Waste

• [New] Goals include reducing food waste, doubling the number of its products that deliver 'positive nutrition', and lowering calories, salt and sugar across its products by 2025.
• [New] Halving food loss and waste could, if achieved globally, reduce environmental impact of food production by up to a sixth.
• [New] The European Commission is committed to meeting its Sustainable Development Goals and halving food waste per capita, at the retail and consumer level, by 2030.
• [New] The $10 million project, named the Multi-University Center on Chemical Upcycling of Waste Plastics, will develop scientific and engineering principles to enable the upcycling of plastic wastes into virgin plastic resins using chemical technology.
• [New] Reduction targets have been set, including Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3, which aims to halve per capita food waste at retail and consumer levels globally by 2030, as well as reduce food losses along production and supply chains.
• [New] There is a considerable risk that plastic waste in the environment releases nano-sized particles known as nanoplastics.
• [New] The McKinsey study argued that if new technologies were adopted and new production processes focused on sustainability, the European economy could add Euro 1.8 trillion by 2030.
• [New] Li-Cycle's process creates safer waste streams for individuals working in waste management as it reduces the risk of fires by removing lithium-ion batteries from the traditional waste streams.
• [New] Rubicon Circular data management The linear economy is full of waste streams that contaminate ecosystems and hide valuable resources that could be recycled and reused.
• [New] Only a system-wide transformation will achieve well-being for all within Earth's capacity to support life, provide resources and absorb waste.
• [New] President Joe Biden's American Jobs Plan, the anticipated $2 trillion infrastructure package unveiled in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, lacks any overt mentions of solid waste, recycling, organics management or zero waste.
• [New] Waste Heat to Power Market size was valued over USD 15 billion in 2018 and annual capacity addition is anticipated to exceed 14 GW by 2025.
• [New] ORC waste heat to power market size was valued at over USD 10 billion in 2020 and its cumulative installation is anticipated to exceed 5 MW by 2027.
• We are likely to see a new generation of nuclear power stations by 2060-2070 based on nuclear fusion, which is a radically different technology from splitting the atom (fission) and involves fusing two different atoms together to release energy, with far less radioactive waste.
• Innovative Financial Initiatives for Africa will help close adaptation finance gaps, enhance access to existing finance and mobilize new public and private sector investment.
• Fast Company cited companies measuring their progress on the circular economy as one of the seven ways the circular economy will grow in 2021.
• Research from McKinsey & Company and C40 Cities points to waste management as one of four key pillars that cities can take action on to reduce nearly all of their emissions by 2030.
• Supermarket chain Tesco has unveiled its new climate change manifesto, pledging to help customers adopt more sustainable diets, reduce food waste and ramp up its efforts to become a net-zero business by 2035.
• Plastic-related greenhouse gas emissions may represent more than 1% of the global annual carbon budget and could represent up to 15% by 2050, if no action is taken.
• More than 100 million tons of nonrenewable resources are used each year to produce clothing, and by 2050, the textile industry alone could account for a quarter of the global carbon budget.

Last updated: 18 April 2021