Pillar 2

Waste

Waste generation is increasing globally and is expected to reach 3.4 billion tons per year by 2050.80,81 In addition to causing soil, air and water pollution, waste also produces 3% of total global GHG emissions and 20% of global methane emissions,82 mainly due to landfilling.

By delivering aid, humanitarian organisations produce waste such as packaging, e-waste, garage waste and medical waste. Among Climate Action Accelerator’s partners, this waste represents up to 3.5% of GHG emissions.83 Though this is a relatively small percentage compared to the emissions from the production process itself, captured in the “procurement” category, it nevertheless is an area where there is potential.

Waste management systems are often disrupted and/or inefficient in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where humanitarians often operate. As a result, most of the waste is dumped84 or burnt. The waste produced in delivering humanitarian assistance needs to be handled appropriately to avoid creating health and environmental hazards for communities: it is as much an accountability issue as a climate and environment issue.

Priority actions for organisations:

Avoiding and reducing

The waste generated by programmes, offices and warehouses as well as during events/training sessions. These actions should be embedded in waste reduction policies which can help support organisations’ efforts to plan for and to monitor the impact of waste reduction strategies.85

  • Refuse unnecessary items (e.g. donations).
  • Avoid items with a close expiry date.
  • Purchase high-quality and more durable items with a longer lifespan.
  • Ensure that items can be repaired locally.
  • Eliminate unnecessary packaging.
  • Refuse goods with single-use packaging86 when it does not affect the quality of the item delivered, opting for reusable items etc.

Ensuring proper waste collection

Even though part of the waste is no longer accessible to organisations after items have been distributed, organisations should at least ensure that the waste generated is properly collected, so that it can be responsibly managed (e.g. the collection of humanitarian assistance packaging waste at distribution sites).

Sorting and recycling

Each type of waste needs to be managed in a specific way and sorting ensures that each type is treated appropriately.87 It may be possible to compost organic waste or reuse88/repurpose89 or recycle waste locally.90 Identifying treatment/recycling opportunities by waste stream is essential.91 Particular care should be taken with hazardous (e.g. used oil and batteries from vehicles, or medical waste) and electronic waste (e.g. phones and computers). This should be collected, labelled, and stored in appropriate containers, separated to limit contamination. While options for these waste streams are limited, opportunities for recycling or co-processing92 should be explored.93

Managing end-of-life waste in humanitarian settings

Can be particularly challenging given the absence of sanitary landfills or environmentally sustainable incinerators in most contexts.

  • Organisations should ensure that local waste collection companies dispose of the waste in appropriate facilities called “sanitary landfills” (e.g. ones that are inspected, in a fenced-off location) in according with local legislation.
  • A clause can be added to contracts with waste collection companies, asking to provide certification wherever possible as well as to carry out visits of the disposal site.

Reducing humanitarian organisations’ environmental and climate footprint related to waste is a cross-cutting responsibility and requires procurement, administrative and programme functions to work together.94,95

The humanitarian community (organisations and donors) should take responsibility for the waste and local pollution generated by humanitarian action. They should increase their support for waste treatment, recycle locally, and collaborate with governments and communities whenever possible

Climate Action Accelerator’s solutions resources:

“Factsheet:WasteManagement”,https://climateactionaccelerator.org/solution-areas/waste_management_principles_life_cycle/, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

“Factsheet: Recycling”, https://climateactionaccelerator.org/solutions/recycle-waste-developing-countries/, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

Other resources:

Environmental Emergencies Centre: “Disaster Waste Management: Best Practices and Tools”, https://eecentre.org/training/, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternative (GAIA): “Zero waste to zero emissions: how reducing waste is a climate gamechanger”, 2022, https://www.no-burn.org/zerowaste-zero-emissions/, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

ICRC & Fleet Forum, “Guidance on management of garage and fleet waste”, https://knowledge.fleetforum.org/knowledge-base/article/icrc-shares-garage-waste-management-research, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

IFRC, “Green Logistics Guide”, The European Union, 2023, https://www.ifrc.org/document/green-logistics-guide , (Accessed 23 May 2024).

IFRC, “Managing Solid Waste: Sector Specific Guidelines for the Red Cross Red Crescent”, OCHA, 2022, https://reliefweb.int/report/world/managing-solid-waste-sector-specific-guidelines-red-cross-red-crescent, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

Joint Initiative for Sustainable Humanitarian Assistance Packaging Waste Management, “Managing Packaging Waste Sustainably: Palladium’s experience”, 2023, https://eecentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Palladium-Case-Study-Managing-Packaging-Waste-Sustainably.pdf, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

Joint Initiative for Sustainable Humanitarian Assistance Packaging Waste Management, “Managing Packaging Waste Sustainably: Shelter Box’s experience in removing single use plastics from distributions”, 2022, https://resources.eecentre.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2022/10/Compendium-of-Best-Practice-ShelterBox-Case-Study_ENG_508.pdf?_gl=1*9hoqp5*, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

Joint Initiative for Sustainable Humanitarian Assistance Packaging Waste Management, “Managing Packaging Waste Sustainably: Replacing plastics with cardboard in Afghanistan, ICRC”, 2022, https://eecentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ICRC-Afghanistan-Case-Study_ENG_508.pdf, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

WREC, “Measuring the Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Waste from Humanitarian Supply Chains”, Kuhne Logistics University and Center for Humanitarian Logistics and Regional Development, 2024, https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/logcluster-production-files/public/2024-02/V03_WREC_Final%20report_14.02.24.pdf, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

World Bank, “What a Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050”, Urban Development Series, 2018, https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2018/09/20/global-waste-to-grow-by-70-percent-by-2050-unless-urgent-action-is-taken-world-bank-report, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

WREC, “Advice On Minimising Waste in The Event Of An Acute Emergency”, RĂ©seau Environnement Humanitaire, 2023, https://www.environnementhumanitaire.org/en/ressource/wrec-poster-advice-on-minimising-waste-in-the-event-of-an-acute-emergency-november-2023/, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

WREC, “Quick Guide to Solid Waste Management”, RĂ©seau Environnement Humanitaire, 2023, https://www.environnementhumanitaire.org/en/ressource/wrec-quick-guide-on-waste-management-august-2023/, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

WREC, “Environmental Sustainability in Humanitarian Supply Chains – Training Landscape Mapping”, Logistics Cluster, 2024, https://logcluster.org/en/document/wrec-environmental-sustainability-humanitarian-supply-chains-training-landscape-mapping, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

WREC, “Waste Management Facilities Mapping”, https://logie.logcluster.org/?op=wrec, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Emergency Preparedness Section, ‘Disaster Waste Management Guidelines, UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit, 2013, https://eecentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Disaster-Waste-Management-Guidelines-6.pdf, (Accessed 23 May 2024).​

Pillar 1
Pillar 3

Best Viewed on Desktop

This website is designed for desktop use and may not display or function optimally on mobile devices. For the best experience, please access it on a larger screen.