World Faces Mounting Waste Crisis as Volumes Surge

New World Bank report reveals global municipal solid waste could grow 50% by 2050, with fastest increases in Africa and South Asia.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 3:19am

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The world is facing a growing crisis in managing its mounting volumes of municipal solid waste, driven by rapid population growth, urbanization, rising incomes, and increased consumption. According to a new World Bank report, global solid waste generation could surge 50% by 2050, with the fastest growth projected in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Currently, about 30% of global waste is still openly dumped or left uncollected, posing major risks to local economies, public health, and the environment.

Why it matters

Waste has become a major global challenge, with local impacts that reverberate worldwide. Plastic pollution in rivers reaches the oceans, methane from decomposing waste escapes into the atmosphere, and open burning pollutes the air. Addressing the waste crisis will require significant, sustained investment, but the costs of inaction are even higher - from worsened flooding and pollution to declining property values and missed economic opportunities.

The details

The World Bank's "What a Waste 3.0" report, drawing on data from 217 countries and 262 cities, provides a framework for understanding how policy choices could shape the future of global waste. Achieving universal and sustainable waste collection and management will require steady public spending of 0.3-0.8% of GDP. However, the report also highlights the potential to turn the waste challenge into an opportunity, by expanding collection, improving treatment, and unlocking millions of jobs across the waste value chain.

  • In 2022, the world generated 2.6 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste.
  • Total waste volumes could soar to 3.9 billion tonnes by 2050 - a 50% increase.

The players

World Bank Group

The world's largest official development financier of solid waste management, providing concessional finance, private capital solutions, and deep sector knowledge to support reform and investment.

Ming Zhang

World Bank Group Director, Global Department for Urban, Subnational Finance, Tourism and Disaster Management Infrastructure, Vice Presidency.

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What they’re saying

“Solid waste is one of the most visible by-products of human prosperity—and one of the most underestimated threats to our shared future.”

— Ming Zhang, World Bank Group Director, Global Department for Urban, Subnational Finance, Tourism and Disaster Management Infrastructure, Vice Presidency

What’s next

The World Bank Group stands ready to help countries and cities turn the waste challenge into an opportunity for resilient, inclusive growth through concessional finance, private capital solutions, and deep sector knowledge.

The takeaway

Addressing the global waste crisis will require significant, sustained investment, but the costs of inaction are even higher. With strategic action, countries can cap waste generation, expand collection, improve treatment, and unlock millions of jobs in the waste value chain, turning a mounting crisis into an opportunity for resilient, inclusive growth.