Kurdistan Region waste crisis: More than 7,000 tons daily, ineffective collection methods

Shafaq News / On the occasion of World Cleanup Day, Aynda (Future) environmental organization in Al-Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), warned on Friday that the "waste crisis" has become one of the biggest environmental challenges in the Region.

The organization stated, "The global volume of municipal waste reached 2.1 billion tons in 2023, and it is expected to rise to 2.8 billion tons by 2050. Additionally, over 2 billion people worldwide lack waste collection services, and more than 3 billion people do not have adequate waste management facilities."

In the KRI, Aynda noted that "the problem of accumulating household and public waste is worsening, with daily waste exceeding 7,000 tons. Currently, waste is collected from homes and public places using traditional methods with minimal technology, reducing the effectiveness of recycling operations."

Regarding the challenges faced by the Region in managing the waste crisis, the organization pointed out that "the absence of recycling plants, along with the lack of effective waste disposal or incineration mechanisms, poses a huge environmental challenge for the KRI's residents, which may worsen in the future."

It is worth mentioning that the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 78/122 during its 78th session, designating September 20 each year as World Cleanup Day, an occasion commemorated annually to raise awareness about the dangers of environmental pollution.