Modeling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on air emissions indicators of climate change originating from solid waste management in coastal settlements

Abstract

COVID-19 was first reported in Indonesia on March 2, 2020. Several actions have been taken, such as limiting population mobility and prohibiting almost all activities that can be avoided. This policy has environmental consequences, especially the amount of solid waste generation. This study provides a view of the effect of COVID-19 on the amount of solid waste generation and composition in coastal settlements, the impact on air quality which has implications for climate change, and provides the most efficient solid waste management solution. Measurement of solid waste data using SNI 19-3964-1994 and air emissions analysis using the IWM2 software. On the basis of this quantitative analysis, we reached the following conclusions: (1)the reduction of solid waste generation is 15,47% with the composition during the pandemic namely organic 41,4%; wood 3,4%; fabric/textile 1,1%; rubber/leather 13,4%; plastic 21,3%, iron 5,5%; Glass 3,9%, paper 0,2% and residue 6,8%, (2) the resulting air emissions decreased by parameters CO2 of 32.33 tons/year (37.97%), CH4 of 14.37 tons/year (38.14%), and Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 334.01 tons/year (38.12%), (3) the most efficient management of solid waste for coastal settlements during the COVID-19 pandemic period is the process of recycling, biological processing, and bringing residues to landfill.

Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Study of Waste Management in Indonesia in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era

“…Last but not least, air pollution or emission was also an important area of study, with a report that the use of life cycle assessment (LCA) [32] revealed a decrease in COVID-19 related wastes, with reported reductions in and methane and carbon dioxide emissions, as well as DOC (dissolved organic carbon, or solid waste). In addition, in early 2020 when COVID-19 was only a few months old, there are several publications related to solid, air, and water pollution, such as an analysis using SNI 19-3964-1994 showing reduction of solid waste and air emissions during COVID-19 [2], and also a review of coronavirus temperature dependence and survival in sewage water with recommendations for plumbing systems for COVID-19 [33]. However, as the virus evolves and global society prepares for the new normal, the aforementioned publications from the early days of COVID-19 are not considered to fully reflect the current conditions as the virus evolves and global society prepares protocols for a new normal.…”

“…On the other hand, from the environmental point of view, the COVID-19 cases in Indonesia bring a significant change in terms of waste generation and waste management. It is reported that in the early days of outbreak, COVID-19 serendipitously reduced air pollution and emissions [2]. However, after around two years of the pandemic, there are extraordinary increases in medical wastes (face masks and personal protection equipment (PPE), gloves, goggles) not just in hospitals [3], but also in bodies of water [4].…”