The Fate of the Earth and the Never-Ending Problem of Waste

Indonesian waste expert Professor Enri Damanhuri said that ”Waste is a source of energy that can be heated in the combustion process. He also said that there is already a lot of waste processing technology, but what is difficult is changing human behaviour in managing waste”.

Waste is something that is no longer used or no longer wanted. There are several types of waste that we often hear about or encounter, some of which are household waste, usually in the form of organic waste, such as food scraps, fruit peels, vegetables, leaves, twigs, flour, and inorganic waste such as plastic, used-up make-up items, and household furniture. 

Then, there is also industrial waste. Examples are solid waste, liquid waste, and gas waste. When it is no longer used or wanted, this waste will be thrown away, because it is considered useless. If this waste is not disposed of properly and then piles up in large quantities, it can cause various serious problems for the environment and human health. 

In recent decades, waste production has increased rapidly across the world, and there are no signs of it slowing down. More than two billion metric tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) are generated worldwide every year , and this figure is expected to increase by around 70 percent by 2050. 

With a population of more than 1.4 billion people – the largest in the world – China is responsible for the largest share of global municipal solid waste, around 15.5 percent, according to the latest data. This Asian country is estimated to generate more than 200 million metric tons of MSW per year. On the other side of the world, the United States generated around 12 percent of global MSW in 2018, while accounting for less than five percent of the global population.

The US is one of the large per capita generators of MSW, with the average American producing more than 800 kilograms of waste per year. However, among OECD countries, Denmark ranks as the top per capita waste producer, with 845 kilograms generated in 2022. This is nearly double the average per capita MSW in the EU. The high waste production of the Nordic country is attributed to a largely urban population combined with high purchasing power.

Some percentage of that global waste is cigarette butts. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the habit of littering cigarette butts is practised by millions of people. At least two-thirds of cigarette butts are found scattered on pavements or in gutters, and eventually end up in the ocean. Around 6 trillion cigarettes are produced every year and more than 90 percent of their filters contain plastic. This means that more than 1 million tons of plastic are produced from cigarettes every year. "Many smokers assume that cigarette filters are made of biodegradable or recyclable material. In fact, cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate (a type of plastic that takes about a decade to break down)," explained Elizabeth Smith, who works on tobacco control policy at the University of California San Francisco.

If we look at the data presented, it covers only the period from 2018 to 2022. What if the waste population continues to increase rapidly year after year, will we as inhabitants of the earth just remain silent? Meanwhile, humans are the main and very dominant factor influencing the largest percentage of waste, especially in countries with large populations and high levels of consumption. Will we just remain silent and become a burden to the earth? The data provided represents only a small part of the complexity of the global waste problem. If we analyse more deeply, the data produced will be much more than that.

The impacts that will occur in the future if we do not protect the environment from waste include a global health crisis through the spread of disease, and air and water pollution. It can also result in ecosystem damage, such as soil pollution, animal deaths, and forest destruction.

Public awareness of waste is still very lacking, because many people still do not realise the importance of protecting the environment. This is what causes many people to still litter, so that the environment becomes polluted. As humans, we need to raise our awareness of actions that could have fatal consequences for the future. 

Life is not only about us. It is also about the common good of the people (the shared interest) in the future. Will we be selfish and turn a blind eye to our own actions? Do we not think that life will continue onward? Where, if we keep being selfish, the next generation will one day feel the negative impact of the behaviour we engage in today. 

For example, if we pollute the environment by dumping waste into a river, and keep doing so continuously, the river will become polluted. If that happens, will our children and grandchildren be able to enjoy the beauty of the river that we have polluted? The answer is clearly no. This is because our actions are still far from being aware of the environmental pollution we are causing today.

Therefore, to prevent negative impacts that may occur in the future, we as a society should care about the environment. Caring for the environment can be done in various ways. Such as carrying out community work so that the environment is free from waste, separating organic and inorganic waste, turning organic waste into compost fertiliser, and many more. Then, the government should provide education about proper waste management to the public. And most importantly, that awareness should arise from our concern for the environment, and not merely because of coercion.