"This is our next problem": Cleaning up from the COVID-19 response

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Public Health
• Disaster Management

Background:

• Humanitarian responses to disasters, including the Covid-19 pandemic, generate significant waste.
• Current solid waste management strategies may not adequately address the unique challenges posed by large-scale disasters.
• There is a need to integrate waste management considerations into the core planning of humanitarian aid.

Purpose of the Study:

• To emphasize the critical role of solid waste management in humanitarian disaster response.
• To identify research gaps concerning the waste impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• To foster a more inclusive and globally representative discourse in waste management studies.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and conceptual analysis.
• Discussion of the interconnectedness of disasters, consumption patterns, and disposability.
• Exploration of potential research avenues for scholarly investigation.

Main Results:

• Solid waste management is an essential, yet often overlooked, component of effective disaster response.
• The Covid-19 pandemic presents unique and substantial solid waste challenges.
• The relationship between disasters, consumption, and disposability warrants further in-depth research.

Conclusions:

• Integrating robust solid waste management into humanitarian response frameworks is imperative.
• Future research should address the specific waste streams and impacts associated with pandemics and other disasters.
• Promoting a non-Western-centric perspective is vital for advancing global waste management studies.