President’s comment

TACKLING OUR GROWING WASTE CRISIS

To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan,

and not quite enough time.” – Leonard Bernstein

Dear Members,

elcome back, and I wish you all

Wa happy and prosperous new year. The ‘Year of the Tiger’ is bound to be a much better year for all, with activities at the IWMSA already in full swing, and a determination to build on our successes of 2021.

We appear to be moving into a period that seems to be closer to resembling some kind of ‘normality’, and we must realise now, more than ever before, that every single one of us can make a difference to our collective waste footprint. Rampant consumerism is destroying our planet, with humankind depleting available natural resources at a much faster rate than can be sustained, despite all the publicity and awareness around these matters we have seen over a number of years.

A mammoth task

I was recently interviewed on the subject of textile and fashion waste, and was bleakly reminded of the mammoth task ahead of us when considering the reality of the waste crisis we are in. Globally, over 90 million tonnes of textile waste is generated every year, resulting in a garbage truck of textile waste arriving at a landfill every second. The fashion industry directly contributes to some 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and 20% of global wastewater.

Even more frightening is the fact that, on average, people are purchasing 60% more clothing than they did 15 years ago; it is estimated that, globally, around 56 million tonnes of clothing is purchased each year, and this is expected to increase to 93 million tonnes by 2030, and 160 million tonnes by 2050, according to BBC Future.

This is just one example of the rapidly increasing global waste problem we are faced with, and the reality is that while the global economic and environmental playing fields remain uneven, it simply cannot be resolved, and the negative externalities will be felt more and more by developing countries.

This also highlights the massive waste management challenge we are faced with, necessitating significant investment and expenditure, at much higher levels than have previously been anticipated or budgeted for.

The private sector will have a significant role to play, and government will need to seriously look at ways of enhancing the attractiveness of investment in the waste sector if we are to have any hope.

Let’s get involved

At ground level, many individuals ask, “But what can we do?” As Nelson Mandela said, “You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself.” By simply implementing some of the basic principles of a circular economy in our own lives, being serious about reducing unnecessary consumption, minimising waste and extending the useful life of products – including repurposing and recycling where we can – we will go a long way to alleviating the devastating environmental effects of our ‘takemake-waste’ society.

I would like to take the opportunity of urging you all to get involved and participate in the IWMSA this year, by coming forward and taking part in our activities and actively working with or on our branch committees, which will soon be due for election. We cannot make a success of our organisation without the support and dedicated involvement of our members, particularly at regional or branch level.

After four years of absence due to cancellation in 2020, we also have the not-to-be-missed 25th edition of WasteCon being planned for 18 to 20 October, and are working on a much improved and coordinated training roll-out. We also recently held a successful strategic workshop with our regional branch managers, and the team is ready to build on their achievements of recent years and take the IWMSA to the next level.

We look forward to seeing you all, in person, soon.

Brendon Jewaskiewitz, President, IWMSA

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