Waste Around the World in March 2024
Have you ever wondered who the most wasteful countries are regarding commercial waste? In the article below, we look into waste worldwide and the efforts and waste management business ideas of some notable countries.
To answer the question, studies show that Canada is one of the most wasteful countries, producing more garbage than any other country. Chemical manufacturing and oil refining come in next, but there are some other impressive achievements in Canada’s commercial waste management. It has established milestones in biodiversity planning and climate-friendly technology to create more commercial green waste. The following list is not complete, however. Some countries are better at recycling and composting, and you may be surprised to learn that the United States is not among them.
Please click here for more information and pricing on commercial waste.
Waste Around the World: Sweden
Despite its high waste generation rates, Sweden has some unique business recycling programs. In 2017, about 93 per cent of glass containers were recycled, compared to a mere eight per cent for plastic ones.
- The country also recycled more than 80 per cent of its paper and cardboard packaging, and only 1 per cent of its household waste was landfilled.
- The rest was recycled, biologically treated, or converted into energy.
- They take the waste management business seriously and are highly efficient at disposing of commercial waste.
- This unique program helps other countries in the E.U. combat waste and reduce energy use. In addition to zero waste policies, Sweden is committed to encouraging material recycling.
- Most Swedish households separate their waste into different fractions, including food waste, packaging made of plastic and metal, paper and glass, newspapers, electronics, and tires.
- Recycling has become a national priority, and in Sweden, households are now recycling 99 per cent of their waste. By doing this, they are making considerable strides in reducing waste and helping the environment.
Moreover, Sweden is making headlines for its successful efforts to reduce waste. The country’s waste-to-energy program has helped eliminate nearly half of its municipal waste. However, it has not yet reached the number needed to build a waste-to-energy plant to produce all the energy needed. While the country has a large amount of trash, its current production is insufficient to sustain such a program.
Waste Around the World: Denmark
The Danish have a large population but have been among the world’s most wasteful nations for years.
- Business waste collection is serious business in Denmark, and the Danish throw away almost twice as much trash as the Lithuanians and Greeks. They even eclipse their northern neighbours, who throw out less than half as much waste per person.
- This waste problem highlights the difficulty of changing human behaviour.
- However, Denmark has taken steps to improve its environment and its commercial waste disposal efforts.
- For example, it has an extensive network of bicycle lanes throughout Copenhagen.
- Commercial waste recycling is a huge focus, as is reducing commercial waste collection costs.
- The Danish government has made business recycling more important than incineration to be trash-free by 2032.
- In addition, the island is planning to power its district heating system through offshore wind power and burning biomass. But it has to be effective. Until then, it’s too early to tell whether Denmark can truly achieve this goal in reducing the impact of business waste. Hopefully, Denmark will set an example for other countries to follow.
In 2016, the Danish government established a think tank called ONE/THIRD, a consortium of representatives from businesses, academia, and non-profit organisations, to study commercial waste in Denmark. This think tank’s focus is currently on how consumers behave. Denmark also has a large number of restaurants and grocery stores, which means a large number of commercial waste bins must be maintained. With so much commercial waste, the country has to reopen these establishments. The big problem is that consumers are not very eco-conscious.
Waste Around the World: Finland
A study released in January found that people in Finland disposed of 15 kilograms more garbage per capita than they did ten years ago. While the total amount of waste generated in Finland increased by 3% yearly, it increased by an impressive 80,000 tonnes. Finland generated more than three million tonnes of municipal waste in 2019. Despite this, more than half of it was recovered for district heating networks.
- People in Finland are making significant efforts to reduce their carbon footprint and improve their environmental performance with their business waste.
- In addition to tackling its commercial waste problem, the country has a robust infrastructure for business recycling.
- Shared collection points for glass, metal and commercial waste collections in towns are available at public services and shopping centres.
- People can also return used batteries, lamps, and electronic devices to stores that sell them.
- Finland’s households produce 340 kilograms of waste per person every year, primarily textiles.
- According to the World Bank’s “What a Waste” database, less than one per cent of Finland’s municipal waste ended up in landfills. While less than one per cent of waste reaches landfills in Finland, people have become more active in separating their recyclable materials.
Commercial waste collection, specifically small business waste collection, is becoming more of a focus as the world becomes more eco-conscious.
More than ten per cent of plastic was collected by treatment facilities in 2018. Biowaste, on the other hand, rose nine per cent. Paper and paperboard remained the most commonly sorted materials. Biowaste is composted and produces biogas, which helps the environment.
