Waste Management Performance Research Articles

Institutional and Actor Network Perspectives of Waste Management in Australia: Is the Construction Industry Prepared for a Circular Economy?

Waste management and minimization are touted to be two of the key drivers for greening the construction industry and a pathway to a circular economy. This research aims to revisit the attitudes and perceptions of project stakeholders towards construction and demolition (C&D) waste in the Australian construction industry and ascertain if the current state of play in construction would facilitate the transition to a circular economy. Statistical analysis was performed on an online survey dataset collected from 104 professionals within the Australian construction supply chain. The results reveal that construction professionals’ attitudes and perceptions to C&D waste could be classified into normative, regulatory and cultural cognitive drivers. Also, the perceived barriers and strategies of C&D waste management vary across design consultants and principal and sub-contractors. Overall, the evidence is suggestive that the Australian construction industry seems not fully ready for a circular economy. In terms of research implications, clearer guidelines and mandatory approaches to C&D waste management, involving a balance of incentivization and dis-incentivization actions, and close and stronger collaborations between the industry and government, are deemed necessary for better C&D waste management performance and the realization of a greener industry.

Testing data envelopment analysis models on the performance of European Union regions in sustainable waste management

Achieving a Circular Economy requires effective waste management. Monitoring the transformation path taken by the European Union (EU) and its Member States is crucial for assessing the impact and effectiveness of current European waste legislation. Even though numerous studies have shown positive performance and convergence in waste treatment, regional efficiency evaluation studies are still lacking. This research aims to benchmark the performance of municipal solid waste management in 167 regions – at level 2 of the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics - across European Member States during the period from 2008 to 2013. It looks to assess whether there is any positive convergence among these regions. The efficiency assessment employs four different Data Envelopment Analysis models. One of these models, the Benefit-of-Doubt, is a non-parametric approach and represents a special case within the Data Envelopment Analysis framework. Our findings indicate a yearly reduction in the coefficient of variation of 3.6%. Despite this progressive convergence, substantial differences in municipal solid waste management performance exist between EU-20 regions, even within the same country. Particularly, the analysis demonstrates that the best performers are registered in the Central and Northern EU regions, while the Eastern and Southern EU regions performed worse.

Analysing the Circular Economies and Waste Management of European Countries via Decision Models

Today, waste management is a highly significant priority for the European Union. In 1975, the EU passed the first legislation on waste management, the Framework Directive on Waste, which laid the foundation for the EU's current waste management strategy. Since then, there have been several updates and revisions to waste management legislation to reduce waste and promote sustainable waste management. Today, developing a more circular economy is one of the main objectives of the EU's waste management policy. In order to do this, a circular model of resource reuse, recycling, and economic reintegration must replace a linear model of resource consumption and disposal. This can decrease the damaging effects of waste on the environment and increase resource efficiency. Efficient waste management cannot be maintained without implementing a circular economy thoroughly. The main goal of the analysis is to evaluate the performance of waste management in European Union nations from the viewpoint of the circular economy. We employ the MOORA and COBRA approaches to evaluate European Union countries’ waste management and circular economy performance. As per analysis findings, Germany and France perform better. Two sub-categories of the MOORA and COBRA method results significantly comply with each other. We may also conclude that the European Union countries that adopt circular economy-oriented policies perform better. This study aims to be a pioneer as it analyses both performance dimensions holistically in European Union countries using MCDM methods.

Implementation Strategy “3R CIRCULAR ECONOMY” To Achieve SDG Target 11.6 “Municipal Waste Management” In Cipaganti Village, Bandung City (Study at the Cihampelas Mandiri Unit Garbage Bank)

