Joanne Green from the development and relief charity Tearfund said:
“The Government has woken up to the world’s waste crisis. Uncollected trash blights life chances in poor communities and chokes the oceans, and this announcement clears the way to a solution.
"Beyond cleaning up the oceans and improving health, waste can also generate jobs and improve incomes for poor people. By supporting approaches that work with waste pickers and the development of recycling markets, the UK government can help these nations develop circular economies that turn a crisis into an opportunity.
"If all governments allocated just 3 per cent of their aid budget to tackling the waste crisis, waste collection could be extended to the one in four people who currently lack it. The UK should lead the way.”
Ends
Tearfund is a relief and development agency and a member of the Disasters’ Emergency Committee. Founded in 1968, Tearfund has been working around the world for 50 years responding to disasters and helping lift communities out of poverty. For more information about the work of Tearfund, please visit www.tearfund.org.
