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Waste

Waste can be a byproduct of industrial processes - or an item can become waste after it's been consumed. Waste - be it plastic, micro-plastic, radioactive, or otherwise toxic - can cause major environmental problems.

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All Content on this topic

A man in a welding mask melts an iron rod over a blazing fire in Burundi.

Metal recycling in Burundi protects water from toxic waste

Scrap metal collectors in Burundi are helping to keep water clean and creating useful products. 
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 20, 202406:15 min
A man in India's Tamil Nadu state walks past a solar panel

India: The hidden cost of Tamil Nadu's solar boom

Tamil Nadu's solar revolution is a green success story, but what happens to discarded solar panels?
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 18, 202405:38 min
Two outstreched hands in white rubber laboratory gloves - the right hand holds coarsely chopped eggshells, the left hand holds eggshells finely ground into dust.

Ugandan entrepreneurs turn waste eggshells to profit

Kampala businesses are cutting waste AND profiting, producing building materials and food supplements – from eggshells!
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 17, 202405:03 min
A woman stands on top of a gigantic garbage mountain of fast fashion clothes in Kenya.

Kenyan influencer fights fast fashion waste reel by reel

Social media influencer Janet Chemitei draws attention to textile waste and fashion industry pollution.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 16, 202405:18 min
Waste pickers Salmaa and Usmaan Sheikh search for recyclable materials at a landfill site on the outskirts of Jammu, India, during a heatwave. Sheikh and his family are among the millions of people in India who earn their living by searching for and selling recyclable waste.

Plastic pollution: No end in sight to growing problem

Plastic waste is everywhere — production is growing rapidly, and with it the dangers for people and the environment.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 15, 20249 images
DW Eco Africa (Sendungslogo Composite)

From clean streets to clean air — Eco Africa

Repurposing trash, rejecting fast fashion, reducing carbon emissions in construction— the many benefits of green living.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 12, 202426:04 min
A woman walks on a landfill site

In India, Gurugram's citizens lead waste cleanup revolution

Hotels and housing complexes have fueled a trash crisis in the Indian city of Gurugram, but residents are taking action.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 12, 202405:53 min
A worker at a solid waste recycling plant sorts plastic in Mexico, surrounded by piles of trash

Why Mexico imports thousands of tons of US plastic garbage

It's a legitimate business, but what's the impact of importing hundreds of thousands of tons of plastic waste?
BusinessDecember 9, 202412:53 min
People pose for a photograph during a thrift and upcycle show in Accra.

Ghana's designers fight fast fashion waste

Hundreds of tons of secondhand clothing end up in Ghana every day. But designers are actively fighting the problem.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 7, 20249 images
Young activist Ketsia talks to rapper Shiii about climate change.

Congolese activist shifts climate views with collective acts

In Kinshasa, a young activist is working to change attitudes to waste and the climate crisis.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 6, 202404:45 min
DW Eco India (Sendungslogo Composite)

How to fight pollution

From waste management in Gurugram to tackling sulfur pollution, or saving Dal Lake – how ordinary people bring change.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 5, 202426:04 min
People march with a banner calling for a drastic reduction in plastic

Why plastic production is hard to stop

In suing ExxonMobil, California has highlighted the connection between fossil fuel companies and plastic waste.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 2, 2024
Peaple in wet suits carry a collection of plastic waste they collected on the beach

Plastic pollution ban fails, time needed says chair

Negotiators meeting in South Korea failed to sign a treaty curbing plastic waste after two years of discussions.
Nature and EnvironmentDecember 1, 2024
DW Eco Africa (Sendungslogo Composite)

Collective action for the climate — Eco Africa

Football and rap for climate care. Green travel and better air in Senegal. Ghana’s pioneering waste-to-energy plant.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 28, 202426:04 min
A man pushes his bicycle along a road flooded with rain in Lagos, Nigeria.

Flood awareness and alleviation in Nigeria

Cleaning up clogged drainage channels could curb the impact of flooding in and around Lagos.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 25, 202405:51 min
People on boats collect recyclable plastics from the heavily polluted Citarum River at Batujajar in Bandung, West Java

Can a global treaty clean up plastic waste?