NATIONAL POLICY RESPONSES TO PLASTICS: GOOD PRACTICES AND KEY GAPS |
|
Plastic Production |
Plastic Usage |
Waste Collection |
Waste Treatment |
Secondary Markets |
SYSTEM FAILURES
|
Producers are not accountable for the actual cost of plastic |
High plastic waste generation, driven by single-use items |
Limited collection capacity in some countries |
Limited treatment facilities lead to open dumping or use of unsanitary landfills. |
Low profitability in the recycling sector and secondary market
|
No incentives for upstream innovation |
Seasonal waste increases due to tourism |
Low rates of separate collection for plastic waste. |
Low recycling capacity |
Limited supply of quality plastic waste as inputs.
|
Waste Around the World: The United States
According to the World Bank’s Waste Watch Index, the United States is the world’s most wasteful country. Commercial waste disposal is not a focus of the country, and business waste is plentiful.
- In 2017, the U.S. generated 8.4 billion tonnes of garbage
- Its oil shale industry accounts for a large portion of this waste.
- As a result, almost one-third of the country’s 31 million metric tons of garbage is classified as hazardous.
- According to Verisk Maplecroft, a global consulting and risk assessment firm, the United States generates 12 per cent of the planet’s municipal solid waste (MSW), also known as garbage.
- An average American creates about 170 pounds of rubbish daily, about the same garbage generated in 822,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
- Despite this, the U.S. ranks highly on the list of wasteful countries.
- The United States wastes approximately £218 billion on food and dairy products yearly. The most significant proportion is dairy products, among the most commonly wasted foods.
- The average American family of four discards around £1,600 worth of produce each year, which is enough to pay for one year of private college tuition. Commercial green waste needs to be more of a focus moving forward. Despite this abundance of food, Americans continue to waste most of it, and the waste problem is a significant source of concern. American citizens are among the most wasteful in the world, producing about four pounds of trash daily.
While this may seem small, this amount equates to more than one horse’s weight. This waste can also affect the health and environment of our planet. Fortunately, we can recycle much of the materials we throw away.
Moreover, recycling plastics, wood, rubber, and leather will save the environment and your wallet.
Waste Around the World: China
Pollution has recently heightened awareness of China’s environmental issues, mainly commercial waste. The country generated a staggering 171 million tons of business waste in 2012, which amounts to nearly three tons of commercial waste per person. While China produces more trash than any other country, the country’s commercial waste output is far less than the U.S., which transforms 30 million square meters of Earth yearly.
China’s commercial waste production is even more alarming when compared with Taiwan, a country with a lower GDP than China. The People’s Republic of China was established in 1949. In the villages, state-run supply and marketing cooperatives controlled the supply and disposal of commodities. Since households tended to generate very little income, it became essential for villagers to supplement their income by selling recyclable business waste.
How will China combat its waste problem? One way to help is to invest in a better commercial waste management system. China has taken steps to reduce its plastic business waste to combat this problem. Its exports to Thailand and Malaysia have risen sharply. In response, many communities in the United States have halted their plastic business waste collection for China. However, plastic commercial waste imports from these countries are expected to drop significantly. This trend will likely continue as China tries to curb plastic waste production.
Waste Around the World: The Channel Islands
The British overseas territory of Bermuda is one of the most wasteful countries in the world, with more than eighty thousand residents discarding more than one ton of commercial waste each year.
Only 2% of this business waste is recycled, and its famous pink beaches are littered with ocean plastic. As part of its plan to reduce waste, the island has banned single-use plastic by 2022. Until then, residents must still take care to recycle their business waste. Reducing the amount of waste you produce during your visit to the Channel Islands is imperative.
You should pack only essential items and limit the amount of rubbish you take with you. Avoid using single-use plastic bags, which are unusable and harmful to the island’s wildlife. Also, take along reusable water bottles while you’re visiting. This will help reduce the amount of trash you produce and make your stay more enjoyable for everyone.
Waste Around the World: Estonia
It is unclear if Estonia will make any changes, but it’s worth considering. Estonia has a long way to go to achieve its goal of being one of the most wasteful countries in the world. While Estonia is considered a high-tech country with growing environmental consciousness, it is still one of the most wasteful. According to Eurostat’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Programme (EMU), the amount of municipal waste generated per capita in Estonia was only 341 kilograms in 2013.
Waste Around the World – Learn more about UK business waste statistics here
Other useful links from our Commercial Waste Centre
Why Should Your Business Go Paperless?
Choosing a Garage Waste Management Service
Developing an EMS for Hazardous Waste
Remember to Compare Your Business Costs is here to help your business every step of the way, from business advice or saving you time and money on your business purchases such as:
Ally Cox is a dedicated Copywriter and Blogger for CompareYourBusinessCosts.co.uk. In under two years, the platform achieved the esteemed accolade of ‘Website of the Year’. Since its award-winning debut, Ally has been instrumental in fostering organic growth for the website, expanding its offerings to encompass comparisons across a diverse range of over 20 products to help serve all your business needs.