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Waste

Waste can be a byproduct of industrial processes - or an item can become waste after it's been consumed. Waste - be it plastic, micro-plastic, radioactive, or otherwise toxic - can cause major environmental problems.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

Used motor oil is poured into a bottle.

Reducing the hazards of used engine oil by recycling it

Reducing the hazards of used engine oil by recycling it

Used engine oil is an environment hazard. But in Uganda, entrepreneurs are exploring ways of recycling it - such as using chemical processes to clean it up for reuse in automotives.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 8, 202404:31 min
Workers in Malaysia open the doors of a plastics waste shipment

Malaysia struggles to halt European plastic waste imports

Malaysia struggles to halt European plastic waste imports

Malaysia is one of Europe's top dumping grounds for plastic waste. Will the EU's upcoming export ban make a difference?
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 3, 2024
Electronic waste of computers, printers, and wires

E-waste from AI computers could 'escalate beyond control'

E-waste from AI computers could 'escalate beyond control'

Researchers predicting a 1,000-fold increase in e-waste from AI computers by 2030 have called for recycling strategies.
ScienceOctober 28, 2024
Geflügelfarm

Zambian ecopreneur builds incubators from waste material

Zambian ecopreneur builds incubators from waste material

Zambian ecopreneur builds incubators from waste material
TechnologyOctober 17, 202403:54 min
DW Eco India 11.10.24

India: Chennai initiative promotes recycling

India: Chennai initiative promotes recycling

A women-led initiative is encouraging the public to properly collect, separate and recycle their waste.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 11, 202407:30 min
The image shows Limpho Thoahlane and some kids standing by a machine that breaks down the plastic into smaller pieces

Lesotho activist challenges youth to tackle plastic waste

Lesotho activist challenges youth to tackle plastic waste

Educator Limpho Thoahlane set up her own recycling station, teaching young people how to deal with plastic pollution.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 10, 202406:12 min
Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

Piles of grabage lying open near residential areas in Karachi, Pakistan

Pakistan: What's behind the 'unsolvable' garbage crisis?

The massive trash problem in Karachi is causing acute health problems, both for adults and children.
SocietyOctober 8, 202403:01 min
Red Cross volunteers carry the body of a victim retrieved from the site of a garbage dump landslide

Uganda ponders lessons from deadly garbage landslide

A tragedy at Kampala's Kiteezi landfill has highlighted the urgent need for better waste management solutions in Uganda.
CatastropheAugust 21, 2024
Rescuers work at the site of a landslide at Kiteezi landfill in Kampala, Uganda.

Uganda: Death toll rises after landslide at rubbish dump

At least 24 people are confirmed dead after a landslide at a landfill site at the edge of Uganda's capital, Kampala.
CatastropheAugust 13, 202401:51 min
Fruit packaged in plastic or arranged in cardboard boxes

Shopping showdown — what's greener, plastic or paper?

Paper packaging is more environmentally friendly than plastic, right? But it's not so simple.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 24, 2024
A landfill in front of smokestacks

How European trash illegally ends up in Southeast Asia

The illegal waste trade from Europe to Southeast Asia has emerged as a highly profitable, low-risk criminal enterprise.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 17, 2024
A waste dump with used clothes in Java, Indonesia

Fast fashion: France seeks to slow down wasteful industry

France is working on a new law that is calling for companies to disclose the environmental impact of their products.
BusinessApril 8, 2024
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