The best way to manage waste is to generate less or none in the first place, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
UNEP said in a statement that the International Day of Zero Waste, celebrated in March, highlighted both the importance of raising awareness about waste management globally and sustainable production as well as consumption.
Every year, humanity generates between 2.1 billion and 2.3 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste.
Some 2.7 billion people lack access to waste collection and some 2 billion of this number, live in rural areas.
Waste pollution significantly threatens human well-being, economic prosperity, and exercabates climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and drives pollution.
“Without urgent action, annual municipal solid waste generation will increase to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050 globally” UNEP said.
#BeatWastePollution, is a hashtag to encourage global citizens to always be thinking about waste management, and resource recovery, reduction, reuse, repurposing and recycling.