The circular economy is a tool to achieve the criteria for sustainable development in the solid waste processing.In addition to the advantages, many disadvantages have been identified in the application of this measure.With regard to the recycling of raw materials, the main one is the lack of traceability of the product over several production life cycles.The assessment of the advantages and disadvantages should be done after a thorough analysis of the processing data.Therefore, according to the regulatory framework, a method for tracking material flows based on blockchain has been proposed.The object of the research is a plant for solid household waste in Sofia.The plant's raw materials are classified into four streams: landfill, sale products, combustion products as refuse-derived fuel (RDF), and recycling.Conceptual models based on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) have been proposed to track the main material flows from the plant.The choice of a specific application as a Blockchain platform will depend on the parameters of the communication scheme.The data stored in the blocks will be the starting point for the analysis and tracking of the full processing cycle.
Muhammad Saad, Maaz Bin Ahmad, Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Khalid Khan · 6 authors
Internet of things (IoT) is being applied in every aspect of daily living to improve the quality of life. Waste management is a critical issue, especially for developing countries. The purpose of this study is to propose an IoT-driven state-of-the-art system for solid waste management for developing countries and urban areas. The lack of planning and availability of resources in urban areas have made a living in densely populated surroundings even more difficult. This research work provides a framework based on blockchain-enabled vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs) in the realm of IoT. The step-by-step methods are proposed for the decentralized solution for solid waste management using blockchain-enabled VANET. Advanced ultra-high frequency (UHF) technology is used along with IoT devices for the real-time location of waste vehicles and the detection of waste bins. Geo-fencing techniques are also applied for the monitoring and timely collection of waste from the dump spots. Lastly, blockchain technology is applied in the proposed solution to make machine-to-machine (M2M) communication more secure, reliable and trustworthy across IoT devices. The experimental results are also obtained by deploying a pilot project in Karachi, Pakistan. The real-time dashboard is also obtained to demonstrate the daily statistics of the waste collection and performance of the waste vehicles. The results indicate the successful implementation of SSWMS to achieve real-time tracking, intelligent identification of waste bins, trash weighing, and keeping tabs on waste collection from dump spots using geofencing. In future, the blockchain-enabled VANETs can be applied for route management, intelligent transportation and fleet management systems (FMS) due to the inherent characteristics of blockchain and IoT.
Milena Mota Costa, João Felix Barreto Neto, Elaine Pinto Varela Alberte, Álex Pires Carneiro
Abstract There is a current lack of management tools that guarantee control and traceability of actions taken by the generator of construction and demolition waste (CDW). Furthermore, the reinsertion of recycled CDW into productive cycle is necessary to foster a circular economy in construction sector. To address these challenges, this study builds a novel blockchain-based information management framework for CDW management in construction, which extends the applications of blockchain for improving circular economy in the sector. Using design science research as a methodological research strategy, this study presents and analyses a blockchain framework and its development processes. The framework performance was evaluated through simulation and quantitative and qualitative indicators. Through a SaaS (Software as a Service) concept, the system allows strengthens the connection between stakeholders looking for sustainable solutions for CDW management. These solutions are independent of the size or segment of the company and allow the creation of business opportunities within the industry itself that provide expertise to foster the circular economy such as reverse logistics, servitization, and industrial symbiosis.
Despite the large quantities of secondary materials flowing within the built environment, their actual volume and respective waste management processes are not accurately known and recorded. Consequently, various sustainability and material efficiency policies are not supported by accurate data and information-reporting associated with secondary materials’ availability and sourcing. Many recent studies have shown that the integration of digital technologies such as city information management (CIM), building information modeling (BIM), and blockchain have the potential to enhance construction waste management (CWM) by classifying recycled materials and creating value from waste. However, there is insufficient guidance to address the challenges during the process of CWM. Therefore, the research reported in this paper aims to develop a blockchain-enhanced construction waste information management conceptual framework (BeCW). This paper is the first attempt to apply the strengths of integrated information-management modeling with blockchain to optimize the process of CWM, which includes a WasteChain for providing a unified and trustworthy credit system for evaluating construction-waste-recyclability to stakeholders. This is enabled through the use of blockchain and self-executing smart contracts to clarify the responsibility and ownership of the relevant stakeholders. As a result, this study provides a unified and explicit framework for referencing which quantifies the value-contribution of stakeholders to waste-recovery and the optimization of secondary construction materials for reuse and recycling. It also addresses the issue of sustainable CWM through information exchange at four levels: user, application, service, and infrastructure data levels.
