions
Pollution
Loss of species
Depletion of natural resources
Land use change
Dependencies on nature
The waste management sector is dependent on ecosystem services to function and grow. Companies rely heavily on:
Water
Energy
Soil quality
Land availability
