Before a city can implement a circular economy, it must first understand the scale of its waste. This foundational World Bank review, What a Waste: A Global Review of Solid Waste Management, provides the essential baseline for global waste data. As urbanisation and wealth increase across rapidly growing regions like the Philippines, India, and Indonesia, this report offers a critical look at how waste generation and composition shift, providing the data needed to design effective systemic interventions and stop plastic leakage at its source.
This first edition of the “What a Waste” series serves as a vital historical and technical reference for solid waste management. Key highlights of the publication include:
- Global Baseline Data: Comprehensive country-level statistics on waste generation, collection, and disposal methods.
- Wealth and Urbanisation Link: An analysis of how rising income levels and urban migration drive changes in waste volume and types.
- Waste Composition Breakdown: Detailed insights into organic vs. inorganic waste fractions, essential for planning community-based recycling and composting.
- Projections for Resilient Cities: Data-driven outlooks that help city planners and stakeholders within the Plastic Smart Cities movement benchmark their progress toward 2030 goals.
This resource is a cornerstone for anyone involved in environmental policy, municipal planning, or social change communication, offering the evidence needed to advocate for better waste infrastructure and resource recovery.
