Back to Search
Start Over
An update of COVID-19 influence on waste management
- Source :
- The Science of the Total Environment, Science of The Total Environment
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2021.
-
Abstract
- COVID-19 has been sweeping the world. The overall number of infected persons has been increased from 5 M in March 2020 to over 22 M in August 2020 and growing, which seems not to get its peak at the current stage. This has contributed to waste generation and different phases of challenges in waste management practices. The impacts including change in waste amount, composition, timing/frequency (temporal), distribution (spatial) and risk, which affects the handling and treatment practices. Recent impacts, challenges and developments on waste management in the response of COVID-19 have been assessed in this update. Singapore, the cities of Shanghai in China and Brno in the Czech Republic (a member state of the European Union), representing different pandemic development situation and also various cultural attitudes, are specifically analysed and discussed with current data. However, it should be noted that it is still fast developing. A varying trend in term of the waste amount is identified. Shanghai is showing a ~23% decline in household waste amount; however, Singapore is showing a ~3% increase, and Brno is showing a ~1% increase in household waste amount but ~40% decline in business and industrial waste. Manual sorting and recycling have been reported as restricted due to safety precaution. This is supported by the interview communication with ZEVO SAKO (the largest incineration plant in the Czech Republic). This study highlighted that the practices or measures at each place could serve as a guideline and reference. However, adaption is required according to the geographical and socioeconomic factors.<br />Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image<br />Highlights • The influence of COVID-19 on waste management is summarised. • Manual sorting and recycling are restricted due to the potential risk of infection. • Shanghai shows a 23% reduction in MSW and 3% increase in Singapore. • Brno demonstrates 1% increase for MSW from household and small business, 40% decrease for business and industrial. • The impacts of COVID-19 can be diverse depending on the geographical and sociological factors.
- Subjects :
- Czech
China
Environmental Engineering
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Pneumonia, Viral
Distribution (economics)
010501 environmental sciences
Solid Waste
01 natural sciences
Article
Industrial waste
Betacoronavirus
Member state
Humans
Environmental Chemistry
media_common.cataloged_instance
Recycling
Cities
European union
Pandemics
Waste management
Waste Management and Disposal
Socioeconomic status
Czech Republic
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
media_common
Singapore
SARS-CoV-2
business.industry
Municipal solid waste
COVID-19
Pollution
language.human_language
Refuse Disposal
Incineration
language
Comparison study
Business
Coronavirus Infections
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 00489697
- Volume :
- 754
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Science of The Total Environment
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....6d554dc1ae3927fba603161251eef818