The final round of negotiations for a global plastics treaty will look to rapidly cut surging plastic pollution.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 25, 2024
Fokus Berlin Tegel

Focus on Europe — Spotlight on People

Problems persist in Germany's largest refugee shelter.
SocietyNovember 21, 202426:04 min
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

Second life for defunct devices in the EU — Global Us

The EU wants to see more old electrical devices being repaired, and quarry work is killing people in India.
HealthNovember 18, 202426:04 min
Used motor oil is poured into a bottle.

Reducing the hazards of used engine oil by recycling it

Used engine oil is an environment hazard. But in Uganda, entrepreneurs are exploring ways of recycling it - such as using chemical processes to clean it up for reuse in automotives.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 8, 202404:31 min
Workers in Malaysia open the doors of a plastics waste shipment

Malaysia struggles to halt European plastic waste imports

Malaysia is one of Europe's top dumping grounds for plastic waste. Will the EU's upcoming export ban make a difference?
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 3, 2024
DW Eco India (Sendungslogo Composite)

Eco India: Waste — what to do with it?

Billions of tons of waste are produced each year. What can we do about it?
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 31, 202426:04 min
Electronic waste of computers, printers, and wires

E-waste from AI computers could 'escalate beyond control'

Researchers predicting a 1,000-fold increase in e-waste from AI computers by 2030 have called for recycling strategies.
ScienceOctober 28, 2024
DW Eco India (Sendungslogo Composite)

Eco India: Tech changing how we live and farm

As climate change affects farming and food production, how can technology help us to adapt?
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 24, 202426:04 min
Geflügelfarm

Zambian ecopreneur builds incubators from waste material

Zambian ecopreneur builds incubators from waste material
TechnologyOctober 17, 202403:54 min
DW Eco India 11.10.24

India: Chennai initiative promotes recycling

A women-led initiative is encouraging the public to properly collect, separate and recycle their waste.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 11, 202407:30 min
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

Rise of drug cartels in Ecuador

Drug cartels in Ecuador are gaining influence, and why forest dieback could lead to healthier ecosystems.
BusinessOctober 11, 202426:04 min
DW Eco India (Sendungslogo Composite)

Eco India: Recycle, repair, renew!

From electronic scrap to sewage, we explore how global innovations are tackling waste and promoting recycling.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 10, 202426:04 min
The image shows Limpho Thoahlane and some kids standing by a machine that breaks down the plastic into smaller pieces

Lesotho activist challenges youth to tackle plastic waste

Educator Limpho Thoahlane set up her own recycling station, teaching young people how to deal with plastic pollution.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 10, 202406:12 min
Afrimaxx: The image shows Nigerian fashion designer Dimeji Ilori.

Nigerian fashion — where style meets sustainability

For Dimeji Ilori textile waste provides a veritable treasure trove for his fabulous sartorial creations.
DesignOctober 10, 202405:51 min
A pile of electronic waste

Malawi: Building water pumps from electronic waste

In Malawi, one young man is using electronic waste to create cost-effective water pumps for farmers.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 10, 202404:32 min
Piles of grabage lying open near residential areas in Karachi, Pakistan

Pakistan: What's behind the 'unsolvable' garbage crisis?

The massive trash problem in Karachi is causing acute health problems, both for adults and children.
SocietyOctober 8, 202403:01 min
Two tourists paddle a kayak across a Copenhagen waterway.

How Denmark's capital Copenhagen is built on trust

Nowhere else in Europe do people seem to trust each other more than in Denmark.
SocietyOctober 8, 202404:45 min
DW Eco India (Sendungslogo Composite)

Eco India: Circular economy, circular thinking

Used car tires, old plastic products or electronic waste: Repurposing is good for the environment and the economy.
Nature and EnvironmentOctober 3, 202426:04 min
A male artist weaves can waste into portraits in Nigeria.

Nigerian artist weaving waste into stunning portrait

Chibuike Ifedilichukwu produces colorful life-size portraits of amazing quality, using waste from the streets.
ArtsOctober 1, 202402:04 min
Two women peel cassava with a large knife and collect the husk in silver tubs in Ghana.

