‘Don’t Waste Our Future’ theme of this year’s ISWA World Congress
The global event by the International Solid Waste Association will take place in Singapore from Sep 21-23
DON’T Waste Our Future is the theme of the 3-day International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) World Congress 2022 taking place in Singapore from Sep 21-23 at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre.
The global meeting is set to receive 1,000 foreign and local delegates. It also includes technical site visits and a cultural and social programme where professionals, government officials, industry leaders, academics, policymakers and scientists will exchange views on sustainable solid waste management.
The ISWA World Congress is a key international solid waste management event and this year, its 38th edition will be hosted by the Waste Management and Recycling Association of Singapore (WMRAS).
WMRAS was set up in 2001 as a not-for-profit trade association for solid waste management to advocate best practices, and to share and transfer knowledge between industry players, the government and community.
Key themes at this year’s 2022 ISWA World Congress include sustainability – even in waste management; circular economy; robotics; and blockchain.
The Congress will take place both on-site and online, reflecting the realities of the post-Covid world. Of the 1,000 in-person attendees, 60 per cent are expected to come from overseas.
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A highlight of the ISWA World Congress will be 35 booths on site, with a big Singapore Pavilion.
ISWA is an international network of waste professionals and experts whose mission is “to promote and develop sustainable and professional waste management worldwide and the transition to a circular economy”.
It hopes to achieve this by bringing together waste experts from around the world to network, create best practices, produce industry reports, as well publish its own scientific journal, Waste Management and Research.
This year’s Congress will highlight the human impact on the environment with targets to promote economic growth, increase efficiency in production and consumption, sustainably manage waste and resources, and to take action to tackle climate change.
ISWA also plans to release a white paper on available technologies in the field of waste to energy at the upcoming Congress. The white book on energy-from-waste (EfW) technologies will help stakeholders involved in the development of municipal waste management solutions in countries where EfW is not yet a familiar solution.
With the increasing number of large cities where waste collection and climate change are becoming major concerns, this project is one of the many urgent and positive solutions for the global community, says ISWA.
The association also plans to release a report on sustainable collection and transport technologies at the 2022 Congress. Led by the Working Group on Collection and Transportation Technologies and funded by the NVRD (Dutch Solid Waste Association), this project, launched following dialogue with international experts, aims to benchmark international best practices in collection and transport.
The project aims to find strategies to improve air quality within cities, through an analysis on low emissions or emissions-free vehicles. The focus of the work will be on developments and best practices in upper-middle income economies and high-income economies, says ISWA.
Financing waste management is another key issue, said the association. Studies show that waste generation could rise significantly in the coming decades, driven by population growth and increased affluence. The waste management industry provides adaptable and scaleable solutions suitable for different communities, and can meet the challenge of collecting, transporting, and treating this waste, while extracting value from it and utilising energy within it – all while minimising harm to people and the environment.
Several parts of the world, however, still lack well-functioning waste management services. Securing the funding to provide these services is a challenge, and only a small fraction of international development investment and aid goes towards waste management, says ISWA.
To increase funding for waste management services, the sector must demonstrate and communicate the value of sustainable and efficient waste management, and actively engage in making itself attractive to available financing mechanisms.
Other topics that will be discussed in the ISWA World Congress include sustainable living and sound decision-making in waste recovery, looking at developing a community waste recovery framework to conserve the ecosystem and enhance liveability. It will also explore key factors for the treatment or recycling of the different types of materials such as plastics, waste from electrical and electronic equipment, chemicals, organics, and so on.
On the circular economy and green financing, industry experts will look at the key building blocks and how we measure effectiveness, as well as how to pay for waste management and recycling.
Sessions on waste management through technology will explore technological adoption such as artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain and Internet of Things within the waste management industry.
According to a 2018 World Bank report titled What A Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050, waste generation rates are rising around the world. In 2020, the world was estimated to generate 2.24 billion tonnes of solid waste, equivalent to about 0.79 kg per person per day.
With rapid population growth and urbanisation, annual waste generation is expected to increase by 73 per cent from 2020 levels to 3.88 billion tonnes in 2050. Globally, less than 20 per cent of the waste generated is being recovered and recycled.
ISWA World Congress 2022, the organisation’s first physical event after 2 years, will be attended by delegates from around the world and features high-level plenaries on comprehensive programme in waste management and towards building a sustainable liveable future.
ISWA World Congress 2022 Sep 21-23, 2022 @ Sands Expo & Convention Centre Register now! https://iswa2022.org
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