Good municipal waste management is very important for a sustainable urban order. Good municipal waste management can reduce negative impacts on the environment, public health and natural resources. The application of a Garbage Bank is one of the solutions for good municipal waste management. This is due to the concept of a Garbage Bank which is aligned with sustainable city management. One of the principles that is effective in helping the performance of waste management at the Garbage Bank is a circular economy based on 3R (reduce, reuse, and recycle). The application of this concept needs to be supported by campaigns involving various activities such as outreach, education, training and promotion which aim to increase public awareness about the importance of sustainable waste management. This study aims to examine the Garbage Bank campaign strategy as an effort to support the achievement of Target 11.6 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), namely “Urban Waste Management”, by implementing a 3R-based circular economy approach in Cipaganti Village, Bandung City. This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study method of a Garbage Bank in Cipaganti Village, Bandung City. Data was collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and analysis of related documents. The key informants in this study were community members, related stakeholders, and the management of the Waste Bank in Cipaganti Village. The results of this study are expected to provide a better understanding of the effectiveness of the Garbage Bank campaign strategy in realizing SDG Target 11.6 in Cipaganti Village, Bandung City, as well as provide guidance for the government and related organizations in planning and implementing sustainable waste management activitiesgovernment and related organizations in planning and implementing sustainable waste management activities.

Waste Management and Business Sustainability Performance: Moderating Role of Organisation Age

Waste Management and Business Sustainability Performance: Moderating Role of Organisation Age

Comparative Analysis of the European Regulatory Framework for C&D Waste Management

This article presents a comprehensive analysis of construction and demolition waste (C&D waste) management in European Union (EU) Member States. The study utilizes official data and reports to assess the current C&D waste management status, revealing substantial disparities in recycling rates across countries, ranging from 100% to 24%. These variations emphasize the importance of knowledge sharing and collaborative efforts to improve C&D waste practices. The paper explores the complex factors influencing C&D waste management performance, offering a nuanced discussion of these dynamics. It provides a comprehensive set of practical strategies to address existing challenges, with a focus on reducing C&D waste sent to landfills or incineration. These recommendations align with the EU’s commitment to sustainable resource management and the transition to a circular economy. The research’s informed measures, driven by environmental responsibility and economic prudence, can significantly diminish C&D waste’s environmental impact. Policymakers, environmentalists, and industry stakeholders can utilize these findings to develop and implement improved C&D waste management practices, promoting sustainability and resource efficiency across the EU. This research contributes valuable insights to the field of C&D waste management, offering a road map for improvement and highlighting the need for collaboration among EU Member States to create a more sustainable and resilient future.

Understanding the performance and challenges of solid waste management in an emerging megacity: Insights from the developing world

Solid waste management has been a cavilling issue in Ghana, especially in Kumasi. Thus, this study examines the challenges and recommendations for solid waste management in the Oforikrom Municipality. Data was obtained from 450 respondents from low, middle- and high-income classes using structured questionnaires and interviews were conducted with 6 waste management stakeholders and 50 market venders. Generally, waste management in the area was described as moderate based on the SWAi rating of 50.8 %. While collection and transportation received high ratings of 71 % and 82 % respectively, challenges are apparent in waste segregation (14 %) and disposal (21 %), marked as critically poor and poor, respectively. The overall moderate rating (50.8 %) underscores a mixed performance, signalling the necessity for enhancing storage conditions (36 %) as well. The study showed that occupation (Chi-Square = 0.893, p = 0.029), income (Chi-Square = 0.933, p = 0.021), and satisfaction with waste management services (p = 0.026) displayed notable effects, highlighting their importance in shaping waste management practices. Data from the respondents revealed inadequate practices due to vehicle breakdowns, high transport costs, and funding limitations. Nevertheless, 59.1 % of households expressed willingness to pay for improved waste collection. The dominant waste types were food waste (40 %) and plastics (5.5 %). Disturbingly, 80 % of the households lacked knowledge about waste disposal methods. The study recommends strengthening education and awareness of waste management to residents, improvement of access routes to households and waste disposal sites, and transport of waste should be done at night to ease traffic congestion.

Estimating Zero Waste Index and Resident Waste Participation in Indonesian Middle City

The municipal city has tried to provide the best solid waste services as possible, but the increase in these services does not necessarily increase public participation in managing waste. The objective of this research is to measure the performance of municipal solid waste management while Banda Aceh – Indonesia. The research method uses the Zero Waste Index tool and community surveyed to get a more comprehensive picture of performance in overcoming waste problems. The results can be concluded that the Banda Aceh city government is still achieving a small Zero Waste Index which is 0.28. The majority of the population does not get waste socialization (76.07%), does not sort (75.21%), does not recycle waste (68.31%) and only 54.70% of the community collect used items for resale. The results of the two studies show that it is hard for Banda Aceh to achieve the goal of 30% waste reduction by 2025.

