Future Waste Management Research Articles

Optimizing Synthesis of Anionic Surfactant‐Modified Carbon Black for Enhanced Ammonium Adsorption

The increasing levels of ammonium in wastewater pose serious environmental issues, highlighting the urgent need for effective adsorbents to facilitate its removal. Although conventional biological treatment methods have certain drawbacks, adsorption using carbonaceous materials, such as carbon black produced from waste tires, presents a promising alternative for ammonium removal. However, the use of these materials has not been thoroughly investigated. This study focuses on optimizing the synthesis of carbon black modified with anionic surfactants to improve its capacity for ammonium adsorption. Utilizing Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and a Box‐Behnken design, the optimization process examined key variables, including reaction time, surfactant concentration, carbon black dosage, and surfactant type. Comprehensive characterization of the adsorbent was conducted to analyze its surface properties, functional groups, morphology, and elemental composition. The regression models produced highly accurate results with an R2 value of 0.9437. The optimal synthesis conditions were identified as a 12.30‐hour reaction time, a surfactant concentration of 8 mmol/L of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, and a carbon black dosage of 30 g, achieving an ammonium removal efficiency of 84.80%. This study offers a scalable solution for ammonium removal in wastewater, promising practical applications and future sustainable waste management research.

Sustainable Waste Management in Urban Area - A Case Study of the Waste Management of the Cities in China

As urbanisation continues to accelerate, the integration of regional waste treatment capacity is becoming increasingly important and challenging nowadays, as economic development imbalances and environmental problems are becoming more prominent. An important component of urban development is the generation and management of municipal solid waste , and due to differences in socio-economic status, China's world-class metropolises such as Shanghai and medium-sized cities such as Xiamen are facing the same problem. This study attempts to explore the possibilities and prospects for sustainable waste management in China's future by comparing Xiamen with Shanghai, using relevant structural models and relevant research data within the city and the region. The introduction of the concept of waste-free cities also provides a greater diversity of options for future programmes. Finding effective strategies based on China's socio-economic and cultural conditions has implications for developing countries such as China in promoting the shift from waste management to a circular economy.

Greening the city: A holistic assessment of waste management alternatives in India

Waste is one of the major urban challenges faced globally today, and the severity of the challenge is further exacerbated by rapid urbanisation, growing populations and increasing per capita waste generation. As one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world, Delhi collects 11,352 t of waste every day. Without adequate segregation, most of this waste is sent to dumpsites and waste-to-energy plants, often associated with significant capital costs and environmental externalities. This paper conducts a life cycle assessment of the current waste management system and a comparative analysis with a suggested alternative scenario, where the share of recyclables and compostables going to landfills and waste-to-energy plants is reduced through adequate segregation. Our results revealed that landfills and waste-to-energy plants are associated with significant adverse environmental impacts such as climate change, soil and water acidification, freshwater eutrophication, human toxicity, and respiratory health. In comparison, compost plants showed negligible emissions per tonne of waste. The alternative scenario (i.e. reduce waste to landfill through adequate segregation) can help reduce the negative impact on all environmental indicators by an average of 23 %. We posit that the prevailing narrative of addressing the waste issue through waste-to-energy plants in Delhi goes against the country's climate neutrality targets. Instead, the circular economy approach offers simpler, faster, and more cost-effective solutions that policymakers should consider to reduce the financial and environmental load of the current and future waste management issue.

Management of textile waste in Europe: An environmental and a socio-economic assessment of current and future scenarios

Textile production and consumption continues to grow, and yet textile waste management in Europe remains suboptimal. This study assesses and compares the life cycle impacts of managing selected textile waste fractions via selected technologies, under current and future framework conditions. The study combines environmental and socio-economic analyses with data input from stakeholder consultation within the European Union. Preparing for reuse is the most beneficial management pathway from both an environmental and a socio-economic perspective. Overall, mechanical recycling is the second-most preferred pathway for most environmental impact categories. However, for recycling pathways to be economically competitive against incineration, either CO2 prices will have to increase, or technology and processing costs will have to decrease. The uncertainty analysis identified critical parameters, such as substitution factors and yields of most desirable products from the recycling processes. The results offer a detailed basis for prioritising technology pathways for future textile waste management in Europe.

