Environmental Challenges (Jan 2024)
Crisis-driven disruptions in global waste management: Impacts, challenges and policy responses amid COVID-19, Russia-Ukraine war, climate change, and colossal food waste
Abstract
In recent years, the world has been navigating through a series of crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, climate change, and massive food waste that have profoundly disrupted global waste management systems. The 2019 COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war (RUW) exposed and aggravated the plastic system's inherent inefficiencies, which endanger society's commitment to a sustainable plastics system. Besides, climate change and colossal food waste are also recent issues that need proper value-added waste management systems. Energy prices experienced a drastic fall and rise due to these world crises. The COVID-19 time significantly affected the existing waste management system. Various factors influence how garbage is managed, such as shifts in waste quantity, variety, frequency, location, and risk. When the benefits and drawbacks of plastic are considered, a fair evaluation suggests that consumers' careless actions, negative attitudes, and lack of awareness are the major drivers leading to improper management, which in turn switches plastic into a harmful pollutant of the environment. This study analyzed recent effects, difficulties, policies and legislations, technology, and innovations in waste management as a response to COVID-19. Besides, the impact of RUW and climate change on global oil prices and how waste management industries could help to control the situation have been discussed. The method of food waste management system and the effectiveness of the circular economy and work-from-home concept on waste management systems have been analyzed. The need for resilient waste management systems capable of adapting to dynamic situations has been highlighted. The challenges, technological strategies, and recommendations for a sustainable future were discussed.