Evaluation of solid waste management effectiveness in Indonesia from 2019-2021: a geographic information system analysis

As a developing country, Indonesia has a significant requirement for solid waste infrastructure development and the establishment of a clean, environmentally friendly, and effective solid waste management system. In other hand, poor solid waste management data remains a major challenge for identifying investment needs in each region. Sistem Informasi Pengelolaan Sampah Nasional (SIPSN) or National Solid Waste Management Information System is a comprehensive source of waste management data in Indonesia that was initiated by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia to describe existing conditions of solid waste management in Indonesia. This study used the Geographic Information System approach to evaluate waste management data from 2019 to 2021. The importance indicators are the solid waste generation, the effectiveness of waste management, the types of solid waste, and solid waste management facilities in various regions of Indonesia. The primary goal of this study is to comprehend the trend of existing state of waste management, as well as to collect and evaluate data from SIPSN and study literature on solid waste management performance in Indonesia. The findings show various areas that require infrastructure development and the deployment of adequate investment technology solutions in solid waste management. This analysis helps Indonesia for having sustainable waste management by reducing waste generation, improving recycling, and lowering environmental impact.

Evaluation of Waste Management Performance in Pariaman City Using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Pariaman City's waste generation in 2022 is 38.26 tons/day. Waste management in Pariaman City is still not optimal, resulting in waste piling up in TPA South Tungkal. The waste reduction value at the research location after processing with BSF larvae can reduce 0.005 tons/day or 0.02% of the total waste generation in Pariaman City. The environmental impacts in waste management studied are Global Warming Potential (GWP), Acidification Potential (AP), and Eutrophication Potential (EP). Reducing the environmental impact of processing organic waste has been carried out, the smallest impact reduction results were obtained, namely in scenario 1, namely processing organic waste with BSF larvae in waste banks and TPS 3R. The results obtained were the impact characterization value from comparing several impact categories. GWP value 32,060,838.136 103 kg CO2-eq, AP 0.00246 x103 SO2-eq, and EP 0.00134 x103 kg PO4-3. So it can be concluded that scenario 1 has a smaller GWP, AP, and EP impact on the environment compared to scenario 0 and is used as the best alternative scenario for waste management in Pariaman City

Measuring circularity potential for medical waste management – a dynamic circularity performance analysis

The global transition towards circular economy (CE) signifies a shift in industrial waste management objective from “expansion of recycling industry” to achieve “waste as resource”. The medical industry has attracted CE research attention the due to its significant waste generation and relatively slower progress towards CE, despite the substantial recycling potential identified by the WHO. Studies indicate that this can be attributed to the hazardous nature of medical waste and the prioritization of safety in waste treatment over potential economic and health co-benefits.Recognizing the limitations of current waste management performance evaluation framework, this research introduces the dynamic circularity performance index, and further introduces the two new indicators of “recycling circularity (Rc)” and “real circularity performance”, in conjunction with “recycling rate”, to enable industry-specific sustainability assessment of waste management performance.The case study on Taiwan medical waste management performance from 2014 to 2021 on the four identified medical waste categories confirms the limitations of assessing performance solely based on the quantity-based metric of “recycling rate”. For example, the significant decline in the recycling rate from 33.1% to only 12.2% between 2019 and 2020 might be interpreted as a drop in environmental performance. However, the increase in both overall recycling efficiency and total volume of waste recycled, as demonstrated by “circularity performance” and “real circularity performance” reveals a well-maintained resource recovery performance in coping with the stunning 327% increase in total waste generation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, while the “recyclable waste’ category exhibits a significant increasing in the recycling rate over the assessment period, the “Rc” results highlight a degradation in recycling efficiency.The synergistic effect of the newly introduced indicators unveils several unique phenomena affecting the CE transition of the medical industry. These includes regulatory control, the single-use mindset, hazardous nature of the waste, the classification of waste, policy incentives and recycling capacity.Further improvement can be made to expand the coverage to all life cycle stages and refine the method for determining the relative circularity of treatment performance. Such advancements can attribute to enhance waste management performance assessment and the development of effective CE transition strategies and policies.

