Papers

61,005 results
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Systematic Review Tier 1

Municipal solid waste management during COVID-19 pandemic: effects and repercussions

Researchers reviewed 56 studies on how the COVID-19 pandemic altered municipal solid waste management, finding that lockdowns changed both the quantity and composition of waste while simultaneously disrupting recycling programs and increasing medical waste and littered plastic.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 188 citations
Article Tier 2

Municipal solid waste, an overlooked route of transmission for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2: a review

Researchers reviewed evidence that municipal solid waste can serve as a transmission route for SARS-CoV-2, documenting abrupt changes in waste composition during COVID-19 and identifying waste workers and communities near disposal sites as high-risk populations requiring targeted protective policies.

2022 Environmental Chemistry Letters 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Challenges and Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Waste Management Systems: A Review

Researchers reviewed the global impact of COVID-19 on waste management systems, focusing on the surge of disposable personal protective equipment and single-use plastics. The study highlights that pandemic-related waste has created novel pollution pathways for air, soil, and water contamination, and discusses the challenges this poses for existing waste management infrastructure worldwide.

2022 Journal of Composites Science 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into hazardous solid waste generation during COVID-19 pandemic and sustainable management approaches for developing countries

Researchers reviewed hazardous solid waste generated by COVID-19 personal protective equipment, noting that SARS-CoV-2 persistence on plastic and other surfaces makes improper disposal a transmission risk, and proposed measures including biodegradable PPE materials and strategic pre-planning for waste management in low- and middle-income countries.

2021 Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Repercussions of COVID-19 pandemic on solid waste generation and management strategies

Researchers reviewed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on solid waste systems globally, documenting 18–425% surges in medical waste generation, finding that lockdowns shifted commercial waste to households, and noting that pandemic emergency measures effectively stalled pre-existing policies aimed at reducing single-use plastics.

2021 Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering 124 citations
Article Tier 2

Planning for disposal of COVID-19 pandemic wastes in developing countries: a review of current challenges

Researchers review the acute challenges developing countries face in managing the surge of COVID-19-related medical waste, highlighting how pre-existing deficiencies in waste infrastructure, treatment capacity, and disposal practices create serious risks of accelerating viral spread and environmental contamination.

2021 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of the awareness about COVID-19 and the following-up of guidelines for biomedical wastes in Jaipur city

Researchers surveyed public awareness of COVID-19 biomedical waste guidelines in Jaipur, India, finding that while most adults understood proper disposal practices, younger respondents frequently failed to sanitize masks, gloves, and PPE before disposal, indicating gaps in behavioral compliance despite adequate knowledge.

2022 Vegetos
Article Tier 2

Municipal solid waste management challenges in developing regions: A comprehensive review and future perspectives for Asia and Africa

Researchers reviewed a decade of municipal solid waste challenges in developing countries across Asia and Africa, finding that inadequate infrastructure, cultural barriers, and poor policy enforcement are driving waste crises. The study recommends source-level sorting, improved landfill practices, and stronger community involvement rather than focusing solely on recycling.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 233 citations
Article Tier 2

Solid Medical Waste Management of Hazardous and Toxic at UNS Hospital Surakarta

Researchers examined hazardous and toxic solid medical waste management at a university hospital in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that waste volumes increased substantially and that existing incineration and disposal protocols faced capacity and compliance challenges during the surge.

2022 Jurnal Presipitasi Media Komunikasi dan Pengembangan Teknik Lingkungan 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Water, sanitation, hygiene and waste disposal practices as COVID-19 response strategy: insights from Bangladesh

Researchers surveyed WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) behaviors and COVID-19 protective equipment disposal practices in Bangladesh, finding that while most respondents had good sanitation access and used face masks, over 50% disposed of used masks and gloves with regular household waste — creating a potentially serious microplastic and infectious waste pollution pathway.

2021 Environment Development and Sustainability 59 citations
Article Tier 2

The Massive Misuse of Face Mask as a Risk to COVID-19 Pandemic in Latin American: The Case of Mexico

Researchers examined face mask waste mismanagement during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico and Latin America, finding that inadequate waste management infrastructure, poor public compliance, and high single-use mask consumption created significant environmental contamination risks in already strained waste systems.