Somdip Dey, Suman Saha, Amit Kumar Singh, Klaus D. McDonald-Maier
Food waste is an important social and environmental issue that the current society faces, where one third of the total food produced is wasted or lost every year while more than 820 million people around the world do not have access to adequate food. However, as we move towards a decentralized Web 3.0 enabled smart city, we can utilize cutting edge technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and many more to reduce food waste in different phases of the supply chain. In this paper, we propose SmartNoshWaste—a blockchain based multi-layered framework utilizing cloud computing, QR code and reinforcement learning to reduce food waste. We also evaluate SmartNoshWaste on real world food data collected from the nosh app to show the efficacy of the proposed framework and we are able to reduce food waste by 9.46% in comparison to the originally collected food data based on the experimental evaluation.
Arghavan Akbarieh, William Carbone, Markus Schäfer, Danièle Waldmann · 5 authors
As the global economy moves towards a sustainable and circular trajectory, the immense role of the construction industry is becoming increasingly apparent as one of the most waste-intensive sectors. Urban mining and subsequent material reuse or recycling are the recommended remedies to lower resource extraction and waste generation in the upcoming decades.This article looks at the recycling practices and offers a solution to revalorise construction recyclables, regulate the isolated recycling activities and incentivise construction material manufacturers to take responsibility for recycling their own products after their lifecycle is over. Consequently, the future volumes of recyclables will become calculable and transparent, which balances the supply and demand of secondary materials. To this end, this study goes beyond manufacturing traceability and investigates manufacturer traceability. Material banks, Building Information Models, blockchain technology and smart contracts are used to conceptualise a novel business model for highly recyclable construction materials. On the one hand, the value of recyclables is captured through salvage value based on accounting methods. Smart contracts administer the physical material transfer for recycling while automating the monetary value transactions between stakeholders. On the other hand, a financial instrument is proposed to link the on-chain captured value to the off-chain financial practices through the Recycling Requirement Rights. The right holders are responsible for recycling; they could be the material manufacturers or not. The discussions on the threats and opportunities as well as weaknesses and strengths of the proposed framework together with its potential to integrate with existing solutions conclude this study.
Abstract The construction sector plays a crucial role in the transition to a circular economy and a more sustainable society. With this objective in mind, Flanders – the Dutch speaking part of Belgium – makes use of a traceability procedure for construction and demolition waste in order to guarantee that value can be derived from downstream waste processing activities. This article takes this traceability procedure as a legal case study and examines if the use of blockchain technology could lead to even stronger supply chains, better data management, and, more generally, a smoother transition to circular practices in the construction sector.
Karishma Chaudhary, Prasanna Padmanabhan, Deepak Verma, Prashant Dev Yadav
In 2016, 44.7 million metric tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) was generated across the globe out of which only 20% was recycled through formal channels. India is the fifth largest generator of e-waste where 95% of e-waste is channelised to unorganised units. There are substantial environment and health risks associated with unsafe e-waste management practices. The study highlights various blockchain-based applications in the waste management domain. The study deals with the development of Ethereum-based smart contract blockchain architectural platform 'e-waste lens' for effective e-waste management in India. The specific novelty of the blockchain architectural framework lies in the real-time tracking and monitoring of e-waste movement by the concerned stakeholders in the e-waste management chain and thereby bringing out the non-compliance of the prevailing regulations for effective e-waste management.
