Document summary
Poor waste management is a global reality, with only 25% of the 11bn tonnes collected annually recycled or recovered – and 3.5 bn people lacking access to basic waste management services. The situation will get worse with waste volumes growing faster than urbanisation rates and GDP growth – and waste volumes set to double to 2025 (vs. 2005), and double again from 2025-50. This report explores how waste management is shifting to a sustainable business opportunity and suggests that the fastest growth in the next decade is likely to come from diversion, recycling, recovery of valuable secondary raw materials, waste-to-energy, e-waste and sustainable packaging as well as EMs. There is considerable low hanging fruit potential given that 70%+ of global waste is currently landfilled. “Greening” waste management will require increasing municipal solid waste recycling by a factor of 3.5x and doubling industrial waste recycling.