2021 7 citations
Article Tier 2

COVID-19 and waste management in Indian scenario: challenges and possible solutions

Researchers review how COVID-19 dramatically amplified India's already-strained biomedical waste management challenges, warning that improper disposal of pandemic-associated waste risks food chain contamination and a secondary 'waste disaster,' and calling for automated, mechanized waste management systems to handle current and future health emergencies.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Study of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) on Zero Waste Management of Household Infectious Waste in the Era of the Covid-19 Pandemic

This study examined zero waste management strategies for household infectious waste generated during the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing the sharp increase in personal protective equipment disposal as a solid waste and environmental health challenge. The authors assessed alignment with Sustainable Development Goals in managing pandemic-related infectious waste in emerging countries.

2022 International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding 5 citations
Article Tier 2

How comprehensive and effective are waste management policies during the COVID-19 pandemic? Perspectives from the Philippines

Analysis of 50 COVID-19 waste management policy documents in the Philippines revealed comprehensive coverage of general domestic and healthcare waste but identified gaps in policies governing household healthcare waste generated during home isolation. The study recommended policy updates to account for the large volumes of single-use plastics and personal protective equipment generated during future public health emergencies.

2022 Frontiers in Public Health 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Impactos ambientales por residuos sólidos generados durante la pandemia de COVID-19 y alternativas de solución

This review synthesized research on the environmental impacts of solid waste generated during the COVID-19 pandemic—particularly disposable PPE—and evaluated proposed solutions including incineration, recycling, and biodegradable alternatives.

2025 Revista Científica de Ingenierías y Arquitectura .
Article Tier 2

Social Dynamics of Face Masks as Single-Use Waste from the COVID-19 Pandemic

A Latin American survey found that 35% of respondents mixed face mask waste with household trash, and 61.5% were unaware of any COVID-19 waste management plan. The study highlights how lack of public knowledge about proper mask disposal led to inadequate waste management with potential environmental and public health consequences.

2023 Enfoque UTE
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Knowledge, Practice and Attitude about Biomedical Waste Management among Healthcare Professionals during COVID-19 Crises in Al-Ahsa

Researchers surveyed knowledge, practices, and attitudes toward biomedical waste management among healthcare professionals in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding moderate knowledge levels but gaps in safe disposal practices that increased during the crisis.

2021 Healthcare 44 citations
Article Tier 2

A hybrid machine learning-mathematical programming optimization approach for municipal solid waste management during the pandemic

Researchers combined machine learning forecasting with mathematical supply-chain optimization to model municipal solid waste management in New York City under COVID-19 conditions, revealing trade-offs between economic efficiency and landfill diversion that could inform planning for future pandemic scenarios.

2023 Environment Development and Sustainability 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Disposal of Personal Protective Equipment during the COVID-19 Pandemic Is a Challenge for Waste Collection Companies and Society: A Case Study in Poland

Researchers examined personal protective equipment (PPE) waste management challenges in Poland during COVID-19, finding that the dramatic increase in face mask and glove disposal created significant collection and contamination problems for waste companies and municipalities that were unprepared for this new waste stream.

2020 Resources 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Domestic Solid Waste Management- A Public Health Case Report and Review of Municipal Challenges in India!

Researchers surveyed households and waste handlers across 35 municipal wards in Gadag City, India, to assess solid waste management challenges. The study found significant gaps in waste disposal practices, infrastructure, and public awareness, with waste production projected to double in the coming decade.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

A Review of the Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Solid Waste Management

This review examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on solid waste management systems globally, highlighting how increased medical waste, face mask disposal in waterways, and disrupted collection services created new pollution burdens, while pandemic-related lockdowns also produced temporary environmental benefits including reduced carbon emissions.

2022 European Journal of Sustainable Development Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in solid waste streams: Research needs and gaps in research methodology

This paper reviewed methodological gaps and research needs in detecting microplastics specifically within solid municipal waste streams, arguing that current methods developed for liquid waste cannot be directly applied to solid waste and that standardized approaches are urgently needed.

2025 Waste Management 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Urban Solid Waste Management: Evaluation of Practices and Contributions to Sustainable Development

This study evaluated solid waste management practices in a Brazilian municipality, assessing collection efficiency, recycling rates, and landfill operations against sustainability goals. It identified key institutional and infrastructural barriers preventing progress toward sustainable waste management.

2024 Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental
Article Tier 2

Accumulation of biomedical waste during the COVID-19 pandemic: concerns and strategies for effective treatment

Researchers analyzed the surge in biomedical waste generated by the COVID-19 pandemic in India, modeled face mask consumption volumes, and evaluated disposal infrastructure including incineration technology, identifying critical gaps and proposing risk-based strategies for safer waste segregation and treatment.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 15 citations