The world will produce ‘mountains of trash’ in the coming decade as nations are racing towards urbanisation, say a new report by the World Bank. In a report on “a relatively silent problem that is growing daily,” the World Bank said that the amount of trash produced daily will lead to global garbage crisis by 2025.

Leading the creation of garbage is India and China, said the report. “As countries, particularly India and China, continue their rapid pace of urbanisation and development, global solid waste quantities are projected to increase considerably,” said the report titled ‘What a Waste: A Global Review of Solid Waste Management’.

The report also mentioned that China has already become largest waste generator of municipal solid waste in 2004. India is not far behind, according to the report. In a warning signal to both the high growth Asian economies, the report added, “India and especially China have disproportionately high urban waste generation rates per capita relative to overall economic status as they have large relatively poor rural populations that tend to dilute national figures.”

The amount of generation of waste by the countries is doubling in 10 years, which according to the report is “An enormous rate of growth!”

The amount of municipal solid waste will rise from the current 1.3 billion tonnes a year to 2.2 billion tonnes by 2025, as per the estimates of the study, which looked worldwide data in its 116 page report, authored by Daniel Hoornweg and Perinaz Bhada-Tata. “The annual cost of solid waste management is projected to rise from the current $205 billion to $375 billion, with cost increasing in low income countries,” it added. 

The report argued that as a country urbanises and populations become wealthier, the consumption of inorganic materials (e.g. plastics, paper, glass, aluminum) increases, while the relative organic fraction decreases.

The report said that cities should go for an urgent plan approach solid waste in a comprehensive manner.

“What we’re finding in these figures is not that surprising,” said Hoornweg, “What is surprising, however, is that when you add the figures up we’re looking at a relatively silent problem that is growing daily. The challenges surrounding municipal solid waste are going to be enormous, on a scale of, if not greater than, the challenges we are currently experiencing with climate change. This report should be seen as a wake-up call for policymakers everywhere.”

Read the report here