China may produce twice as much municipal waste as US by 2030

LONDON: China may produce twice as much municipal solid waste as the US by 2030, an Indian-origin expert has said, while also predicting a two-fold increase in the USD 1 trillion waste management industry by 2020.

Speaking at the launch of his book 'Recycling our Future - A Global Strategy' at Sheraton Hotel here last night, Ranjit S Baxi, who has spent more than 30 years studying waste management around the world, said, "China has been the world's largest generator of waste since 2004, overtaking the US."

It is estimated that it will probably be producing twice as much municipal solid waste as America by 2030. Malaysia on the other hand has begun to introduce regulations requiring community collection programmes while Thailand and Indonesia have nothing at a significant level, he said.

Baxi, who is also the President of the World Punjabi Organisation and founder chairman of the J and H Sales, winner of the Queen's Award for Enterprise, said, "While some countries in Asia and Africa may have been left behind when it comes to recycling technology, these regions hold an important key to the future of the global waste management."

"Recycling our Future" provides an insight into the challenges facing the industry and individuals, he said.

"Fine resources are being eroded as the world's growing and increasingly affluent population demands a better standard of living with bigger houses, new TVs, computers," Baxi said, adding, "waste is a valuable raw material when treated correctly but a hazard when neglected".

Baxi, a highly regarded authority on the industry and Treasurer of the Bureau of International Recycling, warned of illegal shipments of waste continuing unabated and highlighted the pressures facing governments and the industry.

He noted that one of the challenges today is for the waste generator to understand how the end user of that waste can best utilise it with the minimum cost on all sides.

"The aim of course is for 100 per cent usage of what we send to a re-processor, but if we don't supply it in the right format largely free from contaminants then the waste will either have to be retreated or thrown in a landfill," he said.

Noting that the waste management market is a USD 1 trillion industry which could double by 2020, Baxi said the biggest opportunity has to be in the emerging countries of Asia, Africa and South America.

Baxi suggested setting up of a series of EcoHubs within each country as a way of tackling the waste we create.

"The EcoHub should be created to cater for a waste collection zone of one to two million people which would generate enough material to support the hub," he said.