Artificial Intelligence in enhancing sustainable practices for infectious municipal waste classification

This research paper focuses on effective infectious municipal waste management in urban settings, highlighting a dearth of dedicated research in this domain. Unlike general or specific waste types, infectious waste poses distinct health and environmental risks. Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence techniques, we prioritize infectious waste categorization and optimization, integrating metaheuristics into optimization methods to create a robust dual-ensemble framework. Our model, the “Enhanced Artificial Intelligence for Infectious Municipal Waste Classification System,” combines ensemble image segmentation methods and diverse convolutional neural network models. Innovative geometric image augmentation enhances model robustness, diversifies training data, and improves accuracy across waste types. A pivotal aspect is the integration of a reinforcement learning-differential evolution algorithm as a decision fusion strategy, optimizing classification by harmonizing outputs from ensemble methods and convolutional neural network models. Computational results, using a newly collected dataset, demonstrate our model’s accuracy exceeding 96.54% while using the existing solid waste dataset we achieve the accuracy of 97.81%, outperforming advanced approaches by margins ranging from 2.02% to 8.80%. This research significantly advances sustainable waste management, showcasing artificial intelligence’s transformative potential in addressing intricate waste challenges. It establishes a foundational framework prioritizing efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability for future waste management solutions. Acknowledging the importance of diverse datasets, customization for urban contexts, and practical integration into existing infrastructures, our work contributes to the broader discourse on the role of artificial intelligence in evolving waste management practices.

Analysis of Community-Based Waste Management Policies to Achieve Clean and Healthy Environment

This research aims to analyze community-based waste management policies as an effort to create a clean and healthy environment. Using the literature review method, this research explores various aspects of waste management policies, the role of communities in policy implementation, and their impacts on the environment and public health. The findings indicate that an approach involving active community participation, integration of social justice aspects, technological utilization, and sustainable evaluation are crucial in achieving effective and sustainable waste management. These findings provide valuable insights for formulating future waste management policies, with an emphasis on the importance of a holistic approach involving all stakeholders.

Novel methods to monitor the biodegradation of polylactic acid (PLA) by Amycolatopsis orientalis and Amycolatopsis thailandensis.

Plastics are essential in modern life, but their conventional production is problematic due to environmental pollution and waste management issues. Polylactic acid (PLA) is a widely used bioplastic that is bio-based and biodegradable, making it a key player in the bioeconomy. PLA has been proven to be degradable in various settings, including aqueous, soil, and compost environments. However, monitoring and optimizing PLA biodegradation remains challenging. This study proposes methods to improve the quantification of PLA biodegradation by Amycolatopsis spp. Ultrasound treatments (10s) significantly improved the enumeration of viable Amycolatopsis cells by breaking the pellets into quantifiable individual cells. A separation technique combining ultrasound (120s) and 40μm cell strainers effectively isolated PLA particles from biomass to quantify PLA weight loss. This enabled the monitoring of PLA biofragmentation. Finally, CO2 production was measured according to ISO 14852 to quantify mineralization. Integrating these methods provides an improved quantification for PLA biodegradation along its different stages. In a case study, this led to the construction of a carbon balance where 85.1% of initial carbon content was successfully tracked. The developed techniques for monitoring of PLA biodegradation are essential to design future waste management strategies for biodegradable plastics.

Operational and Environmental Assessment for Night Markets under the Informal Economy Impacts: Insights from the Case Study of Selangor, Malaysia

As an expression of the informal economy, the night market is not only a place that could attract locals to buy goods but also a place where tourists can experience the local characteristics. While the night market brought economic vitality to the city's economy, it also brought some issues. A comprehensive literature review of night markets revealed that existing studies paid less attention to outdoor night markets' spatial operations and waste management. Grounded in the connection between sustainability and night markets, the present study reflected on existing research findings by adopting different periods of fieldwork to conduct a case study of the night market in Jalan 17/1A, Selangor, Malaysia. The study focused on three aspects of night markets: spatial operations, waste, and waste recycling. It found that night market operations brought localized regional economic benefits while causing more severe pollution issues, significantly affecting the region's environmental health and sustainable development. The findings revealed that local government regulation of night market businesses in Malaysia is weak (the issuance of business licenses is informed of the operational guidelines), and there is also no relevant monitoring and penalties by the local government to intervene in the misbehavior of night market consumers. Based on the results of the field survey and combined with the concept of sustainable development, the present study recommended suggestions for the future spatial operation and waste management of night markets. Innovative and novel perspectives of the study combined qualitative observations and data analysis to comprehensively examine how spatial considerations and waste management strategies intersect in the unique context of night markets—aiming to fill the gaps in the sustainability of night market operations and to protect the ecology of the surrounding territorial environment, contributing to the discourse on sustainable development.

