When you think of waste, what comes
to mind are heaps of refuse; a smelly,
inconveniencing and discomfiting pile of
rubbish. Waste generation is a by-product
of and direct impact of urbanization;
the rate of waste generation is largely
influenced by economic development,
industrialization, consumption patterns,
public culture and climate. It can generally
be assumed that the higher the economic
development and industrialization, the
greater the amount of waste produced. By
extension, income levels and urbanization
are seen to be highly correlated to
waste generation; as disposable income
and standard of living increase, people
consume more goods and services
resulting in a rise in the amount of waste
generated – as urban dwellers tend to
produce twice as much waste as their
rural counterparts.
The volume of wastes - industrial and
domestic – produced as a by-product of our
industrialisation and consumption has had
far reaching impacts on the environment
and the rise in global warming. The
impact of the disposal of waste through
incineration of solid domestic waste and
dumping into water bodies have resulted
in the contamination of a large population
of humans and animals, with disastrous
consequences on human health and the
ecosystem.
The Nigerian Circular Economy: Goldmine or Black-hole?
According to the World Bank, 1.3 billion
tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW)
are produced globally per year and this is
projected to increase to approximately 2.2
billion tonnes per year by 2025. MSW is
a term used to describe waste consisting
everyday non-hazardous trash or rubbish
generated by households and companies.
The projected increase represents a
significant rise in waste generation rates
from 1.2kg to 1.42kg per person per day
over the next 6 years. The report also
posits that urban waste generation for
lower middle-income countries in Africa,
such as Nigeria, will hit 1.3kg per person
per day by 2025, which translates to an
estimated 1.9 million tonnes of waste per
day by 2025. With only about 40% of
the waste generated in Nigeria presently
collected via any form of waste collection
process, it can be said that Nigeria will
have a huge waste problem on its hands
in the not-too-distant future.
Global initiatives towards addressing the
challenges of solid wastes are hinged
on the 3R initiatives introduced by the
G8 countries in 2004 to promote the
reduction, reusing and recycling of
resources and products, to build a circular
society where resources and materials
are used effectively. The concept that
advocates
economic
development
through the adherence to the principles
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