Gender and Waste Nexus: Experiences from Bhutan, Mongolia and Nepal

The waste management hierarchy

The waste management hierarchy prioritizes waste management practices from the most to the least preferredoption basedon howeach practice contributes to minimizing thewaste sector’s potential environmental impacts. Prevention, reuse, recycling and recovery of waste can lessen pollution, reduce GHG emissions and advance the sustainable use of natural resources. Stakeholders throughout the sector carry out activities linked to the different levels of the waste management hierarchy. Reforming the waste sector will require policies and practices that consider the current gender representation, which can help forge a path towards achieving gender equality in the sector.

PREVENTION

MINIMIZATION

REUSE

RECYCLING

OTHER RECOVERY INCLUDING ENERGY RECOVERY

LANDFILL

CONTROLLED DISPOSAL

UNCONTROLLED DISPOSAL

Source: UNEP (2015) Global Waste Management Outlook.

Figure 1. Waste hierarchy

Garbage collection in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photo by iStock/NatanaelGinting.

Gender and waste nexus

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