<aside> 💡 “Personal lifestyles can safeguard the environment rather than jeopardize it” @UNEP
</aside>
To avoid a global climate disaster there is a need to alter consumption habits/behaviorus because through each action in our daily lives, we impact our natural environment. As an example, personal food waste alone accounts for 6% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. That means that, if food waste was a country, it would be the third-highest polluter after the US and China.
A primary source of these food waste emissions are landfills, and the overuse of this, is especially problematic in Latin America, where one-third of all urban waste ends up in this open dumpsites according to the UN environment programme. To tackle this problem, consumers need access to sustainable packaging, recycling systems, alternative food options, and personal offset programs. And all of this would not be possible without innovative solutions and evolving public policy, like in Costa Rica and Chile, where single-use plastics are being banned.
Contributing to this issue is Latin America's extremely high rate of urbanization, where municipalities face a tremendous struggle in providing necessary services to rising city populations. This is causing an overflow of consumer waste in Latam compared to other regions around the world, which is why organizations in the region are working towards better solutions to manage waste and reduce water use, especially with city populations on the rise.