Opinion Pieces

In December 2022, the UN General Assembly proclaimed March 30 “International Day of Zero Waste”, a day that aims to encourage organisations from across society – private, public, civil society, academia and international bodies – to raise awareness of zero-waste initiatives and their importance to sustainable development.

This UN Zero Waste Day is a good opportunity to focus on a sector that often gets overlooked in terms of its close relationship with nature and biodiversity, highlighting the vital need for meaningful business action and explaining the practical ways businesses can succeed in this effort.

The waste management sector plays an essential role in everyone’s lives. While the sheer volume of waste it handles can stifle its potential to protect nature, it is also – somewhat counterintuitively – a sector that has real potential to help achieve the ambitions set by Zero Waste Day.

Improper waste management leads to higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, loss of species, depletion of natural resources, and land use change.

But this does not need to be the case. By applying circular economy principles to waste management and creating a shift in mindset from “waste management” to “resource management”, the sector can take concrete steps towards conditions that protect the natural world, improve both ecosystems and human health, and drastically reduce emissions.

Guidance from Business for Nature, developed as part of a broader collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, outlines actions companies in the waste management sector should take to protect and restore nature.

Transporting, burying, and burning waste contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. The Global Methane Assessment estimates that waste management accounts for approximately 20% of global methane emissions and 3.3% of total greenhouse gas emissions. These numbers can be significantly reduced by preventing the generation of waste, increasing recycling rates and diverting as much waste as possible from landfill.

Diverting food waste from landfill and directing it into composting can reduce methane emissions from the sector by 62%, while also improving soil health.

An example of good practice is Bioenergy Devco’s Bioenergy centre in Maryland, US, which can process 110,000 tons of organic waste annually. The waste is then transformed into two key products with significantly lower emissions and financial value: renewable natural gas for energy, an amount equivalent to the power generated by 4.6 wind turbines running for a year; and 16,575 tonnes of rich, fertile soil additive for agricultural and other land use, which helps reduce the need for chemical fertilisers, leading to healthier soil.

The impact on nature isn’t limited to waste treatment; collection and processing also play a role. Effective waste management hinges on proper collection, including accurate recycling to avoid contamination. This means the suitable infrastructure, public awareness, and skills need to be in place. Transforming waste collection requires significant collaboration between local governments, communities and often the private sector. Done correctly, it presents a wave of opportunities, boosting local economies by creating jobs and improving the technology and institutions needed for a circular economy.

A clear and useful example of businesses and local authorities working together in this way is the establishment of reuse centres and take-back schemes. Waste management company SUEZ runs the largest reuse hub in the UK in partnership with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, home to approximately 3 million people. Donation containers enable residents to donate items such as furniture, white goods and electrical items which are then refurbished and distributed back to the community.

This project tackles waste reduction head-on, diverting 500 tonnes of waste from landfill each year. It also champions a circular economy by providing green job training and collaborating with local charities to furnish homes for those in need.

Similarly, in Chile, a leading waste management company, TriCiclos, collaborated with governments, organisations, and the private sector to develop initiatives to reduce waste generation and promote a circular economy. For the last 14 years, TriCiclos has run one of the most efficient recycling networks in South America under a management model based on 100% traceability and rejecting materials that cannot be recycled. By providing recycling services, sustainable consumption education, and dignified job opportunities for street waste pickers, TriCiclos has served more than 3 million people to date.

When it comes to landfill sites themselves, there is more that can and should be done to protect nature.

By protecting the local biodiversity and natural landscapes around the sites, businesses can create habitats that provide shelter, food and breeding grounds for local species.

By avoiding ecologically sensitive areas in planning and construction, adopting on-site sustainable land use practices, and promoting on-site restoration, the waste management sector can help to empower local communities, boost worker morale and contribute to the creation of sustainable local jobs.

While best practice will differ by region, waste management companies across the world can learn from each other to elevate standards and create actionable plans to protect and restore nature.

For example, in 2005, China’s Jinkou landfill closed due to insufficient environmental health and safety standards. However, instead of abandoning the site, in 2014 the city embarked on a groundbreaking restoration project using aerobic technology to accelerate waste decomposition. This innovative approach not only led to the restoration of 52 hectares of land for urban landscaping, but also boosted surrounding land values and spurred further economic development, all while saving an estimated US$125 million.

Addressing the impact of waste management on nature is not just a corporate responsibility, but an international ambition enshrined in Goal 12 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns. The waste management sector sits at the very heart of achieving this goal.

The latest UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report on global waste management projects that municipal solid waste generation is predicted to grow from 2.3 billion tonnes in 2023 to 2.8 billion tonnes by 2050. Not only does this trajectory need to be slowed, but it can and should be reversed. We already have the tools, technologies and knowledge. The time has come for all businesses to act decisively to contribute towards a nature-positive, net-zero, and equitable future.