Analysis and Characterization of Municipal Solid Wastes Generated in Ifugao State University Potia Campus: A Basis For Planning of Waste Management

The end of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the total return of students and employees in Ifugao State University Potia Campus, a higher education institution located in Potia, Alfonso Lista, Ifugao, Philippines. However, the return of the pre-pandemic operations on campus caused problems in managing the generated municipal solid wastes. Hence, an analysis and characterization of the generated municipal solid wastes was conducted to determine important data that can be used for future waste management planning. The generated municipal solid wastes were gathered from the various waste generators within the campus for five consecutive days. The total generated municipal solid waste on the campus was about 140.10 kg.day-1, most of which was contributed by the canteens (20.86%). The generated municipal solid wastes were dominated by biodegradable waste (48.65%) and recyclable waste (37.26%). In addition, most of the generated municipal solid wastes were related to people’s food and beverage consumption behavior. The total volume of the MSW generated daily was about 5.647 m3. It is recommended that the campus create and enforce its waste management plan to specifically address the aforementioned characteristics of the generated municipal solid wastes.

THE PRESENCE OF PFAS IN WASTES AND RELATED IMPLICATIONS ON THE CURRENT AND PROPOSED EUROPEAN REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: A SYSTEMATIC CRITICAL REVIEW

Nowadays the use of PFAS is widespread in products in modern society and their exposure can occur directly through emissions such as dietary intake, water intake, air inhalation, and skin contact. Additionally, exposure can happen indirectly through the environmental release and degradation of their precursors. To fully understand the potential for life cycle emissions, it is necessary to consider the waste stage, as it is an integral part of a substance life cycle, whether PFAS exists in its pure form as part of a mixture or within an article. Overall, knowledge about the impact of PFAS on current and future waste management remains limited. Therefore, this study conducted a critical analysis of the presence of PFAS in relevant waste streams (plastic; metals; textile and leather; paper and cardboards). It also discussed how this presence could influence waste management, taking into account ongoing updates of the legal framework, with particular attention to proposed new provisions regarding their restriction in the REACH regulation. Within the discussed limits of the critical review, only a very small number of outliers were found to exceed the considered limit of 25 ppb for each material category. The percentage of exceedances ranged from nearly 1% (PFOS measurements in paper and cardboard waste) to 8% ("Other PFAS" in textiles and leather waste). Regarding the analytical methods and current limits identified, a pragmatic solution is suggested. This solution combines "not targeted" and "targeted" methodologies in a stepwise procedure, building upon the OECD definition of PFAS

To shred or to disassemble – A techno-economic assessment of automated disassembly vs. shredding in lithium-ion battery module recycling

The global adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is driving a surge in the use of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), creating an urgent need for sophisticated recycling techniques to recover valuable materials and manage waste. Particularly, automating the laborintensive disassembly process is critical for scaling up recycling efforts. This study provides a techno-economic evaluation of a robotic line for disassembling EV LIB modules, exploring whether it's more profitable to extend automation to the cell level. Three different EV modules are examined, and several scenarios are proposed, showing that investments in robotic disassembly could be financially sound, particularly with the anticipated rise in end-of-life EV LIBs. The key to profitability lies in disassembling to the cell level, which enables the recovery of more valuable materials and reduces downstream processing requirements. This research offers practical guidelines for automating the disassembly process in line with future waste management demands.

Evaluation of landfill sites on Pašman Island and islanders’ perceptions regarding waste management issues

Islands and coastal regions are experiencing significant impact from sea-borne litter, and this issue also affects the Croatian islands, including Pašman Island. A comprehensive research approach has been adopted to assess the landfill sites on the island, which involves applying an integral list of indicators to existing landfills. Indicators have been connected to statistical data, and in the last phase of the research the perception of the islanders towards waste management was examined. The research done in 2018 involved accessing 32 solid litter sites, including 10 located on the coastline and 22 inland, with particular attention given to the composition of the waste. Results revealed that plastic litter was more prevalent in coastal sites (55%) than in inland sites (20.9%). Although the local government reported no landfills on the island in February 2021, islanders disputed this claim and confirmed the presence of solid waste disposal sites. A qualitative research study conducted in January 2022 indicated that waste management has recently improved. The data collected from the fieldwork has informed a proposal for future waste management measures in isolated, inhabited coastal areas.

