As urbanization spreads and global consumption climbs, the world is facing a mounting issue: what happens to our waste? Just thinking back to what you’ve worn, eaten, or done today, it becomes clear that we leave traces of trash in our daily lives. Food wrappers, old clothes, dying batteries, you name it, it will inevitably join a stack of waste someday. Trash is an inevitable component of civilization. But its management varies drastically in its responsibleness. Some nations have mastered the art of sustainable waste cycling, while others continue stacking their landfills. Although the future of your trash can usually slips away from your eyes, shipped off to some mysterious place, the trash you generate could be polluting others’ environments and homes.
Many developed countries around the world have created immaculate recycling systems. Take Sweden, for instance, which boasts a 99% recycling rate. On the other hand, many European Union countries ship their waste to less developed countries (LEDCs) for cheap waste management. In 2021, the Netherlands was the leading plastic waste exporter, totaling to near 200 million kg (Danton and Walker). With residencies of colonialism, their primary exports were to Vietnam and Indonesia (“Indonesia: Plastic Waste”).
Image Source: “The Wrong Way to Deal with Plastic”
Waste has become a business for many less-developed countries. Having lived in the Netherlands for most of my childhood, I admired their initiatives in sustainability innovation. However, behind the efforts for local bottle recycling and sustainable bicycling, the Netherlands was one of the countries that slipped trash behind the scenes. The question of this issue is this: should countries strive for sustainable policies just within their nations? Or should MEDCs strive to implement sustainable waste measures across LEDCs rather than letting them accumulate in landfills thousands of kilometers away?
In a world where no one wants to live with trash, waste management has become an epicenter for climate injustice. Indonesia’s landfills teeter on the verge of overflowing (“The Wrong Way to Deal”). Across federal incinerators, low-income populations are most prone to waste pollution (Philipp). Despite the market boosts provided by foreign currencies, trading trash exacerbates pollution and degrades public health. Despite this, governments continue to toss waste to LEDCs, a global hot potato game of neglected trash.
Image Source: “Break Free From Plastic”
The map above shows the continuous global inequality in waste management. If developed nations continue to ship waste to less developed countries, the vicious cycle of environmental degradation and health issues will unfairly target these areas. To combat this climate injustice, the global community must demand changes to outsource its waste. Reducing waste is the key; reducing this hot potato game begins by making small changes.
Works Cited
Danton, Helena, and Tony R. Walker. The Darker Side of Dutch Colonialism: Exporting Plastic Waste Is Plastic Pollution Trafficking. Jan. 2024, pp. 141–52, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-51358-9_8.
“Indonesia: Plastic Waste Imports by Country.” Statista, www.statista.com/statistics/1357905/plastic-waste-import-volume-indonesia-origin/.
“Landfills in Indonesia Are at Risk of Overcapacity, What Can We Do? - Greeneration Foundation.” Https://Greeneration.org/En/, greeneration.org/en/publication/green-info/landfills-in-indonesia-are-at-risk-of-overcapacity-what-can-we-do/.
Philipp, Jennifer. “The Relationship between Waste Management and Poverty - the Borgen Project.” The Borgen Project, 30 June 2024, borgenproject.org/waste-management-and-poverty/.
“The Wrong Way to Deal with Our Mountains of Plastic Waste.” Governing, 18 Sept. 2024, www.governing.com/resilience/the-wrong-way-to-deal-with-our-mountains-of-plastic-waste. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.