What Is What? And Why It Matters More Than You Think

Waste is Everywhere

Waste management is not the sexiest topic out there, but it’s one of the most essential. Waste is generated in virtually every living and man-made process. From our biological functions to manufacturing systems, from households to high-rise offices, waste is everywhere.

But the kind of waste I’m talking about here is Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) - the everyday rubbish we produce. Most of the time, it’s out of sight and out of mind. Yet waste is a mirror. It tells the story of how a society functions - its economy, its culture, its inequalities, and, most prominently, its political landscape.

What Is Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)?

At its simplest, waste is anything that’s no longer considered useful and is discarded. But not all waste is created equal - and much of it shouldn’t be “waste” at all.

An official definition by UN-Habitat (2021) puts it like this:

Municipal Solid Waste includes waste generated from: households, commerce and trade, small businesses, office buildings, and institutions (such as schools, hospitals, and government buildings).

In other words, it’s the stuff we throw away every day - leftover food, plastic packaging, broken electronics, old clothes. And we’re generating more of it than ever.

Globally, we produce over 2 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste each year, and that figure is only rising (World Bank, 2018).

Why Is Waste Management Important?

Mismanaged waste pollutes our lands, rivers, clogs drains, worsens flooding, and contributes to climate change. But even when it’s managed “well,” it comes at a huge cost - financially, socially, and environmentally.

It’s expensive to collect, transport, and treat. When managed poorly, it degrades public health, pollutes air and water, and impacts the most vulnerable communities first. And behind every black bin bag is a long chain of invisible labour - waste workers, sorters, and informal pickers - often operating in unsafe, underpaid conditions.

Why Starting with Waste Makes Sense

This post kicks off a series where I’ll break down the world of waste - how it’s managed, where it goes, and what we can do differently. Whether you’re just curious or already working in sustainability, this series is for you.

What’s the last thing you threw away? And where do you think it ended up?

Waste may seem like the end of something. But in reality, it’s often the beginning of a problem, but also an opportunity. One person’s waste is another person’s resource - how we handle that makes all the difference.

References

1. UN-Habitat (2021) Waste Wise Cities Tool: Step by Step Guide to Assess a City’s Municipal Solid Waste Management Performance through SDG indicator 11.6.1 Monitoring. Nairobi: United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).

2. Kaza, S., Yao, L., Bhada-Tata, P. and Van Woerden, F. (2018) What a Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050. Washington, DC: World Bank. doi:10.1596/978-1-4648-1329-0.