Technical Mechanics of a Trans-Border Waste Flow Tracking Solution Based on Blockchain Technology

Abstract

When it comes to waste management and waste tracking, the main objectives are: prevent and reuse as much waste as possible. In the last decade, there has been a strong shift from the disposal of waste to recycling thereof. Within the EU, EU member states are required to establish waste prevention programs through the "Waste Framework EU Directive" which attempts to turn the EU into a recycling society. Similar endeavors also exist in other countries and regions. With globalization, the disposal of waste became a lucrative business case, often without transparency whether the waste has been disposed of properly and according to regulations or directives installed by each country. Waste flow management is the basis of sustainable waste prevention and recycling. Short-term solutions and financial profit accelerated malpractice in waste disposal and recycling. The currently used systems cannot track waste across borders in a transparent, but data-protected and tamper-proof way. Therefore, solutions to address these concerns have to be found and implemented. Blockchain enables new approaches, especially in ecosystems with distrust in every participating stakeholder, which is the case in waste flow tracking. We introduce and discuss a novel solution for waste tracking, on the basis of blockchain technology and smart contracts, that fulfills the aforementioned requirements.