Performance Analysis of Manufacturing Waste Using SWARA and VIKOR Methods: Evaluation of Turkey within the Scope of the Circular Economy

The increasing population and industrial developments driven by growing needs and expectations have led to an increase in consumption. The rise in consumption, in turn, results in more waste generation. The management of waste has become a global issue concerning human and environmental health. As a solution to climate change, waste, and biodiversity loss, the concept of the circular economy has emerged, which involves a global effort. Zero waste, which is one of the key elements of the circular economy, is regulated by waste management legislation in the European Union in accordance with the waste management hierarchy. Therefore, waste management is an important and urgent issue that requires significant planning, especially for countries with trade relations with the European Union. This study aims to evaluate the performance of waste management in Turkey’s manufacturing industry within the scope of the circular economy. The SWARA (Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis) and VIKOR (VIseKriterijumsa Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje) multi-criteria decision-making methods were used in the research. The examination of manufacturing waste in conjunction with the waste hierarchy and within the scope of the circular economy using multi-criteria decision-making methods sets this study apart from other research on the subject. The analysis results indicate that Turkey, particularly in the preference for the option of selling, has shown an increasing trend in waste reduction, reuse, and recycling indicators, while showing a decreasing trend in disposal. In this context, it can be said that Turkey will not face difficulties in the process of aligning with the European Green Deal, and positive environmental developments have been observed.

Prioritizing action plans to save resources and better achieve municipal solid waste management KPIs: An urban case study

ABSTRACT The management of municipal solid waste (MSW) in cities is one of the most complex tasks facing local administrations. For this reason, waste management performance measurement structures are increasingly implemented at local and national levels. These performance structures usually contain strategic objectives and associated action plans, as well as key performance indicators (KPIs) for organizations investing their resources in action plans. This study presents the results of applying a methodology to find a quantitative-based prioritization of MSW action plans for the City Council of Castelló de la Plana in Spain. In doing so, cause-effect relationships between the KPIs have been identified by applying the principal component analysis technique, and from these relationships it was possible to identify those action plans which should be addressed first to manage public services more efficiently. This study can be useful as a tool for local administrations when addressing the actions included in their local waste plans as it can lead to financial savings. Implications: This paper introduces and implements a methodology that uses principal component analysis to analyze real data from waste management KPIs and provide municipal solid waste managers with a decision-making tool for prioritizing action plans. The methodology saves financial resources and time, as well as reinforcing the probability of reaching the meta values of the main performance system KPIs.

The environmental performance of plastic packaging waste management in Germany: Current and future key factors

AbstractPlastic is a popular packaging material, but also criticized as a symbol for the make‐use‐dispose economy because of its short lifespan, its dependency on fossil fuels, and its potential contribution to marine litter. To identify current and potential future key factors for the environmental performance of plastic packaging waste (PPW) management in Germany, a life cycle assessment considering five different pathways of PPW (including deposit‐refund systems, separately collected lightweight packaging waste, and treatment of non‐source‐separated residual waste) was performed. The analysis related to the year 2017 and also considered prospective changes in the background system until 2050 by adapting inventories to shared socioeconomic pathways in line with the Paris Agreement. Key factors for the environmental performance were determined by perturbation analysis. Source separation, quality and quantity of recycled plastics, and emissions from the thermal utilization of residues were identified as key factors for the environmental performance of PPW management. While benefits of PPW management are expected to decrease due to prospective system changes, source separation and the separation of plastics from residual waste gain in importance. Potential measures for improving the environmental performance should focus on long‐term key factors, especially separating PPW from the residual waste (in households or in waste treatment facilities) as well as increasing the quantities and qualities of recycled plastics. The present study showed that the evaluation of system performance in view of changing boundary conditions is key to identify optimal configurations of future PPW management.

