Adaptations of Municipal Solid Waste Management Systems in Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic

ABSTRACT

The coronavirus pandemic has challenged the operation of municipal solid waste management systems (MSWMSs) in the United States and elsewhere. With the growing concern about the potential exposure to the coronavirus, people are spending more time in their homes while changing their waste generation behaviors. This phenomenon has changed not only how people produce waste but also how MSWMSs plan and adapt the operation of their facilities. Since solid waste management has been declared as an essential service in addition to public health, MSWMSs have faced new challenges and thus developed adaptive measures in order to keep their critical operations. This study (i) identifies a broad range of waste management and operational challenges and (ii) summarizes various adaptive measures taken by different MSWMSs. Ephemeral data were collected and analyzed on the longitudinal impact of the pandemic on multiple MSWMSs in severely affected U.S. states, such as Florida, California, and New York, over a nine-month period. Note that best management practices for such waste-related challenges and adaptive measures can vary across different MSWMSs and states. In order to facilitate the development of different MSWMSs’ plan for future pandemic events, this study will characterize the identified impact of the pandemic and its relevant adaptive measures in terms of system structure (i.e., what facilities exist [entity], how they interact with one another [interdependency], and who control which facilities [control]). © 2023, Canadian Society for Civil Engineering.