By 2050, the world is expected to generate 3.40 billion tonnes of waste annually, increasing drastically from today's 2.01 billion tonnes. What a Waste presents national and urban waste management data from around the world and highlights the need for urgent action. The publication provides a snapshot on how waste generation and management varies across income levels and regions, and shares good practices globally.

Table of Contents

• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations
• 1 Introduction
• A Note on Data
• References
• 2 At a Glance: A Global Picture of Solid Waste Management
• Key Insights
• Waste Generation
• Projected Waste Generation
• Waste Composition
• Waste Collection
• Waste Disposal
• Special Wastes
• References
• 3 Regional Snapshots
• East Asia and Pacific
• Europe and Central Asia
• Latin America and the Caribbean
• Middle East and North Africa
• North America
• South Asia
• Sub-Saharan Africa
• References
• Additional Resources
• 4 Waste Administration and Operations
• Key Insights
• Solid Waste Regulations
• Solid Waste Planning
• Institutions and Coordination
• Waste Management Operations
• References
• 5 Financing and Cost Recovery for Waste Management Systems
• Key Insights
• Waste Management Budgets
• Waste Management Costs
• Waste Management Financing
• References
• 6 Waste and Society
• Key Insights
• Environment and Climate Change
• Technology Trends
• Citizen Engagement
• Social Impacts of Waste Management and the Informal Sector
• References
• Additional Resources
• 7 Case Studies
• 1. A Path to Zero Waste in San Francisco, United States
• 2. Achieving Financial Sustainability in Argentina and Colombia
• 3. Automated Waste Collection in Israel
• 4. Cooperation between National and Local Governments for Municipal Waste Management in Japan
• 5. Central Reforms to Stabilize the Waste Sector and Engage the Private Sector in Senegal
• 6. Decentralized Organic Waste Management by Households in Burkina Faso
• 7. Eco-Lef: A Successful Plastic Recycling System in Tunisia
• 8. Extended Producer Responsibility Schemes in Europe
• 9. Financially Resilient Deposit Refund System: The Case of the Bottle Recycling Program in Palau
• 10. Improving Waste Collection by Partnering with the Informal Sector in Pune, India
• 11. Improving Waste Management through Citizen Communication in Toronto, Canada
• 12. Managing Disaster Waste
• 13. Minimizing Food Loss and Waste in Mexico
• 14. Sustainable Source Separation in Panaji, India
• 15. Musical Garbage Trucks in Taiwan, China
• 16. The Global Tragedy of Marine Litter
• 17. Using Information Management to Reduce Waste in Korea
• References
• Additional Resources
• Appendix A Waste Generation (tonnes per year) and Projections by Country or Economy
• Appendix B Waste Treatment and Disposal by Country or Economy