scholarly journals Blockchain Technology for Governance of Plastic Waste Management: Where Are We?

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 434
Author(s):  
Katrien Steenmans ◽  
Phillip Taylor ◽  
Ine Steenmans

Blockchain technology is emerging as a plausible disruptor of waste management practices that influence the governance of plastics. The interest among the waste management community in the potential and fundamental changes to complex resource management associated with blockchain adoption parallels recent research in other sectors, such as finance, health, public administration, etc. During any comparable period characterized by a step-change in positive coverage of an early-stage technology, it can be challenging for actors to access a grounded, evidence-based oversight of the current state of practice and make informed decisions about whether or how to adopt blockchain technology. The current absence of such a systematic overview of recent experiences with blockchain initiatives disrupting waste practices not only limits the visibility of these experimental efforts, but also limits the learning that can be shared across waste plastics researcher and practitioner communities. This paper contributes with a current overview of blockchain technology adoption in the waste management sector, giving particular attention to implications for the governance of plastics. Our study draws on both primary interview data and secondary documentation data to map the landscape of current blockchain initiatives in the global waste sector. We identify four areas of blockchain use that are beginning to change waste management practices (payment, recycling and reuse rewards, monitoring and tracking of waste, and smart contracts). We conclude by outlining five areas of significant blockchain uses, implications, and influences of relevance to the development of circular plastic waste governance in both research and practice.

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 100066
Author(s):  
Sizwe M. Nxumalo ◽  
Sizwe D. Mabaso ◽  
Sipho F. Mamba ◽  
Saico S. Singwane

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Sherwood

Recycling of plastic is an established technology contributing to a circular economy. A sustainable society requires recycling to produce high quality feedstocks from all types of reusable waste. New recycling technologies will help to improve waste management practices, for instance dissolving plastic waste in a solvent to purify and maintain its material properties. In solution it is also possible to depolymerise polymers into monomers that can be used to remake virgin-grade material. In this review the advantages and disadvantages of three solvent-based recycling processes will be considered: separation of cotton and polyester (polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) textiles, chemical recycling of polylactic acid (PLA) and dissolution-precipitation of polyvinylchloride (PVC). The current state of the art and future prospects are discussed, including a brief overview of how solvents are being used to process other types of plastic waste.


Zero Waste ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 105-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Savita Sharma ◽  
Sharada Mallubhotla

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 101-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilupa Udawatta ◽  
Jian Zuo ◽  
Keri Chiveralls ◽  
Hongping Yuan ◽  
Zillante George ◽  
...  

This article aims to identify barriers to implementing waste management practices in construction projects and their interrelationship, based on the particular context of Australia. Interviews and a questionnaire survey were conducted as the primary data collection methods supported by the findings of a charrette. The findings reveal twenty critical barriers to implementing waste management practices in Australian construction projects. Four underlying factors that impede waste management practices are extracted based on results of an exploratory factor analysis. These include rigidity of construction practices, construction project characteristics, awareness, experience and commitment, and the nascent nature of waste management. The study also finds that while both human factors and technical factors act as barriers to implementing waste management practices in Australian construction projects, human factors are more dominant. Thus, it is essential to address all these barriers in the early stage of construction projects for reducing waste generation.


Author(s):  
Jacob Wood ◽  
Swathi Paturi ◽  
Prerna Puri ◽  
Emil Senf Jakobsen ◽  
Sumanth Shankar ◽  
...  

The management of marine waste is an increasingly complex issue facing the world today. Our study provides an interesting take on the issue of marine waste by examining how Indonesian indigenous communities can deal with plastic marine pollution. While there is an obvious need for mitigating plastic use, for effective legislative policies regulating plastic waste management, and to do more to develop sustainable waste management practices; there are also opportunities for indigenous communities to take an innovative approach by using plastic waste in a manner that drives economic development from both non-market and neoliberal theoretical ideologies. As part of this assessment, alongside Indonesian examples we include examples of plastic re-use by indigenous communities of the Philippines and Australia. Moreover, our study highlights some of the areas in which this is being done in the fields of art and infrastructure development.


Author(s):  
Kshitij Upadhyay ◽  
Samir Bajpai

Microplastics, a multi-dimensional environmental stressor group, capable of transboundary migration, are a threat to the global ecosystem. Transboundary migration of microplastics across all environmental matrices is known to originate from a multitude of sources and acts in conjugation with each other. This inter-dependence of sources calls for a detailed scientific analysis of all the sources that are in play. Waste management facilities have already been established as a significant contributor of microplastics to the aquatic and terrestrial environment. A systematic overview of the scientific literature reveals that the existing body of scientific knowledge is mainly focused on wastewater treatment facilities as a source/pathway of microplastics in the environment. Recently the focus shifted towards solid waste management facilities through landfills. Poor plastic waste management practices made discarded plastics the most dominant component of solid wastes. This review elucidates the occurrence and distribution of microplastics, characteristics of microplastics, including size, shapes, colors, and polymer types, in leachate and refuse of landfills. Furthermore, we discussed the transport mechanisms and pathways used by microplastic present in landfills to migrate to subsurface or groundwater and adjacent aquatic bodies. Last, based on the findings, we summarized the gaps in existing studies and suggested future perspectives to be focused on the future. The abundance of microplastics is attributed to the volume of plastic waste in landfills, management of leachate originating from landfills, application of leachate, and age of landfills. Microplastics abundance and characteristics vary in leachate and refuse. Smaller microplastics are predominant in leachate while larger microplastics are predominant in refuse. Landfills are capable of generating secondary microplastics from fragmentation and degradation. Further studies on microplastics in landfills are necessa


Urban Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justice Kofi Debrah ◽  
Diogo Guedes Vidal ◽  
Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis

Addressing the plastic problem requires rigorous attention and practical education for sustainability. Due to the common effective waste management practices in some parts of the world, the plastics’ menace is generally well recognized and controlled worldwide. However, some developing countries do not have acceptable waste management practices, resulting in significant environmental, social, and health cross-cutting issues. Plastic is a significant threat to the environment in Ghana, specifically the urban environment and oceans. The new paradigm shift of virtually using non-biodegradable plastics in all daily products sold increases plastic waste in the environment, which creates problems, such as choked drainage system and breeding places for insects. The scale of these issues requires innovative and practical ideas to help solve this problem. The paper shows how plastic waste is innovatively and creatively converted to artifacts and pavement blocks in Ghana. These innovative ideas have contributed to reduce the volume of plastic waste and enhance environmental sustainability in Africa. The community’s benefits involving friendly environmental activities are identified and represent learning cases from Ghana to the world, particularly to Africa.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 1013-1028
Author(s):  
Zvanaka S. Mazhandu ◽  
Edison Muzenda ◽  
Mohamed Belaid ◽  
Tirivaviri A. Mamvura ◽  
Trust Nhubu

Author(s):  
Femi O. Omololu ◽  
Akinmayowa S. Lawal

This paper examines the influence of population growth on waste generation in Lagos metropolis, African’s most populous urban conglomeration. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the study analyses the pattern of household waste disposal, collection and transportation in Lagos State. It also examines the public-private partnership strategy adopted in waste management. The findings show that population growth significantly influences waste generation and management in Lagos metropolis. As the population increased, the volume of waste generated also increased in each LGA of Lagos State. The public-private partnership strategy has been effective in managing waste, but the Lagos State Waste Management Authority oversight was adjudged as less than satisfactory. The paper concludes that intervention is needed in terms of educating the growing population of the Lagos metropolis on the best waste management practices. It highlights the need for a more efficient and effective publicprivate partnership collaboration to solve this perennial social problem.


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