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Hasan MM, Ng KTW, Ray S, Assuah A, Mahmud TS. Prophet time series modeling of waste disposal rates in four North American cities. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024:10.1007/s11356-024-33335-5. [PMID: 38632194 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33335-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
In this study, three different univariate municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal rate forecast models (SARIMA, Holt-Winters, Prophet) were examined using different testing periods in four North American cities with different socioeconomic conditions. A review of the literature suggests that the selected models are able to handle seasonality in a time series; however, their ability to handle outliers is not well understood. The Prophet model generally outperformed the Holt-Winters model and the SARIMA model. The MAPE and R2 of the Prophet model during pre-COVID-19 were 4.3-22.2% and 0.71-0.93, respectively. All three models showed satisfactory predictive results, especially during the pre-COVID-19 testing period. COVID-19 lockdowns and the associated regulatory measures appear to have affected MSW disposal behaviors, and all the univariate models failed to fully capture the abrupt changes in waste disposal behaviors. Modeling errors were largely attributed to data noise in seasonality and the unprecedented event of COVID-19 lockdowns. Overall, the modeling errors of the Prophet model were evenly distributed, with minimum modeling biases. The Prophet model also appeared to be versatile and successfully captured MSW disposal rates from 3000 to 39,000 tons/month. The study highlights the potential benefits of the use of univariate models in waste forecast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Mehedi Hasan
- Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Environmental Systems Engineering, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Kelvin Tsun Wai Ng
- Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Environmental Systems Engineering, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S 0A2, Canada.
| | - Sagar Ray
- Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Environmental Systems Engineering, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Anderson Assuah
- University College of the North, Box 3000, 436 - 7th Street East, The Pas, Manitoba, R9A 1M7, Canada
| | - Tanvir Shahrier Mahmud
- Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Environmental Systems Engineering, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S 0A2, Canada
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2
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Puška A, Štilić A, Pamucar D, Simic V, Petrović N. Optimal selection of healthcare waste treatment devices using fuzzy-rough approach. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024:10.1007/s11356-024-32630-5. [PMID: 38430441 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32630-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
The escalating volume of healthcare waste (HCW) generated by healthcare facilities poses a pressing challenge for all nations. Adequate management and disposal of this waste are imperative to mitigate its adverse impact on human lives, wildlife, and the environment. Addressing this issue in Bosnia and Herzegovina involves the establishment of a regional center dedicated to HCW management. In practice, there are various treatments available for HCW management. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the priority for procuring different treatments during the formation of this center. To assess these treatment devices, expert decision-making employed the fuzzy-rough approach. By leveraging extended sustainability criteria, experts initially evaluated the significance of these criteria and subsequently assessed the devices for HCW treatment. Employing the fuzzy-rough LMAW (Logarithm Methodology of Additive Weights), the study determined the importance of criteria, highlighting "Air emissions" and "Annual usage costs" as the most critical factors. Utilizing the fuzzy-rough CoCoSo (the Combined Compromise Solution) method, six devices employing incineration or sterilization for HCW treatment were ranked. The findings indicated that the "Rotary kiln" and "Steam disinfection" emerged as the most favorable devices for HCW treatment based on this research. This conclusion was validated through comparative and sensitivity analyses. This research contributes by proposing a solution to address Bosnia and Herzegovina's HCW challenge through the establishment of a regional center dedicated to HCW management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adis Puška
- Department of Public Safety, Government of Brčko District, Brcko District, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Anđelka Štilić
- Academy of Applied Studies Belgrade, College of Tourism, Bulevar Zorana Đinđića 152a, 11070, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dragan Pamucar
- Department of Operations Research and Statistics, Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
- College of Engineering, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.
