Introduction

This report presents a global assessment of municipal solid waste generation, management, and costs. It highlights the urgent need for improved resource management and circularity to combat rising waste volumes and environmental degradation.

At a glance: A global picture of solid waste management toward circularity

Global municipal solid waste generation reached 2.56 billion tonnes in 2022, equating to 0.88 kilograms per capita daily. Food and garden waste constitute 38 percent of the global total, while plastics make up 12.5 percent. Without intervention, waste volumes are projected to reach 3.86 billion tonnes by 2050. High-income and upper-middle-income countries achieve near-universal collection, whereas low-income countries collect only 28 percent of waste. Approximately 29 percent of global waste is managed in landfills, 21 percent is recovered through recycling and composting, and 30 percent remains uncollected or openly dumped.

Regional snapshots

Waste generation and management vary significantly across regions. The East Asia and Pacific region generates the largest share of global waste (33 percent), driven largely by China. North America has the highest per capita waste generation (2.25 kilograms per day) but achieves 100 percent collection coverage. Conversely, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia exhibit the lowest collection rates (31 percent and 67 percent, respectively) and rely heavily on open dumping. These regions also face the fastest projected growth in waste generation.

Scenarios for municipal solid waste management and circularity until 2050

The report explores three future scenarios: business as usual, low ambition, and high ambition. The high-ambition scenario models capping global waste generation at 2022 levels, achieving 100 percent collection, and doubling the global recycling and composting rate to 54 percent. This pathway requires substantial reductions in waste generation in high-income countries and the elimination of open dumping in low-income nations.

Waste and climate

Solid waste management generated an estimated 1.28 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2022, primarily from methane released by decomposing organic waste in dumpsites and landfills. While the high-ambition scenario projects a decline in emissions to 0.91 billion tonnes by 2050, the business-as-usual pathway anticipates a 43 percent increase. Addressing food loss and expanding anaerobic digestion and sanitary landfilling are critical mitigation strategies.

Waste administration, operations, and jobs

Waste management is predominantly a local responsibility, absorbing an average of 6 percent of municipal budgets. National legislation exists in 95 percent of countries, and extended producer responsibility schemes are increasingly adopted to manage packaging and electronics. The sector employs approximately 18 million urban waste workers globally. However, in lower-income countries, 90 percent of these workers operate informally, facing precarious conditions and significant health risks.

Costs and financing of solid waste management

Global waste management costs exceeded US$250 billion in 2022 and could rise to US$426 billion by 2050 under business-as-usual practices. Basic waste systems in low-income countries cost at least US$40 per tonne, requiring significant financial support. The report recommends shifting from franchise to contract models to improve fee collection, establishing extended producer responsibility schemes to shift financial responsibility to producers, and utilising climate finance and carbon markets to mobilise investment.