Cities Will Try to Reduce Their Waste

Cities around the world promise to reduce the amount of waste over the next 12 years to prevent global warming. Eventually, they will be cities with zero-waste.

Sustainable, prosperous, and livable cities of the future will be zero-waste cities. During the Global Climate Action Summit, the C40 launched a new initiative to encourage cities to eliminate waste generation and end waste incineration. So far, 23 cities have agreed to become zero-waste cities. According to C40;

• Reduction of municipal solid waste amount to storage and incineration plant by at least 50%,
• By 2030, it will work to increase its deviation from storage and incineration to at least 70%.

 

Those who are on their way to becoming a zero-waste city

Cities such as San Francisco, Catalonia, Auckland, Dubai, Copenhagen, London, Montreal, New York, Milan, Rotterdam, Sydney, Paris, Tokyo, Tel Aviv, Toronto, Washington DC, and Vancouver also pledged to reduce waste production by 15%. Besides, by 2030, it has committed itself to promote alternative waste management practices.

Recycling and composting reduce carbon emissions greatly

Reducing waste incineration is an essential step in tackling global warming. Scientists believe that recycling or composting instead of combustion can reduce global carbon emissions by about 20%. The 23 cities that signed the zero waste declarations think they can set an example for other municipalities.

EPA says that incinerators and waste sites significantly increase the amount of greenhouse gas in the world. In addition to the waste reduction solution, increasing recyclable and reusable materials positively impacts the economy by reducing the need to purchase.