Skip to main content

How an anti-waste challenge went viral in Iran

A campaign to get ordinary people involved in devising solutions to Iran's growing waste problem has gone viral.

Iranian workers offload waste plastic, collected from Tehran, from a pick-up truck in the southern outskirts of the Iranian capital on February 25, 2012. The International Monetary Fund estimates that Iran's 2011 Growth Domestic Product (GDP) was 480 billion dollars at the official exchange rate, around 2.5 percent higher than the previous year.  AFP PHOTO/BEHROUZ MEHRI (Photo credit should read BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images)
Iranian workers offload collected waste plastic, Tehran, Iran, Feb. 25, 2012. — BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images

With annual waste generation of more than 16 million tons and over 60 million tons of construction waste, Iran is said to be among the top 10 consumers of plastic in the world with more than 10 million tons of plastic being used in the country's packaging industry every year.

Waste collection costs the country some 370 trillion rials (nearly $8.8 billion) alone, excluding the damage it inflicts on the environment and public health.

Subscribe for unlimited access

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more

$14 monthly or $100 annually ($8.33/month)
OR

Continue reading this article for free

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more.

By signing up, you agree to Al-Monitor’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Already have an account? Log in