Challenges, opportunities, and innovations for effective solid waste management during and post COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Highlights Changes in the composition of waste generated during COVID-19 presents considerable new challenges. Ensuring safe waste management practices should be a part of emergency response services during COVID-19 crisis. Temporary relaxation on use of single-use plastic during COVID-19 crises could impact consumer's behavior. Shift to automated waste treatment systems will reduce the risk of transmission. Building localized robust supply chains could help fight possible future pandemics.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) induced waste scenario: A short overview

“…Thermal treatment or incineration is the most preferred and effective treatment process for the massive load of hazardous waste generated throughout the pandemic [ 50 ]. Apart from the thermal treatment process, other techniques – pyrolysis, microwave, chemical, dry heat, vaporized hydrogen peroxide, high temperature steam – can be utilized to treat the produced hazardous waste volume based on the factors such as economic budget, amount of waste generated, technical advancement and maintenance capability [ 50 , 51 ]. Table 4 presents the efficacy of different treatment options for the safe management of COVID-19 induced hazardous waste.…”

“…5 [ 54 ]). Construction of such on-site waste burial pit to safely dispose the COVID-19 hazardous waste can also provide a viable consideration for the long route hazardous waste transportation and toxic exposure to the ambient environment along with a cost effective and easy solution for the nations that lack in incineration or thermal treatment options for the generated massive hazardous waste volume during this pandemic [ 51 ].

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Fig. 5 Graphical representation of emergency on-site waste burial pit for the safe management of COVID-19 related hazardous waste (drawn after [ 51 ]).

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“…Governments need to direct viable considerations in maintaining a high level of collection, disposal followed by treatment and recycling of plastic wastes to effectively manage the waste generated during the current and post pandemic period [ 65 ]. The following approaches need to be revisited and employed in the action plan and policy response for the safe management of COVID-19 induced waste [ 51 , 65 , 66 ] – Necessary adjustment in postponed waste collection, transportation, disposal and treatment and recycling operations need to be insured with continuation of the postponed waste management services; The number of the hazardous waste disposal sites or facilities should be increased. In this regard on-site waste burial pits and mobile incineration facilities can be a cost-effective and safe disposal options for the management of COVID-19 waste with adequateness; A quick but rigid coordination among the city authorities, stakeholders, local waste workers alongside with plastic producers, retailers and end-users need to be empowered to reduce the plastic waste issue from the SUPs and disposable PPEs together with the medical waste; As the SUPs have a challenging nature in terms of recycling and reuse, life cycle analysis need to be reassessed through different strategies for its proper treatment (waste to energy - WtE) or disposal (in landfills) options; Estimation related to the hazardous waste generation amount data from different health care units and residential dwellings, need to be used in local to regional level for developing emergency waste management execution and future treatment or disposal plans; Concerned authorities need to supply adequate protective gears for the waste workers during their service.…”

“…hazardous, non hazardous, plastic) at source and reduction in the generation points. From the point view of “intention to action”, increment in the mass media coverage through different public campaigning advertisements and online videos can indirectly induce in the safe management of household waste at source during this pandemic period [ 51 ]. Followed by such perspective, goverments can integrate Internet of Things (IoT) through the subscription based social media platforms (i.e.…”