Measuring circular economy transition potential for industrial wastes

The circular economy (CE) represents a paradigm shift in global production system, promoting a transition away from the linear model towards maximizing resource intensity and value addition. For industrial waste management, the transition has led to a shift from quantitative-based concept of “expansion of recycling industry” to the pursue of optimum resource recovery quality through “waste as resource”. Studies have found that relying on the traditional indicator of “recycling rate” to evaluate WM performance can be “inaccurate, misleading and contributes to wrong policy decision”. This limitation arises from the inadequacy of the quantity-based matric to assess the intricate interdisciplinary nature of CE transition. Despite substantial efforts to develop alternative assessment indices, there is currently no commonly recognized assessment index to replace “recycling rate” for evaluating industrial waste management performance, which is partly due to the lack of comprehensive WM statistics required for effective performance evaluation. To address this issue, this paper proposes the “circularity performance index (CPI), as a swift and pragmatic method for evaluating WM performance. The CPI overcomes the limitations of the recycling rate by measuring the relative efficiencies of resource recovery, taking into account environmental, social, and economic perspectives. By utilizing readily available general industrial waste statistics, the CPI provides an integrated assessment that incorporates both quantity and quality considerations. Furthermore, the CPI is applicable at various levels, from micro to macro, enabling comparisons across different sectors and regions. To demonstrate the practicality of CPI, a case study involving 27 manufacturing sectors is conducted to exemplify its applicability at national and sectoral levels. The findings reveals a weak correlation between the quantity and quality of resource recovery, providing empirical support for the limitation of “recycling rate” and highlighting the advantages of CPI in evaluating resource recovery efficiency. The outcome underscores the significance of measuring resource recovery efficiency in assessing CE transition and draws attention to external factors that influence waste recovery decision, such as availability of recycling infrastructure and the cost of recycling.

Improving the hospital waste management at the Farabi hospital in Malekan -Iran: An action research study

Hospital waste poses numerous concerns for both human health and the environment. Using an action research technique, this study attempts to improve waste management at the Farabi Hospital in Malekan city-Iran. In 2020, integrated (quantitative-qualitative) action research was done. For action research, the Simmons model was employed. First, a list of significant issues was found during the waste management process evaluation using a standard checklist and brainstorming with hospital officials and workers. The identified issues were prioritized using a prioritization matrix. Then, after consulting with hospital officials, 11 interventions were designed and implemented over six months. Finally, waste management performance was re-evaluated. Average knowledge of the participants about hospital waste management (HWM) standards was improved significantly (64 ± 13.8 before the training, 84.6 ± 20.6). General waste production was reduced by 27.7% in terms of garbage bags and 23.4% in terms of waste weight (95.5 kg–73.1 kg), respectively. Infectious waste output was reduced by 22.8% in the number of garbage bags and 32.1% in the weight of waste (57.5 kg–39 kg). The rate of compliance with HWM criteria was improved from 10 to 33 items. Although the interventions in this study improved the HWM to an acceptable level, more interventions and ongoing monitoring are required. The study's findings also show that an action research strategy might address a wide range of issues and weaknesses in hospitals and related facilities.

Proposal of a sustainability index for intermunicipal cooperation on waste management.

The management of solid waste is one of the biggest challenges for sustainability. Aiming at gains of scale, guaranteeing universal access and the technical and economic viability of the services, intermunicipal cooperation has been implemented in several countries, and in Brazil, it presents itself as one of the main instruments of public policies in the sector of sanitation. The main objective of this article is to propose a set of indicators and the construction of an index to evaluate the performance of regionalized management of urban solid waste, applying them to intermunicipal public consortia operating in Brazil. Based on the Delphi methodology, a total of 15 indicators were defined, divided into 5 sustainability dimensions, used for the construction of the Regionalized Urban Solid Waste Management Performance Index (IDGRSU). In Brazil, the performance of regionalized management was classified as Regular for most of the operating consortia analysed. The adequacy of the final disposal in regional sanitary landfills is the common practice among the municipalities, and consequently, the reduction of the areas of dumps represents the main advance in the management. The index developed proved to be an important instrument to support municipalities and consortia for waste management, contributing to the implementation of sustainable strategies and to the development of policies, and its application in other countries is feasible, regardless of the size of the municipalities.

