Why do developed countries produce more waste?
Developed countries produce more waste per capita because they have higher levels of consumption. There are higher proportions of plastics, metals, and paper in the municipal solid waste stream and there are higher labour costs. As countries continue developing, there is a reduction in biological solid waste and ash.
Every year, thousands of shipping containers filled with recyclable waste are exported by wealthy countries to developing countries. This is because it is typically cheaper to export waste rather than develop local recycling infrastructures. It also reduces landfilling and can be lucrative for importers.
Rich societies generate more wastes because their citizens can afford to do without the leftovers, whether in the form of food, packaging, worn-out clothes, or energy.
As you'd expect of a country with a population of 1.4 billion, China produces the most municipal solid waste (over 15%). However, considering in terms of population, the US generates the most waste per person. The United States makes up around 5% of the world's population but produces 12% of the solid waste.
The higher a country's income level and rate of urbanization, the greater the amount of solid waste produced.
Food losses in industrialized countries are as high as in developing countries, but in developing countries more than 40% of the food losses occur at post-harvest and processing levels, while in industrialized countries, more than 40% of the food losses occur at retail and consumer levels.
In developed countries, an estimated 20 percent of food is wasted on the farm from improper or inadequate drying, storage, packaging and transportation.
Because the economies of developing countries are usually not as robust as the economies of countries such as the United States, people in these poorer countries tend to buy fewer products with less packaging, and they produce less waste than Americans or residents of other industrialized nations.
It is often cheaper for developed countries to ship containers of plastic waste halfway around the world to be “recycled” in developing countries than to deal with the trash themselves.
It is often cheaper for developed countries to ship containers of plastic waste halfway around the world to be “recycled” in developing countries than to deal with the trash themselves.
Why do developing countries produce less waste?
Because the economies of developing countries are usually not as robust as the economies of countries such as the United States, people in these poorer countries tend to buy fewer products with less packaging, and they produce less waste than Americans or residents of other industrialized nations.
What are the main sources of waste generation in developed countries such as the United States? The main sources of waste generation in developed countries are residences and commercial and institutional facilities.
Waste is exported because of this lack of capacity and because there is a demand for imports and profits can be made. Exporting plastic waste from the EU to non-EU countries for disposal is prohibited by EU law. For countries in Asia, imports are an option, as large amounts of plastic waste have an economic value.