Every year on April 22nd, the world comes together to celebrate Earth Day, a time to recommit to maintaining our planet and working towards a more sustainable future.
At Who Is Hussain, our mission is rooted in compassion, equity, and creating a better world for everyone. As a global community, we share the earth and its many resources which nourish, protect, and sustain us. But these resources are not infinite, and our earth is not invincible.
Since industrialisation in the mid-18th century, human neglect of our local environments has escalated into a global crisis. Whether it’s rapid climate change or land, sea, and air pollution, the nature of these phenomena is cyclical: the more harm we do to the environment, the more harm we experience to our own health and security, and the more we endanger the collective future of humanity.
One of the most pressing environmental issues we face today is waste—discarded materials that end up polluting our lands, waterways, and atmosphere.
So, what is the waste crisis? And why should we care?
Annually as a global community, we generate approximately 2.01 billion metric tonnes of waste, and that number is expected to rise to 3.4 billion tonnes by the year 2050 (The World Bank). Where does this waste go?
Unfortunately, only about 9% of plastic waste that has ever been produced has been recycled. The rest ends up in landfills, in oceans, or incinerated, polluting even the air with toxins (UNEP).
For a visual idea of what this looks like in our oceans, you need only to take a look at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a massive pile of plastic waste twice the size of the state of Texas floating in the Pacific ocean.
Plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose. A single plastic bottle can take 450 years to break down in a landfill (WWF). But it’s not just plastic we need to be wary of. Here are other kinds of waste that contribute to the waste crisis:
Food Waste: 1/3 of all food produced is wasted, while millions around the world experience hunger. Rotting food releases methane, and so food waste contributes to 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. That’s 5 times more than aviation emissions (WRAP).
E-Waste: Over 50 million tonnes of electronic waste are produced annually (United Nations University). Electronics release toxic chemicals which seep into the soil and water.
Fast Fashion Waste: The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions. About 85% of all textiles end up in landfills each year (UNEP). Many clothes that find their way to dumps are thrown away after minimal use.
This waste crisis is undeniably linked to inequity and is a focus area for global justice struggles.
The reality is that Europe, North America, and Australia generate the greatest amount of solid waste per capita each day (The World Bank), but those who bear the brunt of the adverse effects to the environment live elsewhere.
The global economy is structured in a way that puts lower-income nations at the receiving end of the world’s mismanaged plastic waste. Since 1988, upwards of a quarter of a billion tonnes of plastic waste have been exported around the world (EIA). “Waste colonialism” refers to the way in which the Global South is disproportionately burdened by plastic and toxic waste (Global South Hub), exposing local communities to pollution, which leads to serious health issues and exacerbates economic hardship.
If we truly are committed to realising justice, we must address global waste generation and disposal systems. Starting smaller, we must also be willing to hold ourselves accountable for our own consumption and dumping habits.
Reducing waste isn’t just about massive policy changes—it starts with small, intentional steps in our daily lives. Here are five ways to make an immediate impact:
- Find alternatives to plastic: While eliminating plastic entirely may seem daunting, there are simple steps to cut down on usage, like carrying a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled water, using cloth tote bags for groceries, and opting for refillable or package-free products whenever possible.
- Reduce food waste: Food is an exhaustible resource, and wasting it also contributes to climate change. You can waste less by planning your meals before grocery shopping to buy only what you need, storing fruits and vegetables properly to extend their freshness, learning to repurpose leftovers by reusing ingredients in your own meals, starting a compost bin at home for organic waste, and, importantly, by supporting local food banks through donations of excess, non-perishable food.
- Rethink your fashion choices: Fast fashion has us buying things we may not need. It also leads to a ton of waste and involves unethical labour practices. Consider buying quality, long-lasting clothing instead of following disposable trends, shopping second-hand or participating in clothing swaps, mending clothes instead of discarding them, supporting brands that use ethical and sustainable materials, and donating or recycling clothes rather than just throwing them away.
- Reduce Electronic Waste: Do you really need the newest iPhone? With constant technology upgrades, electronics are becoming one of the fastest-growing waste sources. Here’s how you can be more responsible: Don’t buy a new device unless you need to, repair your devices instead of replacing them, trade in or donate old gadgets instead of discarding them, buy refurbished electronics instead of new ones, use rechargeable batteries instead of single-use ones, and properly recycle e-waste by taking it to a certified disposal centre.
Who is Hussain teams around the world are caring for their local environments this Earth Day.
Our teams in Lahore, Pakistan and Mumbai, India organised tree planting events that united their communities in common cause. Planting trees not only beautified their neighbourhoods, but also helped to purify the air.
Who is Hussain representatives in Texas recruited volunteers to collect rubbish, cleaning their streets and reducing pollution in their communities.
If we wish to honour Hussain’s vision for justice, we must extend these principles to how we treat our environment. Earth Day is more than just a once-a-year event—it’s a reminder of our responsibility to care for the planet every day. So let’s strive to waste less, cherish more, and leave the world better than we found it.
What small change will you commit to today? Share your goal with those around you to inspire them to join the movement!
