In The Waste-lands of Today

Cleanliness is equal to godliness. If it's true, some of the largest economies are far away from inviting gods to their lands. The age of sanitation origins goes back to Europe between 16th and 19th century. People did not gave a damn about the clutter around them. Possible, as population hadn't reached the 'boom' phase and land was plentiful.

On November 15, 2022, global populace attained a new milestone, reaching 8 Billion. 4 years before that, in 2018, the World Bank released a report revealing we produce 2.01 tonnes of solid municipal waste every year. A one third of which left bungled.

We have come a long way from living in the caves to living in luxury apartments. Thankfully, early humans didn't had the 'luxury' to lay 'waste' to their lands as we do today. Developed economies, praised globally, aren't immune to irresponsible waste management today either.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a government agency, revealed in 2018, the United States generates 292.4 Million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW). Nearly half of which is sent to landfills. The number also highlight waste generation in the country has threefold since the 60s.

Food and paper waste makes nearly 44% of the total waste in the U.S. Food chains and households throw out the leftovers, usually happens due to misjudgement of quantity to be consumed. It also amplify global hunger in a way. Many people go to bed hungry every night.

In Manila, capital of Philippines, an average food recycler becomes scavenger of organic waste in the dead of night. Restaurants cannot use the leftovers to maintain standards of food industry. The throw it away in garbage, unaware of the fact where it will end up.

The organic waste is washed and served in the form of a food called pagpag. The 'rubbish' cuisine still ends up in people's stomach. And believe it or not, underprivileged loves it. They don't care if it's expired meat or vegetables. They are all about affordable prices, and chicken.

India, the largest democracy in the world, is no exception to waste generation. A 2016 estimate tells the country produces around 270 Million tonnes of waste. While the country has managed to advance drastically in context to economic growth, industrialization, urbanization and more, municipal waste management has become a challenge.

Despite the initiatives like the 'Clean India Mission,' plastic waste and food leftovers in surroundings, open sewers and more are a common sight in the nation. Rag pickers, whom the societies despise, are the real diamonds there. While they make living off by collecting and delivering the waste for recycling, they are extremely under-incentivized.

in 2021, waste disposal in China reached nearly 250 Million tons. Although Covid-19 put a halt on the numbers, it was only short-lived. Before the pandemic hit, the country was deemed largest trash generator globally. News agency Reuters reported in May 2021 that the country plans to re-use 60% of the household waste by 2025 after they failed to attain previous targets.

Events like Russia-Ukraine war are a key contributors to the waste crisis. The Politico, a politics-focused newspaper, anticipates the event will left $23 Billion worth of waste in damages including other aspects. What's more, a large chunk of environmental protection initiates have discontinued during the war.

Aquatic life isn't prone to global waste either. Rain, water streams and wind sends the plastic waste to oceans, specifically plastic. It eventually ends up in their stomach or they end up entangled in it. 100 Million marine animals die from plastic each year.

Shedding a closer look in all the nations, we will find none has attained zero-waste. Even the countries close to this way of life including Switzerland, Denmark, Austria and more, are adding to the global waste. Switzerland's Federal Office for the Environment said in a 2018 report that the waste quantity is likely to rise in future.

The 5 R's for waste reduction—refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle— could aid to lay waste, waste. Nations including Germany, South Korea, Wales and more are reportedly recycling almost half the waste they produce. Living a zero waste lifestyle may appear unattainable, but we can still get closer by leveraging the 5 R's.

However, it's still a pipe dream. World Bank predicted in a 2018 report, total waste will increase 30% in the next 30 years. That's a 1% increase on an average annually. This atomic increase could lead to curtailed land per head given the population may reach nearly 10 Billion by 2050.

The society may not collapse in future, but imagining living on a goliath garbage heap isn't a sight to behold. A lion's share of underdeveloped populace is already living there. Let's not make it worse at least, let alone axing the misery.