Jose Uribe
Operations Director, ISWA
The ISWA Latin American Chapter met recently in Buenos Aires, together with the ISWA Board, to discuss the regional challenges and context of the industry, and was also present at IFAT Brasil – the latest regional IFAT edition. There was a lively exchange of information and experiences on the activities at local and regional level, as well as the European perspective on waste management and the state of recycling in general. The presentation of the ISWA’s latest global report, in collaboration with UNEP, the Global Waste Management Outlook 2024 gave the overview of the overall challenge for the current industry – to shift the paradigm to a circular model or otherwise face a future full of waste and unsustainable environmental impacts.
Different immediate actions are necessary for this in the varying regions and contexts across the world. In a world where 38% of waste is still not managed properly, the focus for South America is still on trying to close the remaining dumpsites and transition to sanitary landfills. Once that is done, operators can start upgrading the technologies and options available including plastic recycling and composting. This essential message from the region to the international processes such as the UNFCCC COPs, in which ISWA represents the industry with a differentiated message appropriate to each region as well as the overall goal to promote the further inclusion of waste management KPIs in the nationally determined contributions.
Meetings and conferences like the one in Buenos Aires, as well as exhibitions like IFAT Brasil, are essential components of the platform that allow ISWA to act and represent the waste and resources with one voice and a coherent message that takes into account the different needs and priorities that countries face in their particular waste management context. IFAT 2024 in Munich will similarly provide a stage and platform to gain further insights into the European context. With similar processes in Asia and Africa, ISWA will be able to bring together the regional perspectives at the World Congress in Cape Town (dates) and so prepare for its ongoing engagement with the COP29, but also the meetings of the INC to help develop a Treaty to Ban Plastic Pollution in way that makes sense and takes into account the realities of the different parts of the world.
Many thanks go to our tireless national and board members without whom all this would not be possible. ISWA’s energy is their energy. Specifically, ISWA and the board would like to thank Marcelo Rosso, Atilio Savino and Lucia Barcia for their organization of the events in Buenos Aires, as well as their contribution to the sessions and exhibition in Sao Paulo, which would also not be possible without the generous sponsorship and support from the IFAT Exhibitions and Messe Munchen.