Raja Wasim Ahmad, Khaled Salah, Raja Jayaraman, Ibrar Yaqoob · 5 authors
Smart cities have the potential to overcome environmental problems caused by improper waste disposal by improving human health, protecting the aquatic ecosystem, and reducing air pollution. However, today’s systems, approaches, and technologies leveraged for waste management are manual and centralized. This fact makes them vulnerable to manipulation and the single point of failure problem. Also, a large portion of the existing waste management systems within smart cities fall short in providing operational transparency, traceability, audit, security, and trusted data provenance features. In this paper, we explore the key role of blockchain technology in managing waste within smart cities as it can offer traceability, immutability, transparency, and audit features in a decentralized, trusted, and secure manner. We discuss the opportunities brought about by blockchain technology in various waste management use cases and application scenarios, including real-time tracing and tracking of waste, reliable channelization and compliance with waste treatment laws, efficient waste resources management, protection of waste management documentation, and fleet management. We introduce a framework that leverages blockchain-based smart contracts to automate the key services in terms of waste management of smart cities. We compare the existing blockchain-based waste management solutions based on important parameters. Furthermore, we present insightful discussions on several ongoing blockchain-based research projects and case studies to highlight the practicability of blockchain in waste management. Finally, we present open challenges that act as future research directions.
The global waste and resource crises necessitate and give great impetus for better and more sustainable management of waste. Increasingly, resource and waste streams that once were sent to landfill or incinerated are now reused, recycled, or recovered. Yet, while many laws and policies have been adopted for this very purpose, a number of recurrent challenges persist across interventions seeking to further facilitate the necessary, widespread transitions to sustainable waste management. This perspective article explores the suitability of blockchain technology in overcoming these challenges. In particular, we discuss the opportunities and challenges for blockchain in (1) offering clarity in property rights of products and wastes, (2) supporting law and policy goals by incentivizing sustainable waste management, and (3) maintaining anonymity and privacy for institutions and individuals.
Praveen Kumare Gopalakrishnan, John Hall, Sara Behdad
Abstract Waste tracking is becoming an important concern for developed countries as well as developing regions, where municipalities aim to assure proper waste management considering environmental and economic objectives. Waste tracking is important not only for a transparent reporting system compatible with environmental regulations but also for economically viable waste collection and recovery solutions. In this paper, a waste tracking system based on the blockchain technology is introduced where different entities involved in the system will be able to retrieve required data from the platform and decide on their level of contributions. The conventional technologies do not provide a sufficient level of transparency and coordination among different entities. With the introduction of blockchain as a tamper-proof technology, municipalities can enhance the efficiency of their waste management efforts. The proposed blockchain technology can connect proper stakeholders towards collaboration and sharing information. The concept of a smart contract for waste management is discussed and further, a decision-making framework is developed to guide users of the system select proper services available to them, depending on the level of data sharing, cost, reliability, and the security level that they expect from the system.
Virgin polymers based on petrochemical feedstock are mainly preferred by most plastic goods manufacturers instead of recycled plastic feedstock. Major reason for this is the lack of reliable information about the quality, suitability, and availability of recycled plastics, which is partly due to lack of proper segregation techniques. In this paper, we present our ongoing efforts to segregate plastics based on its types and improve the reliability of information about recycled plastics using the first-of-its-kind blockchain smart contracts powered by multi-sensor data-fusion algorithms using artificial intelligence. We have demonstrated how different data-fusion modes can be employed to retrieve various physico-chemical parameters of plastic waste for accurate segregation. We have discussed how these smart tools help in efficiently segregating commingled plastics and can be reliably used in the circular economy of plastic. Using these tools, segregators, recyclers, and manufacturers can reliably share data, plan the supply chain, execute purchase orders, and hence, finally increase the use of recycled plastic feedstock.