- Department of Computer Science and Mathematics, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon.
| | - Vladimir Simic
- Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Vojvode Stepe 305, 11010, Belgrade, Serbia
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, College of Informatics, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Nataša Petrović
- Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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Kumar M, Mazumder P, Silori R, Manna S, Panday DP, Das N, Sethy SK, Kuroda K, Mahapatra DM, Mahlknecht J, Tyagi VK, Singh R, Zang J, Barceló D. Prevalence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products, microplastics and co-infecting microbes in the post-COVID-19 era and its implications on antimicrobial resistance and potential endocrine disruptive effects. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 904:166419. [PMID: 37625721 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic's steady condition coupled with predominance of emerging contaminants in the environment and its synergistic implications in recent times has stoked interest in combating medical emergencies in this dynamic environment. In this context, high concentrations of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), microplastics (MPs), antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and soaring coinfecting microbes, tied with potential endocrine disruptive (ED) are critical environmental concerns that requires a detailed documentation and analysis. During the pandemic, the identification, enumeration, and assessment of potential hazards of PPCPs and MPs and (used as anti-COVID-19 agents/applications) in aquatic habitats have been attempted globally. Albeit receding threats in the magnitude of COVID-19 infections, both these pollutants have still posed serious consequences to aquatic ecosystems and the very health and hygiene of the population in the vicinity. The surge in the contaminants post-COVID also renders them to be potent vectors to harbor and amplify AMR. Pertinently, the present work attempts to critically review such instances to understand the underlying mechanism, interactions swaying the current health of our environment during this post-COVID-19 era. During this juncture, although prevention of diseases, patient care, and self-hygiene have taken precedence, nevertheless antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) efforts have been overlooked. Unnecessary usage of PPCPs and plastics during the pandemic has resulted in increased emerging contaminants (i.e., active pharmaceutical ingredients and MPs) in various environmental matrices. It was also noticed that among COVID-19 patients, while the bacterial co-infection prevalence was 0.2-51%, the fungi, viral, protozoan and helminth were 0.3-49, 1-22, 2-15, 0.4-15% respectively, rendering them resistant to residual PPCPs. There are inevitable chances of ED effects from PPCPs and MPs applied previously, that could pose far-reaching health concerns. Furthermore, clinical and other experimental evidence for many newer compounds is very scarce and demands further research. Pro-active measures targeting effective waste management, evolved environmental policies aiding strict regulatory measures, and scientific research would be crucial in minimizing the impact and creating better preparedness towards such events among the masses fostering sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Kumar
- Sustainability Cluster, School of Advanced Engineering, UPES, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India; Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
| | - Payal Mazumder
- Sustainability Cluster, School of Advanced Engineering, UPES, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India
| | - Rahul Silori
- Sustainability Cluster, School of Advanced Engineering, UPES, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India
| | - Suvendu Manna
- Sustainability Cluster, School of Advanced Engineering, UPES, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India
| | - Durga Prasad Panday
- Sustainability Cluster, School of Advanced Engineering, UPES, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India
| | - Nilotpal Das
- ENCORE Insoltech Pvt. Ltd, Randesan, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382421, India
| | - Susanta Kumar Sethy
- Sustainability Cluster, School of Advanced Engineering, UPES, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India
| | - Keisuke Kuroda
- Department of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Toyama Prefectural University, Imizu 939 0398, Japan
| | - Durga Madhab Mahapatra
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, School of Advanced Engineering, UPES, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India; Department of Biological and Ecological Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Jürgen Mahlknecht
- Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
| | - Vinay Kumar Tyagi
- Wastewater Division, National Institute of Hydrology Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttranchal, India
| | - Rajesh Singh
- Wastewater Division, National Institute of Hydrology Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttranchal, India
| | - Jian Zang
- Department of Civil Engineering, Chongqing University, China
| | - Damià Barceló
- Sustainability Cluster, School of Advanced Engineering, UPES, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India; Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 1826, Barcelona 08034, Spain
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Wilson DC. Learning from the past to plan for the future: An historical review of the evolution of waste and resource management 1970-2020 and reflections on priorities 2020-2030 - The perspective of an involved witness. WASTE MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH : THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOLID WASTES AND PUBLIC CLEANSING ASSOCIATION, ISWA 2023; 41:1754-1813. [PMID: 37732707 PMCID: PMC10693744 DOI: 10.1177/0734242x231178025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Improving waste and resource management (WaRM) around the world can halve the weight of plastics entering the oceans, significantly mitigate global heating and contribute directly to 12 of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs). Achieving such results demands understanding and learning from historical evolution of WaRM. The baseline is 1970, prior to environmental legislation. Early steps in the Global North focused on the 'technical fix' within strictly enforced legal frameworks, first bringing hazardous wastes and municipal solid wastes (MSW) under control, then gradually ramping up environmental standards. Using modern technologies to the Global South often failed due to institutional and financial constraints. From 1990, focus switched to integrating technical and governance aspects: local institutional coherence, financial sustainability, provider inclusivity, user inclusivity, national legislative and policy framework. The Global North rediscovered recycling, using policy measures to promote segregation at source; this relied on new markets in emerging economies, which had largely disappeared by 2020. The Global South is making progress on bringing wastes under control, but around 2.7 billion people lack access to waste collection, while ~40% of collected MSW is open dumped or burned - a continuing global waste emergency. So, much remains to be done to move further towards a circular economy. Three policy priorities are critical for all countries: access to sustainable financing, rethinking sustainable recycling and worldwide extended producer responsibility with teeth. Extending services to unserved communities (SDG11.6.1) requires a people-centred approach, working with communities to provide both quality services and decent livelihoods for collection and recycling workers.
