Background/Objectives

The municipal waste sector accounts for 11 percent of global methane emissions, and if the production, use, and management of plastic continues, plastic-related emissions alone could account for 10 to 13 percent of the world's remaining carbon budget by 2050. Improving solid waste management (SWM) and recycling systems in low- and middle-income countries can significantly reduce GHG emissions. Since 2019, the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Clean Cities, Blue Ocean (CCBO) program—the Agency’s global flagship program under the Save our Seas Initiative—has piloted new approaches to strengthen and decarbonize local SWM systems. In 2023, the program released a case study documenting how specific, relatively low-cost improvements have supported ten countries and more than 25 cities in Asia, Pacific Islands, Latin America, and the Caribbean to decarbonize SWM and contribute to national climate targets–while reducing ocean plastic pollution and other priority development objectives.

Approach/Activities

The program’s case study focuses on three pilot interventions in the Dominican Republic (DR), Peru, and Indonesia that include (1) remediating open dumpsites, (2) improving the efficiency of SWM systems, and (3) increasing plastic waste recovery rates. Remediating open dump sites can achieve the most significant GHG reductions by covering waste, as well as capturing landfill gas to produce energy and displace fossil energy sources. In the DR, CCBO supported the remediation of two open dumpsites, with the model being replicated among the country’s more than 400 dumpsites. In Peru, CCBO improved the efficiency of and emissions from SWM operations by optimizing waste collection and routing. These efficiencies also reduce cities’ waste operation costs and pollution. In Indonesia, the program reduced GHGs from plastic production by establishing and strengthening aggregation and recycling facilities. Landfilled plastics do not emit methane over time like organic waste, however, recycling or repurposing displaces new plastic materials that would otherwise be produced, significantly reducing GHG emissions downstream.

Results/Lessons Learned

By enhancing SWM systems and building circular economies, through these solutions, low- to middle-income countries are gaining significant GHG savings and contributing to efforts to decarbonize the global waste management sector. Through these methods, as of October 2023, the program has helped its focal countries safely manage the equivalent of nearly 8 billion plastic bottles and reduced GHG emissions equivalent to over 103,000 metric tons of CO2e. Key takeaways from the program’s pilots include understanding each country/city’s greatest opportunities to reduce SWM emissions; the importance of participation and ownership of local governments, communities, private enterprises, and the informal sector; tailored and scalable, locally appropriate solutions, systems, and assistance; and securing critical buy-in from key stakeholders.