Embracing Zero Waste as a Critical Tool for Addressing Climate Change: A Cross‐National Analysis of Mitigation Evidence

Global waste generation has become an increasing environmental pressure of the twenty‐first century, with humanity now producing between 2.1 and 2.3 billion tons of municipal solid waste annually. Without intervention, this figure is projected to reach 3.8 billion tons by 2050. 1 The World Bank reports waste generation reached 2.56 billion tons in 2022—years ahead of projections—and could reach 3.86 billion tons by 2050 if trends continue. 2 The crisis is most severe in Sub‐Saharan Africa and South Asia, where waste is rising fastest and collection infrastructure is weakest.