Humanity generates between 2.1 billion and 2.3 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste a year. To put that into perspective, enough to go around the globe eight times.
When improperly managed, much of that refuse emits greenhouse gases or poisonous chemicals. This damages ecosystems, inflicts disease and threatens economic prosperity, disproportionately harming women and youth.
On March 30, the world marked International Day of Zero Waste.
The observance, led by the UN Environment Programme (Unep) and the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), highlighted the importance of proper waste management.
