IIT Kharagpur study suggests waste management policy during COVID-19 crisis

The researchers have explored the different kinds of problems being faced in the solid waste management sector and the opportunities present to fill the loopholes in the system.

The researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur has done a study that proposes new ways for solid waste management in the pandemic situation. The researchers have explored the different kinds of problems being faced in the solid waste management sector and the opportunities present to fill the loopholes in the system.

The study was led by Professor Brajesh Kr. Dubey and his research group at IIT Kharagpur's Department of Civil Engineering and has been published in the international journal of 'Resources, Conservation & Recycling'. "It should be well understood that the mess created by the Covid-19 crisis should not be solved at the expense of solving the longer-term issue of the climate crisis. The post-Covid-19 world would need a systems-level approach on a global scale to address the issue of solid waste management and protect our environment through economic stimulus with low carbon footprint," the professor said.

"A typical example could be food waste management. Local production and consumption of food along with recycling and reuse leads to the reduction of food waste generation and recycling of food waste," remarked researcher Hari Bhakta Sharma.

"Such models need to be introduced in overall solid waste management as well along with spreading awareness about the concept," he said.

The IIT Kharagpur study emphasizes the avenues of the circular economy, sustainable technologies and development of green business models by analyzing the economic prospects in the post-pandemic world. The study recommends the adoption of new technologies in solid waste management by means of socially viable designs scoring high on environmental and economic feasibility. The study says that an incentive policy can be introduced for adopting homogenous plastics, eco-friendly bioplastics, biodegradable materials with higher recyclability. This will enable the standardisation of plastic products and packaging leading to economic recycling models. ArtificiaI-powered sustainable technologies can be deployed to manage efficient sorting and recycling of waste. This shall be further supported by means of the 'refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle' mantra of the circular economy.

Also focusing on the usage of human resources in waste management, the IIT Kharagpur researchers advocate for the provision of critical status to sanitation workers due to the risk involved in their work during a pandemic situation. The study recommended supporting the educational and healthcare needs of the family members of sanitation workers as well.

The researchers believe increasing public visibility through media and other platforms could indirectly bring behavioral and attitudinal changes in society.

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