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Mahmud TS, Ng KTW, Hasan MM, An C, Wan S. A cross-jurisdictional comparison on residential waste collection rates during earlier waves of COVID-19. SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY 2023; 96:104685. [PMID: 37274541 PMCID: PMC10225168 DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2023.104685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
There is currently a lack of studies on residential waste collection during COVID-19 in North America. SARIMA models were developed to predict residential waste collection rates (RWCR) across four North American jurisdictions before and during the pandemic. Unlike waste disposal rates, RWCR is relatively less sensitive to the changes in COVID-19 regulatory policies and administrative measures, making RWCR more appropriate for cross-jurisdictional comparisons. It is hypothesized that the use of RWCR in forecasting models will help us to better understand the residential waste generation behaviors in North America. Both SARIMA models performed satisfactorily in predicting Regina's RWCR. The SARIMA DCV model's performance is noticeably better during COVID-19, with a 15.7% lower RMSE than that of the benchmark model (SARIMA BCV). The skewness of overprediction ratios was noticeably different between jurisdictions, and modeling errors were generally lower in less populated cities. Conflicting behavioral changes might have altered the residential waste generation characteristics and recycling behaviors differently across the jurisdictions. Overall, SARIMA DCV performed better in the Canadian jurisdiction than in U.S. jurisdictions, likely due to the model's bias on a less variable input dataset. The use of RWCR in forecasting models helps us to better understand the residential waste generation behaviors in North America and better prepare us for a future global pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanvir Shahrier Mahmud
- Environmental Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Kelvin Tsun Wai Ng
- Environmental Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Mohammad Mehedi Hasan
- Environmental Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Chunjiang An
- Department of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W., Montreal, Quebec H3G 1M8, Canada
| | - Shuyan Wan
- Department of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W., Montreal, Quebec H3G 1M8, Canada
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Park S. Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on waste generation: Focus on plastic, food, and medical wastes in South Korea. Heliyon 2023; 9:e18881. [PMID: 37593634 PMCID: PMC10428051 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic may have considerably increased household and medical waste generation. However, waste generation patterns are not consistent and may vary globally. Therefore, using data (2018-2021) from 25 autonomous local governments under the Seoul Metropolitan Government, this study investigated whether plastic, food, and medical waste generation increased in South Korea during the pandemic. Descriptive statistics, spatial distribution patterns, and cluster analyses were used to examine the impact of COVID-19 on the jurisdictions. Results revealed that the fluctuations in plastic, food, and medical wastes generation had little impact on the waste management system in Seoul. Patterns varied little compared to the pre-COVID-19 period. This study raises the possibility that, while it may appear that there were waste management issues and waste accumulation during COVID-19, there is much variation in the results at the jurisdictional level. This showed that not all regions experienced problems in waste management during the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seejeen Park
- Public Administration Department, KwangWoon University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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7
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Chew X, Khaw KW, Alnoor A, Ferasso M, Al Halbusi H, Muhsen YR. Circular economy of medical waste: novel intelligent medical waste management framework based on extension linear Diophantine fuzzy FDOSM and neural network approach. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:60473-60499. [PMID: 37036648 PMCID: PMC10088637 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-26677-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Environmental pollution has been a major concern for researchers and policymakers. A number of studies have been conducted to enquire the causes of environmental pollution which suggested numerous policies and techniques as remedial measures. One such major source of environmental pollution, as reported by previous studies, has been the garbage resulting from disposed hospital wastes. The recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted into mass generation of medical waste which seems to have further deteriorated the issue of environmental pollution. This necessitates active attention from both the researchers and policymakers for effective management of medical waste to prevent the harm to environment and human health. The issue of medical waste management is more important for countries lacking sophisticated medical infrastructure. