Department of Forest Biomaterials and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-90183, Umeå, Sweden.
Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna, 9208, Bangladesh.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Jun;28(23):28993-29008. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-13914-6. Epub 2021 Apr 20.
Municipal solid waste (MSW) represents an inevitable by-product of human activity and a major crisis for communities across the globe. In recent times, the recycling of MSW has drawn attention as the process can add value through resources from the recovered waste materials and facilitates the process of circular economy. However, during the unprecedented coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the risk of infection with the highly contagious virus has proven detrimental to the continuation of MSW as a valuable resource. The volume of waste, especially household waste, is higher; face masks, PPE (personal protective equipment), and hazardous materials such as batteries and empty chlorine bottles are examples of extra waste that have arisen during the pandemic. Various countries have set up initiatives for MSW management, including safety measurements for employees in the MSW management sector. The use of disinfectant prior to sorting waste, as well as storing waste for 9 days, may help to inactivate the COVID-19 virus, ensuring an appropriate safety level for MSW management. This work aimed at studying different MSW management strategies, specific challenges, and possible solutions for better understanding for those involved in waste management, in addition to providing a possible management strategy during and post-COVID-19 pandemic.
城市固体废物（MSW）是人类活动不可避免的副产品，也是全球各地社区面临的主要危机。最近，MSW 的回收引起了人们的关注，因为这一过程可以通过回收废物材料中的资源来增加价值，并促进循环经济的发展。然而，在史无前例的冠状病毒（COVID-19）爆发期间，高度传染性病毒感染的风险证明对 MSW 作为有价值资源的继续利用是不利的。废物量，特别是家庭废物量增加了；口罩、个人防护设备（PPE）以及电池和空氯瓶等危险材料是大流行期间产生的额外废物的例子。各国已经制定了 MSW 管理倡议，包括对 MSW 管理部门员工的安全措施。在分拣废物之前使用消毒剂，并将废物储存 9 天，可能有助于使 COVID-19 病毒失活，确保 MSW 管理达到适当的安全水平。这项工作旨在研究不同的 MSW 管理策略、具体挑战和可能的解决方案，以便为参与废物管理的人员提供更好的理解，并为 COVID-19 大流行期间和之后提供可能的管理策略。
