Global South Cities Address Methane Emissions from Organic Waste

According to a recent report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the volume of municipal waste is expected to surge by two-thirds by 2050. This increase will push the cost of waste management from $252 billion to an estimated $600 billion annually, accounting for Pollution control, health impacts, and Climate change mitigation.

In response to these challenges, the C40 Cities initiative has set ambitious targets to improve organic waste management in these regions. By 2030, the initiative aims to ensure that cities in the Global South can collect and treat at least 30% of their organic waste. This effort not only aims to reduce methane emissions but also to enhance overall urban sanitation and air quality.

Cities like Rio de Janeiro have already made significant strides in this area. Rio’s Caju Ecopark, for instance, processes 850 tonnes of organic waste monthly from schools and supermarkets, transforming it into valuable compost and biogas. Similarly, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania has ramped up its organic waste management, composting 360 tonnes daily from local markets with plans to increase this capacity.

The state of Kerala in India has adopted a decentralized approach to tackle organic waste. Here, households and businesses are encouraged to compost on-site, while waste collectors provide door-to-door collection services, turning organic waste into a resource for local farmers. This initiative has successfully diverted up to 65% of organic waste from landfills, marking a significant step towards sustainable waste management.

Moreover, the Waste Wise Cities (WaCT) project by U.N. Habitats is aiding cities in collecting accurate data to develop more effective waste strategies. For instance, in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo, WaCT data revealed that only 7% of waste was being collected, demonstrating a critical need for improved infrastructure and policies.

As these cities continue to innovate and implement sustainable waste management practices, the involvement of the private sector is seen as crucial for developing new business models that go beyond recycling, aiming instead for comprehensive waste reduction and management solutions.

There’s Only One Green Planet by Tiny Rescue: Climate Collection

Related Content:

• Siberian Craters and Overflowing Landfills are Unexpected Sources of Methane, Research Says
• Methane Emissions from Landfills Accelerate Climate Change, Reveals Study
• 1,200 Big Methane Leaks Revealed from Waste Dumps Trashing the Planet
• Google Teams Up with the EDF to Map Global Methane Emissions from Space
• 10 Amazing Compost Bins: Transforming Waste into Environmental Gold

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Adopt-a-Pet: Visit WildWatchers, a watchdog platform specifically designed for animal, earth, and wildlife warriors to actively give back, rescue, and protect animals and the planet.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!