As the global population approaches 8 billion next month and resource use intensifies, so does global waste. Estimates suggest that by 2025, the world’s cities will produce 2.2 billion tonnes of waste every year, more than three times the amount produced in 2009.
Meanwhile, global e-waste production is on track to reach 120 million tonnes per year by 2050 if current trends continue.
Poorly managed waste is threatening human and planetary health, with around 2.8 per cent of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions originating from the waste and wastewater sector. Yet proper waste management remains a significant challenge for countries and cities around the world.
Experts say that acknowledging the links between gender inequality and waste management will be key to creating a more sustainable and equitable waste sector.
Ahead of International E-Waste Day on 14 October, Takehiro Nakamura, Head of the International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC) at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was interviewed about the challenges of gender inequality in waste management. → READ MORE
Resources on Gener and Waste Management
Report: ‘Gender and waste nexus: Experiences from Bhutan, Mongolia and Nepal’
Video series, ‘Gender and Waste Nexus’ (available in English, Dzongkha, Mongolian, Nepali, and Japanese)
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