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to propose a novel application for identification and classification of 10 hospitals in Iraq which generated more medical waste during the COVID-19 pandemic than others in order to address the issue more effectively. We used the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method to this end. We integrated MCDM with other techniques including the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), linear Diophantine fuzzy set decision by opinion score method (LDFN-FDOSM), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) analysis to generate more robust results. We classified medical waste into five categories, i.e., general waste, sharp waste, pharmaceutical waste, infectious waste, and pathological waste. We consulted 313 experts to help in identifying the best and the worst medical waste management technique within the perspectives of circular economy using the neural network approach. The findings revealed that incineration technique, microwave technique, pyrolysis technique, autoclave chemical technique, vaporized hydrogen peroxide, dry heat, ozone, and ultraviolet light were the most effective methods to dispose of medical waste during the pandemic. Additionally, ozone was identified as the most suitable technique among all to serve the purpose of circular economy of medical waste. We conclude by discussing the practical implications to guide governments and policy makers to benefit from the circular economy of medical waste to turn pollutant hospitals into sustainable ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- XinYing Chew
- School of Computer Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Khai Wah Khaw
- School of Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Alhamzah Alnoor
- Management Technical College, Southern Technical University, Basrah, Iraq.
| | - Marcos Ferasso
- Economics and Business Sciences Department, Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa, 1169-023, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Hussam Al Halbusi
- Department of Management, Ahmed Bin Mohammad Military College, Doha, Qatar
| | - Yousif Raad Muhsen
- Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia
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Ozawa K. Identification of overlapping plastic sheets using short-wavelength infrared hyperspectral imaging. OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 31:12328-12338. [PMID: 37157394 DOI: 10.1364/oe.485039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Plastic identification is a fundamental step in material and chemical recycling. Overlap between plastics is a common limitation of existing identification methods, and it is necessary for plastic waste to be shredded and spread over an area to avoid overlapping between flakes. However, this process decreases sorting efficiency and also increases the risk of misidentification. This study specifically focuses on plastic sheets and aims to develop an efficient identification method for overlapping plastic sheets, by using short-wavelength infrared hyperspectral imaging. The method is based on the Lambert-Beer law and is simple to implement. We consider a practical situation with a reflection-based measurement system and demonstrate the identification performance of the proposed method. The tolerance of the proposed method against error sources of measurement is also discussed.
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Rejeb A, Rejeb K, Appolloni A, Treiblmaier H, Iranmanesh M. Circular Economy Research in the COVID-19 Era: a Review and the Road Ahead. CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABILITY 2023:1-31. [PMID: 37360377 PMCID: PMC10042431 DOI: 10.1007/s43615-023-00265-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
The onset of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a major crisis that has severely impacted numerous economic, environmental, and social aspects of human life. During the pandemic, the potential of the circular economy (CE) has gained increasing attention as a prospective remedy for numerous sustainability problems. This systematic literature review charts CE research in the COVID-19 era. To this end, 160 journal articles were selected from the Scopus database. The performance indicators of the literature were determined and described through a bibliometric analysis. Moreover, the conceptual structure of CE research was identified via a keyword co-occurrence network. Based on bibliographic coupling, the focus of CE research in the COVID-19 era revolves mainly around five thematic areas, including: (1) waste management; (2) digitalization and sustainable supply chain management; (3) the impact of COVID-19 on food systems; (4) sustainable development goals, smart cities, and bioeconomy; and (5) closed-loop supply chains. Overall, this review contributes to enriching the literature by determining the main thematic areas and future research directions that can help to advance the transition to the CE and reduce the impact of COVID-19 and similar disasters in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abderahman Rejeb
- Department of Management and Law, Faculty of Economics, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Columbia, 2, Rome, 00133 Italy
| | - Karim Rejeb
- Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, Zarzouna, Bizerte 7021 Tunisia
| | - Andrea Appolloni
- Department of Management and Law, Faculty of Economics, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Columbia, 2, Rome, 00133 Italy
- School of Management, Cranfield University, MK43 0AL Cranfield, Bedford, UK
| | - Horst Treiblmaier
