Global waste could grow by 70 percent by 2050 as urbanization and populations rise, the World Bank said Thursday, with South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa set to generate the biggest increase in rubbish.
Countries could reap economic and environmental benefits by better collecting, recycling and disposing of trash, according to a report, which calculated that a third of the world's waste is instead dumped openly, with no treatment.
"We really need to pay attention to South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, as by 2050, South Asia's waste will double, sub-Saharan Africa's waste will triple," said Silpa Kaza, World Bank urban development specialist and report lead author.