Geopolymerization of MSWI fly ash and coal fly ash for efficient solidification of heavy metals: Insights into stabilization mechanisms and long-term leaching behavior

High levels of heavy metals (HMs) are present in municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWI-FA), which requires proper management before landfilling. The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of co-disposal of MSWI-FA and coal fly ash (Coal-FA) using geopolymerization technology to solidify heavy metals and to analyze the long-term leaching behavior of heavy metals (HMs). The active silicon, aluminum, and calcium present in MSWI-FA and Coal-FA are essential for the synthesis of geopolymers. The geopolymer with 20 wt% MSWI-FA (M20) achieved the maximum compressive strength of 25.73 MPa, mainly due to the formation of C-A-S-H gels. Heavy metals were effectively immobilized and met the limits of GB18598–2019. The compressive strength of M20 was decreased by 1.6% in sulphuric acid-nitric acid leaching solution for 64 days, but decreased by 57.4% in the acetic acid leaching solution. The geopolymer was more stable in the acid rain environment, resulting in less leaching of heavy metals. The bulk diffusion model (BDM) and Finite Element Method (FEM) could satisfactorily describe the leaching behavior of HMs. The results provide valuable guidance for future waste management practices and the development of solidification processes for MSWI-FA.

Waste LCA and the future

Life cycle assessment (LCA) models quantifying the environmental aspects of waste management have become an integral part of waste management decision-making over the last two decades and have provided ample knowledge on both environmental benefits and drawbacks in the way we handle waste. Waste management and LCA modelling of waste management systems will soon be challenged by profound changes necessary in our societies and sectors to meet sustainable development goals. Foreseen changes in energy, material, and nutrient provision will directly and indirectly affect waste management in terms of its operation and goals. This study reflects on anticipated changes in society and industrial sectors and how these changes may affect waste management and LCA modelling of waste management systems in terms of waste input, the modelling of technologies and systems and exchanges of energy, materials, and nutrients, as well as how it may affect impact assessment and the interpretation of results. The study provides practical recommendations for LCA modelling of future waste management systems, which will hopefully lead to robust assessments that can support decision-making in an evolving society subject to great changes.

Theoretical analysis of the selective collection process in the city of Manaus

This article presents a theoretical analysis of the selective waste collection process in the city of Manaus. The methodology adopted follows a qualitative approach, employing investigative resources derived from bibliographical and documentary research. The overall objective of this study is to comprehend, verify, and describe the operational aspects of the selective waste collection process in Manaus. By examining existing literature and relevant documents, the study aims to gain insights into the functioning and effectiveness of the city's waste collection system. The analysis will contribute to the understanding of key factors that influence the success of selective collection initiatives, providing valuable information for future urban waste management strategies. The findings may pave the way for sustainable waste management practices in Manaus and serve as a reference for other cities facing similar challenges.

Improvement and optimization for the first order decay model parameters at typical municipal solid waste landfills in China

Landfill gas (LFG) generation is commonly modeled by using a first-order model. Methane generation potential (L0) and methane generation rate constant (k) are two key parameters in the first-order model. Coal-ash based default values or roughly analyzed values often used in China may not be appropriate for accurately estimating of LFG generation. In this study, seven groups of parameters were evaluated by comparing the theoretical predictions with real measurements from five Chinese landfills. The optimal approach for calculating L0 is the use of site-specific waste composition and the default values of degradable organic carbon (DOC) reported by the Chinese industry standard (CJJ133-2009), and the matching k can be adjusted by fitting and regression. The optimized average values were L0 = 67 m3 Mg−1, k = 0.06 per year for landfills in Beijing and Zhengzhou in cold–dry regions, L0 = 69 m3 Mg−1, k = 0.16 per year for landfill in Shanghai in cold–wet region, and L0 = 64 m3 Mg−1, k = 0.21 per year for landfills in Guangzhou and Shenzhen in hot–wet regions. Monte Carlo analysis showed that the uncertainty of LFG generation at closure year varied in −22.5% to 20.5%, −17.1% to 17.1% and −28.2% to 34.7% for three climatic regions, respectively. The k value is the key influencing factor, with a 95.6% contribution ratio in the hot–wet region landfill. The results provide references for future better waste management.

Acclimatizing waste activated sludge in a thermophilic anaerobic fixed-bed biofilm reactor to maximize biogas production for food waste treatment at high organic loading rates

