Municipal Solid Waste Knowledge Platform

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), approximately one-third of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted (FAO 2011). This adds to existing pressures on land, water, and biodiversity and increases greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, affecting local resources and the global environment. Current estimated food loss and waste result in approximately 28% of the world’s agricultural lands being used to produce food that is never consumed by humans; generating about 8% of global GHG emissions annually; and resulting in roughly US$940 billion in economic losses globally per year (FAO 2015)To increase food availability, food loss and waste reduction is in principle far more efficient than expanding food production. The Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12) to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns includes a specific target (12.3) to halve per capita global food waste and reduce food losses by 2030. This target can also contribute to achieving other international aspirations, including the Zero Hunger Challenge and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In this context, the Municipal Solid Waste Initiative of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to reduce short-lived climate pollutants  works with its network members and others in preventing and reducing food loss and waste, including by setting up integrated solid waste management systems oriented towards resource and energy recovery. The Initiative promotes diversion of organic waste from landfills, which includes better food waste management through composting and anaerobic digestion, and adopting measures to capture and use methane from landfills and anaerobic digestion plants. These measures are part of the commitments on waste made by the high-level assembly of the CCAC during COP 23 in Bonn.This interactive session aims to inform stakeholders in government, business, academia and civil society about food loss and food waste prevention policies and practices experienced by select members of the CCAC Waste Initiative network.  The session aims to foster discussion on practical measures and policies cities and countries can adopt to implement a food loss and waste reduction programme in their jurisdiction in partnership with all key stakeholders. 

This UN Environment Assembly side event will focus on the importance of financing and developing locally appropriate, safe and sustainable waste management solutions for low income and lower-middle income economies. Furthermore, emphasis will be given to better communications and awareness-raising in order to tackle the problem at source by influencing consumption and production habits.

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition's Municipal Solid Waste Initiative held an invite-only workshop on reducing short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) from the solid waste sector in Latin American countries.  This event took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santiago, Chile, on April 24 and 25, 2017. The event served to forge new connections, promote South-South learning, stimulate the replication of success stories and launch the Regional Network of Cities in South America and Mexico for the reduction of short-lived climate pollutants emissions in the waste sector. The workshop also offered the participants training on how to use tools developed by the Waste Initiative and to review relevant aspects of organic waste management, financing,public-private partnerships and other key issues for project implementation. Finally, the workshop also offered participating cities the opportunity to input on key themes they would like to engage for collaboration in the regional network and to jointly explore effective options for continuing support.  Speaker presentations from the event as well as the Agenda are linked on the right-hand side of the page

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition's Municipal Solid Waste Initiative held an invite only workshop on reducing short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) from the solid waste sector in Latin American countries.  This event took place at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center in Washington D.C., USA, on March 31st and April 1st 2016, following the Global Methane Forum.  The event offered participants from Latin America training in the use of tools developed by the CCAC Municipal Solid Waste Initiative and an opportunity to learn from shared experiences of partners in the region. The workshop encouraged hands-on learning and incorporated a range of activities, including training, small breakout sessions, one-on-one work with experts, and a series of presentations and round table discussions. The goal of the workshop was to help participants develop a robust waste management workplan to achieve real reductions in short-lived climate pollutants from the solid waste sector and other development benefits.This workshop was a joint effort of CCAC Partners, led by Canada, Mexico, the United States of America, and C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40 Cities), in collaboration with the Global Methane Initiative (GMI) and other partners. Cities are some of the most important partners in addressing the complex set of issues that arise from the management of municipal solid waste.