By Brenna Timm
Our waste, whether it be electronics or dirty diapers, needs to be gotten rid of. There are creative solutions out there, but some places don’t have the resources to do it. There are countries around the world that have become dumping grounds for trash. This includes everything from e-waste to illegal dumping. An article from Atchuup covered 20 different countries the world uses as a landfill.
Global Waste Problem
For the most part, industrial countries are shipping their waste off to developing countries. With the exception of Sweden, the countries are struggling to manage the imported waste. Places like Ghana and China are receiving unwanted e-waste. These countries do their best to salvage usable materials, but sometimes that just isn’t enough. Whatever cannot be managed is incinerated or put in a landfill. Other countries are receiving unwanted waste. Indonesia does allow some metal scrapping under conditions, but other waste gets filtered in the country. The Philippines has received waste in a shipment that was supposed to be plastics. Somalia still has to manage hazardous waste left behind from a 2004 tsunami. Ivory Coast is subject to illegal dumping from multiple European countries, causing health issues and endangering lives.
There are smaller instances where we put our trash in a place it doesn’t belong. But the global scale of the waste issue is massive. Hundreds of thousands of tons are transported to other countries. Many of these countries do not have proper disposal technology. For America, both Haiti and Guinea have received our country’s waste by the shipload.
What can we do?
If you want to learn more about where the world’s waste goes, check out the article or its source, When On Earth. Also, check out our blogs on eco-friendly solutions, recycling, and green living. If you are in need of waste removal for renovations or cleaning, consider contacting Dumpster Rental to discuss your needs and options.