A multi-stakeholder digital platform for regional construction and demolition waste management.

Little attention has been paid to the interaction or synergy among construction and demolition (C&D) waste management stakeholders. A framework allowing for interaction among the various C&D waste players is especially important in regions with mature C&D waste infrastructure, where various recycling, reuse and disposal facilities are present. In such an expanded infrastructure, these facilities differ in terms of the C&D waste materials they accept, the nature of the waste accepted (sorted/unsorted), as well as the services they provide. This makes developing the optimal C&D waste management plan (WMP) more cumbersome for contractors. To address the challenges arising from the poor dynamics associated with the overarching waste management infrastructure, this paper proposes a novel digital platform, namely the 'Construction and Demolition Waste Management Kernel' (C&D WMK). The C&D WMK has three main objectives: it allows for data exchange between the different stakeholders, provides guidance to contractors when developing C&D WMPs and allows for governmental supervision and regulation. This paper introduces the concept behind the C&D WMK, presents the optimization model embedded in the system, and demonstrates its application in a case study leveraging real-world data. Finally, a scenario analysis is conducted to show how the C&D WMK can be used by governments to identify pitfalls in the state of practice at the regional scale, and to determine effective solutions to enhance the C&D waste management performance.

Strategi Pengelolaan Limbah Padat Infeksius di Rumah Sakit Ibu dan Anak Family Jakarta Utara

The hospital is a health service that produces various infectious wastes that can endanger the officers who handle the waste and visitors and the community around the hospital. The purpose of the study was to determine the performance of infectious solid waste management at the Family Mother and Child Hospital, to determine the internal and external factors in the management of infectious solid waste at the Family Mother and Child Hospital, and to obtain the formulation of infectious solid waste management strategies at the Mother's Hospital. and Child Family. This research was conducted at the Mother and Child Family Hospital, North Jakarta, related to infectious solid waste management strategies. Data collection methods used are interviews, focus group discussions (FGD) and questionnaires. To get the main priority strategy using the IFE- EFE- IF- SWOT matrix. Research Results Based on the analysis of the QSPM matrix, there were 6 strategies that could be prioritized based on the highest ranking, namely (1) Implementing infectious solid waste management systems and procedures in a professional manner, (2) Improving the quality and competence of officers to prevent environmental pollution, (3) Conducting periodic socialization/training to employees related to infectious solid waste management, (4) Preparing medical waste management plans in accordance with the standards of the Minister of Health, (5) Providing sanctions to employees who do not follow the rules in handling infectious solid waste, (6) Optimizing the budget in infectious solid waste management. Keywords: Infectious Solid Waste Management Strategy

Enhancing pro-environmental behaviour of employees towards renovation waste for a circular economy: The role of external supervision and corporate environmental responsibility

Renovation waste generated during urbanisation poses a multitude of environmental and social problems, so it is essential to find efficient and effective renovation waste management (RWM) strategies to deal with it. Pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) of employees in the workplace is one of the critical strategies to improve RWM, and evidence from previous studies shows that PEB is influenced by external supervision and corporate environmental responsibility (CER). This study proposes a conceptual model comprising nine hypotheses to examine the impact of external supervision on the CER of renovation contractors, and the PEB of renovation employees in RWM and the role played by CER in the relationship between external supervision and PEB. The proposed model was tested using the structural equation modelling approach based on collected questionnaire data. Results reveal that CER and two types of external supervision, public supervision, and environmental regulation, play a vital role in adopting PEB for RWM. Furthermore, CER has a significant mediating effect on the relationship between public supervision, media supervision, government supervision, and PEB. The findings of this study can be used by contractors and supervisors of renovation projects to identify effective RWM strategies, and by policymakers and decision-makers to identify specific measures and policies that can improve renovation waste management performance; all of which will contribute to a circular economy and a sustainable society.