- School of International Management, Modul University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Araujo R, Fernandes JM, Reis LP, Beaulieu M. Purchasing challenges in times of COVID-19: resilience practices to mitigate disruptions in the health-care supply chain. JOURNAL OF GLOBAL OPERATIONS AND STRATEGIC SOURCING 2022. [DOI: 10.1108/jgoss-04-2022-0026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify supply chain (SC) management practices applied to purchasing capable of improving the resilience of the health-care SC and mitigating the effects of material and service disruption during pandemics.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach adopted is qualitative and is based on a systematic literature review from the ScienceDirect, Emerald, Wiley and Web of Science databases. After selecting 705 documents, filters are applied, and 52 articles present problems faced by purchasing the health-care SC during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Findings
This article suggests five propositions of resilient practices that can increase purchasing resilience in the face of pandemics such as COVID-19. The proposed practices are collaboration, flexibility, visibility, agility and information sharing, which suggest a sequence for the adoption of management practices based on the number of occurrences and importance found in the analysed studies.
Research limitations/implications
This study does not find robust empirical evidence that could categorically state that the results can be replicated in organisations in general. Thus, as a continuation of research, more studies should use an empirical methodology and case analysis to organise different branches. As the human factor was decisive for the results observed in the literature, future research should dedicate part of the studies to the psychological area of professionals. Actions to combat the pandemic were implemented, impacting positively and negatively on the results obtained. Future research on combat actions could indicate which ones should be avoided.
Practical implications
As a result, disruptions are expected to be reduced, and consequently, the resilience of the SC will increase. Accordingly, purchasing processes and procedures can be redefined to positively influence the resilience of the health-care SC. Resilience is related to maintaining the flow of supply, as well as systems and actions aimed at mitigating the effects of disruptions in the hospital’s core business.
Social implications
Health systems need to respond to society’s needs even in the face of global crises, such as the one faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The overload in hospitals and the exponential demand for specific medicines and services in the fight against the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic require enormous coordination in procurement by the purchasing sector. This planning aims to ensure that the care provided by health services maintains the flow of value that serves hospitalised patients.
Originality/value
This study introduces a new approach to the recurrent problem of disruption of the health-care SC during a pandemic using a combination of five important management practices. This proves useful for mitigating disruptions and their effects on the health-care SC.
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Nguyen TDT, Nakakubo T, Kawai K. Analysis of COVID-19 waste management in Vietnam and recommendations to adapt to the 'new normal' period. JOURNAL OF MATERIAL CYCLES AND WASTE MANAGEMENT 2022; 25:835-850. [PMID: 36532159 PMCID: PMC9734957 DOI: 10.1007/s10163-022-01563-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Amid the 4th wave of COVID-19, Vietnam reopened its economy, which placed extra burdens on the COVID-19 waste management system. This study analyzed existing issues and recommended adaptations to secure appropriate management of COVID-19 waste under the 'new normal' pandemic period. Results showed changes in COVID-19 waste characteristics (e.g., rapid rise in waste generation, lower percentage of plastic) and multiple other issues (e.g., presence of COVID-19 waste in municipal waste, lack of temporary storage sites and local treatment capacity), along with greater waste-handling responsibilities placed on authorities and higher infection risks. To adapt to the 'new normal', introduction of separate handling routes and collaboration in waste treatment were recommended. Employing the network of pharmacies used for vaccination would require COVID-19 waste collection from scattered, small-scale sources as part of the waste management solution. Also, following the 4R initiatives (reduce, reuse, recycle, recovery) could help ease the burden on the country's waste system and provide additional opportunities to move towards a circular economy in the post-acute COVID-19 era. The findings should contribute to a safer co-existence with the virus through appropriate waste management in Vietnam and could be used to tackle waste problems in other developing countries. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10163-022-01563-x.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kosuke Kawai
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506 Japan
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12
