You will be shocked to know that the global landfill crisis is one of the most threatening environmental issues of the 21st century! Every year, around billions of tonnes of waste are generated across the globe, which ends up in landfills. This huge dumping of waste not only damages ecosystems, but also contributes immensely to air, water and land or soil pollution. Additionally, as the world’s population continues to grow, so does the amount of waste generated, creating an urgent need for sustainable waste management solutions. This is only possible if organizations, worldwide, particularly the manufacturing companies practise sustainable or responsible manufacturing like WAE, an expert in Water and Its Reuse, providing the most sustainable drinking water solutions through its wide range of drinking water machines, ROs, water purifiers, etc. In fact, in order to address this crisis, the United Nations’ (UN’s) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), provide a roadmap for a more sustainable future. Hence, this article will provide an in-depth analysis of the role of SDGs in dealing with this global landfill menace by successfully initiating and implementing sustainable waste management practices.

What are Landfills & Why are They A Growing Concern?

As a matter of fact, landfills, which were once considered an essential part of urban infrastructure, has today become a major cause of environmental pollution due to the random and illegal dumping of waste. According to the World Bank, the global waste entering the landfills, the world over, is predicted to rise by 70% by 2050, reaching around 3.4 billion metric tons annually! This ever-growing mountain of waste is not only destroying the ecosystems, but also posing serious health risks, such as respiratory and lung disorders, digestive and liver problems, heart diseases and even cancer, as these landfills are poorly managed releasing poisonous gases and chemicals that leach into the ground, polluting the soil, local water bodies, and release huge quantities of methane and carbon dioxide in the air, polluting the air too and increasing the carbon footprint in the atmosphere. Therefore, most of the countries, worldwide are adopting sustainable products like reusable glass water bottles, steel and other metallic containers, boycotting the use of disposable plastic items for good.

There are about 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), out of which the 6th SDG, aiming for “Clean Water & Sanitation” and the 12th SDG aimed at "Responsible Consumption and Production," directly address the global waste challenge by advocating for a more sustainable approach towards use of our precious natural resources, such as the water resources and waste management. In fact, both the above-mentioned SDGs emphasize on waste reduction by promoting the principle of 3Rs, i.e., Reduce, Recycle and Reuse. By encouraging both the manufacturers and the consumers to adopt sustainable practices and products, the SDG 12 has pledged to move towards a circular economy, where the waste generated by industries as well as through agricultural practices must be minimized or rather reduced to zero waste levels. For instance, countries like Sweden and Japan have already adopted Waste-To-Energy (WTE) technologies and strict recycling methods that align with SDG 12's objectives!

The Role of SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities in Addressing the Landfill Menace

We all are well aware of the bitter truth that cities and towns, across the globe, are the major contributors of the world’s waste. This certainly brings UN’s unique SDG 11, that aims to build "Sustainable Cities and Communities" into the picture. This SDG will definitely play a pivotal role in dealing with this landfill crisis. Due to overpopulation and urban expansion, the need for effective and efficient waste management and water resource management systems have become the need of the hour to minimize environmental disaster and health hazards.

Another key aspect of SDG 11 is the creation of a well-developed waste management infrastructure that can handle the demands of this rapidly growing population as well as urbanization. Smart IOT based water purifiers, STPs, WWTPs and WTPs can also help immensely in recycling the wastewater and purifying it for potable water, using a wide range of water purifiers and RO plants.

Incorporating SDGs into Water & Waste Retrofit Solutions-The Only Way Forward
Therefore, to actually address this serious issue of global landfill crisis, governments, corporations and civil societies should incorporate the SDGs into their waste management policies and practices. This requires a multi-stakeholder approach, where international cooperation, technological innovations, and community involvement work in tandem to promote sustainable waste management, especially through sustainable or responsible manufacturing practices, such as usage of sustainable recycling and composting. Also, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities adopted by companies also help in minimizing plastic waste, using recyclable materials, and implementing SDGs at the grassroot level in tackling the huge global landfill crisis engulfing the Earth!