Solid waste management in a smart city

Abstract

A “smart city” is based on various elements of smart practices. Solid waste management is one of these fundamental elements. For example, to address the rising concern of carbon emissions in construction process contractors are mandatorily asked to utilize equipment which complies with the established standards by emission control authorities like Euro-IV. To employ such operational standards, an active participation and acceptance from the contractors in utilizing equipment’s as per the prescribed technologies becomes quite essential. Solid waste management is of utmost importance to an urbanized region which faces a constant pressure of increasing population, rising infrastructural demands, and expanding inflow of immigrants. A firm Understanding of the concepts of waste segregation is also an essential element in the solid waste management process. For example, country like Finland, disposes only around 7 percent of the waste into the dumping yard and the remaining about 93 percent of the wastes are recycled. This level of solid waste management system is possible due to the use of waste segregation, and reduction by 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) concept, use of microorganisms that can convert solid wastes into humus mass forms, clear understanding, and acceptance of state-of[1]art waste decomposition methods being deployed. India lags in the implementation of such methods either due to lack of infrastructure or irresponsible behaviour of citizens who throw these wastes in the open without considering its ill effects in the environment.