Articles

• Atlas on waste management and climate change mitigation
  8 July 2025, by Pauline

  This publication is produced in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD) and with the support of the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) working group on Waste Management and Climate Change.
  As the next generation of NDCs takes shape ahead of COP30 and ambitions must rise, waste management remains an overlooked yet powerful lever for mitigation.
  Produced by the French Solid Waste Partnership (FSWP) with contributions from the French Development Agency (AFD) and the (…)

• Waste Management to Address the Climate Crisis
  2 July 2025, by Pauline

  “By improving waste management, we can prevent up to 20% of the total anthropogenic GHG emissions in the world—one of the most significant opportunities for climate mitigation available today.” (ISWA, 2024, COP29 Declaration). This publication uncovers the pivotal role waste management can play in addressing the climate crisis, exploring 3 crucial levers of GHG emissions reduction: technical, regulatory and financial.
  As the climate crisis grows more urgent and international Climate (…)

• MOOC: Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries
  25 February 2025, by Pauline

  Learn about the key elements of a solid waste management system, with a focus on challenges of and solutions for urban settlements of low and middle income countries. All of this with numerous case examples from around the globe and lots of fun!
  Have you come across large piles of garbage in neighborhoods and streets, or smelly waste disposal sites polluting the environment of low and middle income countries? Are you also convinced that improvements are necessary and do you want to know (…)

• Throwing away our health - The impacts of solid waste on human health
  17 December 2025, by Pauline

  This document summarizes current knowledge on the links between solid waste and human health, focusing on municipal solid waste. World Health Organization, 2025.
  It covers definitions of waste types, management practices and trends, and examines associated hazards, exposure pathways, and affected populations.
  The document reviews available epidemiological evidence and highlights research gaps. It underscores the need for sustainable, integrated waste management, stronger governance, (…)

• What a Waste 3.0
  24 March, by Lucia Lopez

  Published by the World Bank Group, What a Waste 3.0 is the third edition of a global series dedicated to municipal solid waste management at the global level.
  Building on the 2012 and 2018 editions, this report provides an updated and expanded analysis based on the most recent publicly available data, covering 217 countries and economies and 262 cities. It compiles structured information on waste generation, composition, collection, treatment, and disposal, as well as on regulatory (…)

• Global Waste Management Outlook
  6 September 2015, by Philippe

  UNEP, ISWA, 2015
  Good decision-making about how we manage the waste we create is one of the most important contributions humanity can make to reducing its impact on the natural world. The Global Waste Management Outlook (GWMO) is being released at a critical moment, one where the world is considering a new regime to keep global warming to below 2 degrees above pre-industrial temperatures, and, at the same time, discussing what the future development agenda will look like and how it will (…)

• Transfer of waste and plastics in aquatic environments
  20 May 2024, by Pauline

  From rivers, lakes and their watersheds, from springs to mouths (brackish waters and estuaries), right down to the oceans, aquatic ecosystems are threatened by increasing pollution from waste.
  The situation is alarming: 80% of marine waste comes from land-based activities, representing a flow of 1 million tonnes per year, which is likely to triple over the next 20 years. In order to slow down this alarming prognosis, and implement concrete measures, it is essential to gain a better (…)

• Changer d’échelle : 40 propositions pour une industrie circulaire
  9 June 2023, by Philippe

  Rapport de l’Institut national de l’économie circulaire (INEC) remis à Bérangère Couillard, secrétaire d’État chargée de l’Écologie le 9 juin 2023.
  La remise de ces 40 propositions a lieu quelques semaines après la présentation du projet de loi Industrie verte en conseil des ministres et juste avant l’examen du texte au Sénat.
  L’INEC a déjà fait part de sa déception quant à l’absence de prise en compte des contraintes liées aux ressources naturelles et à la sécurisation des (…)

• Towards Zero Waste: a catalyst for delivering the Sustainable Development Goals
  24 September 2025, by Pauline

  Waste management is a central challenge for sustainable development. The UNEP report “Towards Zero Waste” shows how better waste management can unlock progress across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  This 2023 report highlights waste management as a critical driver for achieving the SDGs.
  It shows how unsustainable resource use and mismanaged waste exacerbate poverty, inequality, health risks, and environmental degradation. It calls for a transition to zero-waste societies (…)

• Intégration des acteurs informels dans les projets de gestion des déchets dans les pays émergents
  17 November 2021, by Philippe

  Guide méthodologique. Archipel&Co pour l’Agence français de développement, novembre 2021.
  Ce guide méthodologique a pour objectif de mettre en lumière les bonnes pratiques permettant de collaborer avec les acteurs informels présents sur la filière de traitement des déchets (récupérateurs et pré-collecteurs) dans les zones d’intervention de l’AFD. Il entend promouvoir une approche innovante et inclusive de ceux que l’on appelle communément les chiffonniers.
  Les solutions identifiées (…)