Every year we produce over 2 billion tonnes of solid waste worldwide. Most of it ends up in dumps or landfills, or is thrown into the oceans, or is burned.
Only a small fraction is ever recycled. But are there other, more creative uses for all that rubbish?
To try and find some answers, I visited Paraguay to meet the inspiring young musicians of the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, whose instruments are made out of rubbish from the city's main landfill; and travelled to the city of Linköping in southern Sweden, where almost all the houses are heated by energy produced by incinerating waste.
The programme was broadcast globally on BBC World News and in the UK on the BBC News Channel.
I also told this story in a BBC World Service documentary, produced by Mike Lanchin which is available to listen to online here.