UN declares war on garbage, asks polluters to take the lead

The planet is literally drowning in garbage, and it is high time to clean up, Guterres said on March 31 at an event marking the first-ever International Day of Zero Waste.

The UN held a high-level meeting to raise awareness on the urgent need to transition to a “green” and circular economy that promotes sustainable production and consumption patterns. The move could save governments billions and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Humanity, according to the UN, currently generates more than two billion tons of municipal solid waste annually, which includes plastics, textiles, rotting food, discarded electronics and debris from mining and construction sites.

Guterres said the population is basically “treating our planet like a garbage dump,” warning that the messy mountain will reach four billion tons by 2050.

“We are trashing our only home,” he said in a speech that stressed the role of zero waste as a transformative solution in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. “We’re spewing a torrent of waste and pollution that is affecting our environment, our economies, and our health.”

Guterres said it was time for “a war on waste” on three fronts, calling on polluters themselves to take the lead.

“Those who produce waste must design products and services that are less resource and material intensive, smartly manage any waste created across all stages of their products’ lifecycle, and find creative ways to extend the lives of the products they sell,” he said.

These companies must also invest in waste management, recovery and recycling systems in communities where they operate, he added.

Reuse, recycle, rethink

The UN chief urged countries, cities and local governments to develop and scaleup modern waste management systems, as well as policies that encourage re-using and recycling plastic bottles, aging electronics and other items.

He urged consumers to be more responsible.

“All of us need to consider the origins and impacts of the goods and products we buy every day and rethink how we dispose of them,” he said.

“We need to find opportunities to reuse, recycle, repurpose, repair and recover the products we use. And we need to think twice before throwing these items in the garbage.”

Guterres encouraged countries to take