Mary Abed Al Ahad, Ali Chalak, Souha Fares, Patil Mardigian · 5 authors
Rapid urbanization, closure of dumps, and insufficient infrastructure funding in Lebanon have resulted in improper municipal solid waste management (MSWM), creating a continuing trash crisis in recent years. In Beirut and Mount Lebanon, MSWM was carried out in centralized waste processing and disposal facilities operated by the government. The trash crisis and failure of the centralized system prompted several municipal authorities to decentralize MSWM by establishing local facilities, paid by the council taxes charged to beneficiary households. To study the feasibility of decentralized MSWM, a survey of 228 households in a rural village in Lebanon explored households' willingness to pay (WTP) for a local MSWM service. For data analysis, a multivariate Tobit model was used to examine the determinants of the WTP amount. Results showed that 79% of surveyed households in the studied village were willing to support local MSWM improvements by contributing an average yearly fee of US$48, representing a 30% increase in their current council taxes. Analysis showed a significant positive association between the WTP amount and the household monthly income level, the residents perceived needs for urgency to act on solid waste management, and the households' responsibility to be involved in MSWM. An interview with the municipality mayor later revealed that financial, technical, and land resources are lacking to enable consideration of a decentralized project for MSWM in the village. Municipalities in rural areas have limited resources and are unable to sustain a decentralized MSWM service unless adjacent towns join effort in supporting and financing MSWM initiatives.
What drives growth becomes cancerous when it goes beyond limits. Contrary to this common sense, today, consumerism drives our economies and feeds our appetite for ever-growing wants. As a result, we are damaging our ecosystems and risking our very existence on Earth. Though too late, various efforts are promoted by governments and driven by industries to rapidly decarbonize our energy systems and sustainably consume and recycle raw materials. We have discussed two ongoing projects in the domain of energy transition and circular economy. The first one transforms industrial carbon emissions into green fuels and the second one helps in efficient and sustainable segregation and recycling of plastic waste using multi-sensor-driven AI and blockchain tools. These examples demonstrate how circular economy and energy transitions complement each other in the battle against climate change and pollution.
Blockchain generation and the Internet of Things are two of the most famous technology these days. IoT is an interconnection of devices which have the usefulness to detect, degree, a strategy the country of natural markers just as themselves and incite dependent on the enter outfitted. It can help make astute arrangements which could enhance the best of ways of life of individuals. In like manner, blockchain is dispensed database structures that guarantee an extreme dimension of wellbeing and accessibility of actualities with least exchange overhead. In this proposal, we endeavor to convey together that two innovation to grow a Smart Waste Management System (SWMS). The SWMS is weight-based for example Clients need to pay for the utilization of administrations as indicated by the measure of waste they produce. Installments are made the use of a custom digital currency controlled by utilizing Smart Contracts and the total SWMS can be supported with the guide of a DAO through a totally computerized, observably secure strategy. Blockchain can help bring down the infiltration and supplier esteem which might be particularly valuable to developing countries in which governments are not exceptionally inventive. This paper tries to set up an evidence of concept thru size of performance and evaluation of the applicability of this type of device.
OpenLitterMap rewards users with Littercoin for producing open data on litter. Open data on the geospatial characteristics of litter provide means of invoking and evaluating responses to plastic pollution. OpenLitterMap currently works as a web app on all devices with native mobile apps in development. The stack includes the integration of the Laravel PHP Framework on the backend; Vue for frontend reactivity; NativeScript-Vue for mobile apps; Bulma for CSS; Leaflet for web-mapping; Turf.js for geospatial analysis; the Ethereum Blockchain for tokenization; Stripe; ChartJS; AWS; and more. Anywhere from a single cigarette butt to the contents of an entire beach or street clean can be logged in a single geotagged photo. Alternatively, a simple index may be used if litter is incalculable. The open data includes an increasing 100+ pre-defined types of litter; 20+ corporate brands; verification status; coordinates; timestamp; phone model; the latest OpenStreetMap address at each location; and the litter presence as a Boolean. To date, 100% of all submitted data (~ 8200 photos, ~ 28,000 litter from over 150 contributors) has been manually verified which is being used to develop machine learning algorithms.