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Mahmud TS, Ng KTW, Karimi N, Adusei KK, Pizzirani S. Evolution of COVID-19 municipal solid waste disposal behaviors using epidemiology-based periods defined by World Health Organization guidelines. SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY 2022; 87:104219. [PMID: 36187707 PMCID: PMC9515004 DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2022.104219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to identify the effects of continued COVID-19 transmission on waste management trends in a Canadian capital city, using pandemic periods defined from epidemiology and the WHO guidelines. Trends are detected using both regression and Mann-Kendall tests. The proposed analytical method is jurisdictionally comparable and does not rely on administrative measures. A reduction of 190.30 tonnes/week in average residential waste collection is observed in the Group II period. COVID-19 virulence negatively correlated with residential waste generation. Data variability in average collection rates during the Group II period increased (SD=228.73 tonnes/week). A slightly lower COVID-19 induced Waste Disposal Variability (CWDW) of 0.63 was observed in the Group II period. Increasing residential waste collection trends during Group II are observed from both regression (b = +1.6) and the MK test (z = +5.0). Both trend analyses reveal a decreasing CWDV trend during the Group I period, indicating higher diversion activities. Decreasing CWDV trends are also observed during the Group II period, probably due to the implementation of new waste programs. The use of pandemic periods derived from epidemiology helps us to better understand the effect of COVID-19 on waste generation and disposal behaviors, allowing us to better compare results in regions with different socio-economic affluences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanvir S Mahmud
- Environmental Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, S4S 0A2
| | - Kelvin Tsun Wai Ng
- Environmental Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, S4S 0A2
| | - Nima Karimi
- Environmental Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, S4S 0A2
| | - Kenneth K Adusei
- Environmental Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, S4S 0A2
| | - Stefania Pizzirani
- School of Land Use and Environmental Change, University of the Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada, V2S 7M8
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13
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Requena-Sanchez N, Carbonel D, Moonsammy S, Demel L, Vallester E, Velásquez D, Toledo Cervantes JA, Díaz Núñez VL, Vásquez García R, Santa Cruz M, Visbal E, Ng KTW. COVID-19 impacts on household solid waste generation in six Latin American countries: a participatory approach. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2022; 195:155. [PMID: 36441286 PMCID: PMC9702680 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10771-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the Americas, the continent with the highest number of COVID-related deaths according to WHO statistics. In Latin America, strict confinement conditions at the beginning of the pandemic put recycling activity to a halt and augmented the consumption of plastic as a barrier to stop the spread of the virus. The lack of data to understand waste management dynamics complicates waste management strategy adjustments aimed at coping with COVID-19. As a novel contribution to the waste management data gap for Latin America, this study uses a virtual and participatory methodology that collects and generates information on household solid waste generation and composition. Data was collected between June and November 2021 in six countries in Latin America, with a total of 503 participants. Participants indicated that the pandemic motivated them to initiate or increase waste reduction (41%), waste separation (40%), and waste recovery (33%) activities. Forty-three percent of participants perceived an increase in total volume of their waste; however, the quantitative data showed a decrease in household waste generation in Peru (-31%), Honduras (-25%), and Venezuela (-82%). No changes in waste composition were observed. Despite the limited sample size, this data provides a much-needed approximation of household waste generation and composition in the pandemic situation during 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norvin Requena-Sanchez
- Integrated Waste Management for Sustainable Development Group, Faculty of Environmental Engineering, National University of Engineering, 210 Túpac Amaru Ave, Rímac, Lima, Peru
| | - Dalia Carbonel
- Integrated Waste Management for Sustainable Development Group, Faculty of Environmental Engineering, National University of Engineering, 210 Túpac Amaru Ave, Rímac, Lima, Peru
| | - Stephan Moonsammy
- Department of Environmental Studies, Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, P. O. Box 10 1110, Georgetown, Guyana
| | - Larissa Demel
- United Nations Development Program, Casa de las Naciones Unidas, Edificio # 129, Ciudad del Saber, Panama City, Panama
| | - Erick Vallester
- Technological University of Panama, Avenida Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, Vía Puente Centenario, Campus Metropolitano Víctor Levi Sasso, Panama City, Panama
| | - Diana Velásquez
- National Autonomous University of Honduras, Bulevar Suyapa, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
| | | | | | - Rosario Vásquez García
- Daniel Alcides Carrion National University, Av. Los Próceres 703, Yanacancha, Cerro de Pasco, Peru
| | - Melissa Santa Cruz
