Smart Cities and Households’ Recyclable Waste Management: The Case of Jeddah

Abstract

Over the past 30 years, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has recorded rapid economic growth and development rates matched by corresponding levels of consumption. This has led to an exponential increase in the volume of municipal solid waste. Even if the bulk share of this waste is recyclable, the propensity of households to engage in the recycling of waste has so far produced a negligible effect. Arguably, in the context of the pervasive digitalization of public and private spaces, accompanied by the developments in information and communication technology (ICT), best conceptualized by reference to the concepts of smart cities and circular economy, it is natural to expect ICT and policy objectives to converge in order to encourage and enable greater engagement with waste segregation and recycling amongst households. Against this backdrop, this paper explores the feasibility and ways of increasing households’ participation in recyclable waste collection, segregation, and disposal in a context devoid of a top-down city-level waste management policy. To this end, the design thinking approach was employed to identify factors inhibiting/facilitating households’ engaging in recycling. A variety of ideation techniques were adopted in subsequent stages of the design thinking process, including interviews with stakeholders from the government and industry sectors, surveys with Jeddah households (N = 446), an eight week-long recyclable waste collection experiment, and feedback surveys (N = 46). The results suggest that applying relatively simple and resource-savvy tools aimed at promoting household recyclable waste collection has substantial potential. This, in turn, not only feeds into the debate on smart cities but also into the research of public policy.

Smart mobility in smart cities: transforming the experiences of citizens into the future of smart cities

“…The overarching goal is to optimize urban transportation, reduce congestion and enhance the efficiency of mobility options available to citizens (Šurdonja et al , 2020). Notably, these services heavily rely on data and ICT to promote sustainable modes of mobility (Saeedi et al , 2023; Visvizi, 2022). The initiatives associated with smart mobility align with the broader vision of creating transportation systems that are not only more efficient but also environmentally friendly and accessible within urban areas (Chopdar et al , 2022).…”

“…With more than half of the global population residing in cities, urban areas face numerous challenges, including traffic congestion, environmental degradation and inefficient resource utilization. To address these challenges, smart city initiatives have emerged as a holistic solution (Saeedi et al , 2023). This necessitates the development of smart city which aims to address the complex challenges urban residents encounter (Younus et al , 2023; Visvizi and Lytras, 2018).…”

“…This necessitates the development of smart city which aims to address the complex challenges urban residents encounter (Younus et al , 2023; Visvizi and Lytras, 2018). The term “smart city” pertains to a type of urban development that effectively uses information and communication technologies (ICT) to automate city operations and enhance the quality of life for citizens, enabling them to engage in various activities such as living, working, travelling and prospering (Saeedi et al , 2023; Visvizi, 2022; Chui et al , 2018). The objective of smart city development is to enhance the interaction between citizens and governments through the utilisation of ICT-enabled platforms (Dash, 2022).…”

Using Drone Technology Smart Waste Management in Reducing Municipal Solid Waste and Enhancing Society Recycling Rate

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Modern Technologies for Waste Management: A Review

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