Global plastic waste management strategies (Technical and behavioral) during and after COVID-19 pandemic for cleaner global urban life

Abstract

ABSTRACT COVID-19 pandemic has affected the fabric of the world: health system, travel, living and working styles, and economy. Furthermore, it has also severely impacted the previously on-going global efforts to reduce the use of plastic waste. During the period of the whole COVID-19, the sustainable measures and products adopted for the conservation of our land and marine ecosystem are being neglected or at the very least, kept on hold. The use of plastic-based personal protective equipment (PPEs) and sanitizers by health-care professionals and the public has led to a huge surge in a plastic waste generation without any plans to mitigate its severity. It is vital to understand the impact of this problem and find the possible solutions. The sudden escalation in medical plastic waste makes it difficult to follow the protocol of medical plastic waste handling in the civic waste management system. In this article all plastic waste management issues faced globally, especially in the developing world, have been highlighted. Moreover, in the end, some possible solutions have been recommended for the safe handling of plastic wastes in the civic society such as plastic waste management system, the use of artificial intelligence from generation to disposal, etc. In addition, the steps to produce a zero waste society have been recommended. This study emphasizes not only government institutes and technological centers but also on the common citizens to make a sustainable civic society.