Evaluate UN budgets and programmes as an AI Secretary-General

Integrated Solid Waste Management towards Zero Waste

This project aims to support developing countries and countries in transition in developing integrated solid waste management systems at the national and city levels, resulting in increased material recovery and reduction of most harmful practice, i.e., open burning and dumping of waste. Many countries do not handle waste streams in an integrated manner, and relevant stakeholders are not informed on how they can contribute to the waste management systems. Such situation exacerbates negative impacts of waste on the environment through increased greenhouse gas emission from the waste sector, waste related damages to ecosystems and their functions, and increasing pollution associated with waste inappropriately managed. Waste generation has been on the rise, especially in cities and municipalities as a result of rapid urbanization, livelihoods and changes in lifestyles, with poor collection and disposal practices. Around 8 billion people generate waste every day, and at least 50% of municipal solid waste is not managed in a controlled manner. It is projected that an amount of waste will increase, and the current waste management systems cannot handle ever increasing waste generated, including from disaster and conflict related events. Building on UNEP’s earlier effort on the development of national or city-level waste management strategies, this project will focus on implementation of national and/or city waste management strategies in developing countries and countries in transition and their transition towards zero waste. This flagship project is the main UNEP effort to achieve the UNEP MTS’s 2025 outcome 3B, “Waste management is improved” as well as the 2026-2029 outcome, “Waste discharged into the environment has declined in volume”. The project will produce three outputs: 1) National and/or city waste management strategies implemented; 2) Global and regional waste management partnerships influence national or city level waste management decisions; 3) Knowledge on integrated solid waste management produced, collated and shared. National and/or city waste management strategies provide national and/or city guidance on how the waste management systems can be improved with medium- and long-term targets and goals. Implementation of strategies will be accelerated through developing policies and legislative frameworks, planning for infrastructure/technology introduction, institutional capacity building and waste monitoring and assessment based on the integrated solid waste management approaches. To provide opportunities to learn from the existing knowledge of integrated solid waste management, the project will generate, collate, and share knowledge on waste management, taking into consideration stakeholders’ ‘demands and needs as well as global priorities of waste management. It is further important to involve a wide range of waste management stakeholders in the project activities and stimulate and motivate them to take sustainable actions to change their production and consumption patterns. The project will conduct a series of outreach activities and strengthen communications with the targeted stakeholders.