INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ZERO WASTE

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ZERO WASTE

THEME: BEAT WASTE POLLUTION
DATE: MARCH 30TH
Written by: Nkemjika Ugonna Lucy

The International Day of Zero Waste highlights both the importance of encouraging waste management globally and the need to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns. According to the United Nation Environment Program (UNEP), every year, humanity generates between 2.1 billion and 2.3 billion tones of municipal solid waste. Some 2.7 billion people lack access to waste collection, 2 billion of whom live in rural areas.

Waste pollution significantly threatens human well-being, economic prosperity, the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Without urgent action, annual municipal solid waste generation will hit 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050.

According to the World Bank, Nigeria currently generates at least 32 million tones of solid waste annually, and this number is projected to rise to 107 million tonnes by 2050. However, only 30% of the waste generated is efficiently collected and disposed of, mainly because two-thirds of urban households in low-income neighborhoods lack formal waste management services, unlike middle-class and affluent neighborhoods where waste is regularly collected.

Our mission at EERC is to promote quality research, project implementations for livelihood development, sustainable environment to tackling waste management. We also promote climate smart agriculture towards achieving food security avoiding food waste; reduce greenhouse emissions and pollutions in Africa. We as an NGO collaborate with other national and international organizations to actualize the Sustainable Development Goals. The International Day of Zero Waste is a call to action for ALL to effective waste management practicing the 3R’s (Reuse, Reduce and Recycle); more innovative approach to waste residues.