- Intercultural National University Fabiola Salazar Leguia From Bagua, Jirón Ancash N° 520 Bagua, Amazonas, Peru
| | - Elsy Visbal
- Litoral Headquarters, Simón Bolívar University, Camurí Grande, Edo. Vargas Parroquia Naiguatá, La Guaira, Venezuela
| | - Kelvin Tsun Wai Ng
- Environmental Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, SK Canada
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14
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Cao C, Li J, Liu J, Liu J, Qiu H, Zhen J. Sustainable development-oriented location-transportation integrated optimization problem regarding multi-period multi-type disaster medical waste during COVID-19 pandemic. ANNALS OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH 2022:1-47. [PMID: 36035452 PMCID: PMC9395823 DOI: 10.1007/s10479-022-04820-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
After the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, devising an effective reverse logistics supply chain to clean up disaster medical waste is conducive to controlling and containing novel coronavirus transmission. Thus, the focus of this paper concentrates on multi-period multi-type disaster medical waste location-transportation integrated optimization problem with the concern of sustainability, which is formulated as a tri-objective mixed-integer programming model with the goals of maximizing total economic benefits, minimizing total carbon emissions and total potential social risks. Then, a real-world case from Wuhan using CPLEX solver is used to validate the developed model. Results indicate that constructing DMWTTSs with flexible capacity in different periods is encouraged to handle the sharply increasing disaster medical waste. The multi-period decision model outperforms the single-period one in disaster medical waste supply chains because the former has the capability of handling the uncertainties in the future periods. Increasingly, since the increase of budget doesn't always work well and social resources are limited, the estimation of minimum budget to obtain optimum overall performance is of great importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cejun Cao
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Chongqing’s Modern Trade Logistics & Supply Chain, School of Management Science and Engineering, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, 400067 People’s Republic of China
- School of Management Science and Engineering, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, 400067 People’s Republic of China
| | - Juan Li
- School of Management Science and Engineering, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, 400067 People’s Republic of China
| | - Ju Liu
- School of Business Administration, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510641 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiahui Liu
- School of Business Administration, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, 400067 People’s Republic of China
| | - Hanguang Qiu
- School of Management Science and Engineering, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, 400067 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jie Zhen
- School of Management Science and Engineering, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, 400067 People’s Republic of China
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15
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Influence of the Total Consumption of Households on Municipal Waste Quantity in Romania. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14148828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Sustainable development is a worldwide concern. This paper presents an analysis of the influence of the final consumption expenditure on the total consumption of households in Romania. The regression function of the association between “the amount of municipal waste” and “the total consumption of households” has a direct linear relationship. The regression variable “total household consumption” (X) has a regression coefficient of −0.03031, which indicates that the amount of municipal waste decreases by one unit as household consumption increases by 30.31 units. Therefore, this regression coefficient indicates that the volume of municipal waste decreases by 30.31 tons to an increase in the final consumption expenditure of households of EUR 1 million. The influence of the final consumption expenditure of households by consumption purpose on the quantity of municipal waste is in the following order: health; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels; clothing and footwear; miscellaneous goods and services; recreation and culture; food and non-alcoholic goods; restaurants and hotels; furnishing and household equipment and routine household maintenance; alcoholic and tobacco goods; communications; and education. The value of the Significance F must be less than 0.05. In the case of the model, it is found that this value exceeds the threshold of 0.05 in the case of consumption generated by health services, recreation and culture, restaurants and hotels, alcohol and tobacco goods, and communications. Regarding the high value of Significance F in relation to consumption, we find the sectors that generate the least amount of waste (services). In the case of all of the independent variables, we can note that the relationship is a negative one, which proves that an increase in the quantity of any expenditure of the households generates a decrease of the municipal waste quantity.
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