Thermophilic anaerobic digestion (TAD) provides a promising solution for sustainable high-strength waste treatment due to its enhanced methane-rich biogas recovery. However, high organic loading rates (OLR) exceeding 3.0 kgCOD/m3/day and short hydraulic retention times (HRT) below 10 days pose challenges in waste-to-energy conversion during TAD, stemming from volatile fatty acids (VFAs) accumulation and methanogenesis failure. In this study, we implemented a stepwise strategy for acclimatizing waste activated sludge (WAS) in a thermophilic anaerobic fixed-bed biofilm reactor (TA-FBBR) to optimize methanogen populations, thereby enhancing waste-to-energy efficiencies under elevated OLRs in food waste treatment. Results showed that following stepwise acclimatization, the TA-FBBR achieved stable methane production of approximately 5.8 L/L-reactor/day at an ultrahigh OLR of ∼20 kgCOD/m3/day and ∼15 kgVS/m3/day at 6-day HRT in food waste treatment. The average methane yield reached 0.45 m3/kgCODremoval, attaining the theoretical production in TAD. Moreover, VFA concentrations were stabilized below 1000 mg/L at the ultrahigh OLR under 6-day HRT, while maintaining an acetate/propionate ratio of > 1.8 and a VFA/TAK ratio of < 0.3 serving as effective indicators of system stability and methane yield potential. The microbial community analysis revealed that the WAS acclimatization strategy fostered the microbial diversity and abundance of Methanothermobacter and Methanosarcina. Methanosarcina in the biofilm were observed to be twice as abundant as Methanothermobacter, indicating a potential preference for biofilm existence among methanogens. The findings demonstrated an effective strategy, specifically the stepwise acclimatization of WAS in a thermophilic fixed-bed biofilm reactor, to enhance the food waste treatment performance at high OLRs, contributing valuable mechanistic and technical insights for future sustainable high-strength waste management.

Antibacterial Activity of Silver Functionalized Bacterial Cellulose isolated from Acetobacter Tropicalis Jcp OK356208.1 from Rotten Orange

Adequate disposal of solid waste products is one of the uncertainties of mankind. The removal of rotten fruits and vegetables has been an increasing issue in the municipal waste management. The recycling of rotten fruits and vegetables into some value added products will be a promising approach for the future waste management. Many established research works indicate the isolation of Acetobacter species from rotten fruits and vegetables. In the present study, five types (AB01, AB02, AB03, AB04, AB05) of different Acetobacter strains were isolated from a variety of rotten fruits samples. Out of that, we successfully screened out Acetobacter tropicalis jcp OK356208.1 from rotten orange samples. The isolate was identified by both phenotypic and genotypic methods. The isolates were screened for their production capacity of both vinegar and cellulose. Hence, through this present investigation, the isolation of a commercially valuable Acetobacter strain was made possible which can be successfully employed for the production of vinegar and cellulose under optimum conditions. Bacterial cellulose is a biopolymer with magnificent implementations in most of the fields such as biomedical, industrial, food and other diverse biotechnological areas. Exploitation of BC as a wound healing material is one of the keen areas of research field.

Social Assessment of Healthcare Waste Management

Circular economy targets clearly define recovery and recycling as predominant actions for future waste management. However, circularity-oriented actions might not be easily implemented for some types of waste. Healthcare sectors generate non-hazardous municipal waste (up to 80–85 % of all generated waste according to the World Health Organization data) and hazardous infectious waste. Due to public health and the spread of infection risks, healthcare waste treatment needs to be organized in a special manner and moreover, recovered materials need to be tested repeatedly. The present paper aims to analyse the social aspects of health care waste recovery technologies along the supply chain (gate-to-gate approach) – from health care waste collection at medical care institutions to recovered materials at treatment plants. Rotoclave and chemical treatment healthcare waste treatment technologies were analysed as case studies. Methodological approach of the study is based on the UNEP/SETAC guidelines for social life-cycle assessment (S-LCA) of products and questionnaire-based indicators. The results of the assessment will bring the framework for improvement of social aspects of healthcare waste management.

Environmental signature and health risk assessment of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) emitted from a landfill fire in Santiago de Chile

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been used as flame retardants in building materials, electronics, furnishings, vehicles, airplanes, plastics, polyurethane foams, and textiles for many years. Currently, the primary commercial mixtures, penta-, octa-, and deca-BDE, are globally restricted. Still, products containing PBDEs are expected to impact waste management and the environment for many years. In January 2016, an open fire in the Santa Marta landfill close to Santiago de Chile affected the city and surroundings. The fire caused several acute health effects and an increase in emergency hospitalizations. We measured PBDE levels in the areas affected by the fire in the air (gaseous and particulate) and soil, and PBDE emissions were estimated using a dispersion model. The results showed an increase in PBDE concentrations by a factor of 2–4 one day after the start of the fire. However, PBDE concentrations measured after the fire in PM10 and the gas phase were considered low compared to other regions. Interestingly, PBDEs’ patterns differed across the sites; however, BDE209 was the dominant congener for all environmental matrices. A preliminary risk assessment was conducted using the daily exposure dose (DED) by air inhalation estimation. The results showed low DED values for adults and children and suggested no direct health risk due to PBDE exposure. This study brings new data useful for future solid waste management initiatives in the country.