A societal transition of MSW management in Xiamen (China) toward a circular economy through integrated waste recycling and technological digitization

Kurniawan TA 1 , Lo W 2 , Singh D 3 , Othman MHD 4 , Avtar R 5 , Hwang GH 6 Show all authors , Albadarin AB 7 , Kern AO 8 , Shirazian S 9

Affiliations 

  • 1 Faculty of Social Work, Health and Nursing, Ravensburg-Weingarten University of Applied Sciences, Weingarten, 88216, Germany; College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, PR China. Electronic address: tonni@xmu.edu.cn
  • 2 Dept. Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
  • 3 Department of Geography and Resource Management, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
  • 4 Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
  • 5 Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 0600810, Japan
  • 6 School of Electrical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi Province, PR China
  • 7 Bernal Institute, Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, V94 T9PX, Ireland
  • 8 Faculty of Social Work, Health and Nursing, Ravensburg-Weingarten University of Applied Sciences, Weingarten, 88216, Germany
  • 9 Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, 550000, Viet Nam; Faculty of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, 550000, Viet Nam; Laboratory of Computational Modeling of Drugs, South Ural State University, 76 Lenin prospekt, Chelyabinsk 454080, Russia
Environ Pollut, 2021 May 15;277:116741.
PMID: 33652179 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116741

Abstract

Recently Xiamen (China) has encountered various challenges of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) such as lack of a complete garbage sorting and recycling system, the absence of waste segregation between organic and dry waste at source, and a shortage of complete and clear information about the MSW generated. This article critically analyzes the existing bottlenecks in its waste management system and discusses the way forward for the city to enhance its MSWM by drawing lessons from Hong Kong's effectiveness in dealing with the same problems over the past decades. Solutions to the MSWM problem are not only limited to technological options, but also integrate environmental, legal, and institutional perspectives. The solutions include (1) enhancing source separation and improving recycling system; (2) improving the legislation system of the MSWM; (3) improvement of terminal disposal facilities in the city; (4) incorporating digitization into MSWM; and (5) establishing standards and definitions for recycled products and/or recyclable materials. We also evaluate and compare different aspects of MSWM in Xiamen and Hong Kong SAR (special administrative region) under the framework of 'One Country, Two Systems' concerning environmental policies, generation, composition, characteristics, treatment, and disposal of their MSW. The nexus of society, economics of the MSW, and the environment in the sustainability sphere are established by promoting local recycling industries and the standardization of recycled products and/or recyclable materials. The roles of digitization technologies in the 4th Industrial Revolution for waste reduction in the framework of circular economy (CE) are also elaborated. This technological solution may improve the city's MSWM in terms of public participation in MSW separation through reduction, recycle, reuse, recovery, and repair (5Rs) schemes. To meet top-down policy goals such as a 35% recycling rate for the generated waste by 2030, incorporating digitization into the MSWM provides the city with technology-driven waste solutions.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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