Waste and human rights

Many rights may be denied to people due to our excessive waste, with the impact tending to be greatest among the world’s poorest and most disadvantaged communities.

Some of the rights enshrined under the Convention on the Rights of the Child are threatened by waste. For example, Article 24 relates to the right to clean water, nutritious food and a clean environment. Toxins and poisons from waste dumps can enter the water supply and end up in the food chain threatening these rights. Article 32 calls for children to be protected from doing dangerous work. But it is often children in poorer countries that pick over waste dumps searching for scraps they can collect and sell, risking their health and safety in the process.

For further information on the Convention on the Rights of the Child click here