Municipal solid waste management under Covid-19: Challenges and recommendations

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2021-09

Authors

Magdalena Daria Vaverková (Author) Other; Evan K. Paleologos (Author) Other; Andrea Dominijanni (Author) Other; Eugeniusz Koda (Author) Other; Chao-Sheng Tang (Author) Other; Wdowska Malgorzata (Author) Other; Qi Li (Author) Other; Nicolò Guarena (Author) Other; Abdel-Mohsen O. Mohamed (Author) Other; Castorina Silva Vieira (Author) FEUP; Mario Manassero (Author) Other; Brendan C. O'Kelly (Author) Other; Qifeng Xie (Author) Other; Myint Win Bo (Author) Other; Dana Adamcová (Author) Other; Anna Podlasek (Author) Other; Uday M. Anand (Author) Other; Arif Mohammad (Author) Other; Venkata Siva Naga Sai Goli (Author) Other; Ganaraj Kuntikana (Author) Other; Ennio M. Palmeira (Author) Other; Shalu Pathak (Author) Other; Devendra Narain Singh (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Environmental Geotechnics

Vol. 8

Pages: 217-232

Publisher: ICE Publishing Ltd.

Indexing

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 25 Citations

COMPENDEX

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00T-162

DOI: 10.1680/jenge.20.00082

Abstract (EN): Covid-19 is proving to be an unprecedented disaster for human health, social contacts and the economy worldwide. It is evident that SARS-CoV-2 may spread through municipal solid waste (MSW), if collected, bagged, handled, transported or disposed of inappropriately. Under the stress placed by the current pandemic on the sanitary performance across all MSW management (MSWM) chains, this industry needs to re-examine its infrastructure resilience with respect to all processes, from waste identification, classification, collection, separation, storage, transportation, recycling, treatment and disposal. The current paper provides an overview of the severe challenges placed by Covid-19 onto MSW systems, highlighting the essential role of waste management in public health protection during the ongoing pandemic. It also discusses the measures issued by various international organisations and countries for the protection of MSWM employees (MSWEs), identifying gaps, especially for developing countries, where personal protection equipment and clear guidelines to MSWEs may not have been provided, and the general public may not be well informed. In countries with high recycling rates of MSW, the need to protect MSWEs' health has affected the supply stream of the recycling industry. The article concludes with recommendations for the MSW industry operating under public health crisis conditions.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 16