Finding new uses for waste products

Ghana's Climate Innovation Centre acts as an incubator for green start-ups.
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 20, 202405:15 min
DW Eco Africa (Sendungslogo Composite)

When technology and nature work hand in hand — Eco Africa

In Ghana start-ups are finding inventive uses for agricultural waste; Senegal’s ‘agri-influencers’.
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 19, 202426:04 min
Deutschland Atomkraftwerk Isar 2 wird abgeschaltet

Germany's dirty secret: Its leaking nuclear waste dump

A radioactive waste dump in Germany has been leaking for decades. And nobody really knows what do to with it.
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 19, 202408:49 min
Screenshot Recycling von Denim-Abfällen in erstaunliche neue Produkte

African firm recycling textile waste in Kenya and Nigeria

The fashion industry faces a growing waste problem. One African company is turning textile waste into something useful.
SocietySeptember 19, 202403:19 min
DW Sendung The 77 Percent | Energie aus Maniokabfällen

Ghanaian ecopreneur turns cassava waste into clean energy

A Ghanaian ecopreneur is making this a reality by transforming discarded cassava peels into powerful cooking briquettes.
SocietySeptember 18, 202404:48 min
Müll und Umweltverschmutzung auf Bali

Liberia: Creating jobs by upcycling plastic waste

Like many other African countries, Liberia needs help managing its waste.
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 18, 202402:06 min
Barrels of nuclear waste

Old challenges, new solutions — MADE

Old nuclear waste, new energy policies and the labor market of the future.
BusinessSeptember 17, 202426:04 min
REV Envision car wood

Incredible cars crafted from recycled materials

Groundbreaking vehicles made from surprising materials are paving the way for a sustainable future.
Cars and TransportationSeptember 17, 202419:07 min
A man stands at a table showing off a craft project

DIY: How to upcycle plastic caps into lip balm containers

A Ghanaian eco-entrepreneur shows how everyday plastic waste can become a beauty must-have with simple DIY techniques.
LifestyleSeptember 5, 202404:30 min
DW "Eco Africa" Sendungslogo mit Partnerlogos (Composite)

Wildlife conservation drones and forest dieback — Eco Africa

Wildlife conservation with drones in Burundi and Switzerland. How forest dieback can be good news.
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 5, 202426:04 min
DW Sendung The 77 Percent | DIY Nigeria: Interior decor with waste paper

DIY Nigeria: Interior decor with waste paper

One Nigerian artist is giving waste a second chance by turning used paper and bric-a-brac into decorative objects.
Nature and EnvironmentSeptember 2, 202402:53 min
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

Gun craze in the USA - Global Us

Can schools in the USA really be safer if teachers are armed? And, Renata Flores raps in Quechua.
ClimateAugust 30, 202426:04 min
DW "Eco Africa" Sendungslogo mit Partnerlogos (Composite)

Waste prevention and urban mining - Eco Africa

Deforestation and plastic waste harm the environment – but many in Africa are working hard to protect it.
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 22, 202426:04 min
DW Eco India (Sendungslogo Composite)

Eco India - What happens in a world out of balance?

Balance is vital to life on Earth. So what happens when it’s disrupted by chemicals in the soil, or technology -- even if it's green? Plus: How jute restores ecological balance, and an all-women team improves India’s waste management gender balance.
Nature and EnvironmentAugust 21, 202426:04 min
Red Cross volunteers carry the body of a victim retrieved from the site of a garbage dump landslide

Uganda ponders lessons from deadly garbage landslide

A tragedy at Kampala's Kiteezi landfill has highlighted the urgent need for better waste management solutions in Uganda.
CatastropheAugust 21, 2024
Rescuers work at the site of a landslide at Kiteezi landfill in Kampala, Uganda.

Uganda: Death toll rises after landslide at rubbish dump

At least 24 people are confirmed dead after a landslide at a landfill site at the edge of Uganda's capital, Kampala.
CatastropheAugust 13, 202401:51 min