Close the Dumpsites

SWANA Supports ISWA’s Close the Dumpsites Campaign

SWANA supports the International Solid Waste Association’s (ISWA) Close the Dumpsites campaign. This initiative has the potential to become a global movement that will result in substantial health, environmental and economic benefits for millions of people.

People from more than 50 nations already signed ISWA’s declaration to close open dumpsites, among them some ministers and members of parliament.

#ClosingDumpsites: Some of the World’s Most Dangerous Places

On October 23, 2018, at a special session organized by ISWA’s Working Group on Landfill, James Law and the rest of ISWA’s Task Force on Closing Dumpsites presented their findings. It is abundantly clear from the case studies of Brasilia, Brazil; Vienna, Austria; Belgrade, Serbia; and others that closing dumpsites contributes significantly to reducing greenhouse gas emission. That is why the dumpsites will be a top-priority of ISWA over the coming years.

ISWA’s vision is a cleaner, healthier planet where all waste is managed sustainably. All people on earth should have the right to enjoy an environment with clean air, water, and soils. This is why ISWA is taking action to close the world’s waste dumpsites. Unregulated waste dumpsites still receive 40 percent of the world’s waste and represent one of the planets most substantial environmental challenges. ISWA will utilize its large pool of experts, and cooperate with partners such as SWANA, CCAC, UNEP and others, in order to support cities to design tailor-made waste management solutions.

SWANA would like to encourage all members to support the work of ISWA’s Task Force by sharing their work, donating to the cause, or simply keeping informed. You can do all of this at closingdumpsites.iswa.org.

How You Can Support the Closure of the World’s Biggest Dumpsites

In 2019, ISWA embarked on an ambitious global project to support the closure of the world’s dumpsites. Now the real work begins.

ISWA’s Task Force on Closing Dumpsites will assess local situations and consider the most appropriate solutions to closing dumpsites in a way which does not have a negative impact on those whose livelihood currently depend on them. the Task Force will develop action plans for some of the largest and most dangerous dumpsites worldwide. And this is where you can help. The Task Force needs financial support to extend this project worldwide and support further municipalities across Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

Your donation will help ISWA’s Task Force on Closing Dumpsites to concentrate on the most vulnerable sites in the world, which will have a profound effect on the lives of those who live in or around them. After all, this is about people! Closing dumpsites will create jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and will remove some of the most vulnerable in society from a position where they depend on informally collecting garbage. This is not just about better waste management, it is about lifting people from some of the most deprived workplaces in the world.