Technology as a driver for waste management: Maximising efficiency while Ensuring Sustainability
By Dhwaj Bagrecha, CEO, Neo San
The rising trend in generation of waste output is owed to a surge in consumption coupled with population growth, creating an acute need for tech innovation in waste management solutions. World Bank estimates indicate that global waste generation will be at an all-time high by 2050, with up to a 70% increase, putting unprecedented pressures on existing infrastructure. With conventional waste management systems often heavily relying upon environmentally detrimental practices like landfilling and centralised incineration, sustainability is contingent upon novelty in technology. These advancements enlist efficient ways to address the inconsistencies of the current systems, concurrently addressing newer challenges and introducing a paradigm shift in how waste is managed.
Most traditional, centralised waste systems have a defined pipeline wherein waste is sent to distant processing units – increasing logistical and operational costs while contributing to increased carbon emissions. Furthermore, incineration and landfilling disrupt naturally occurring ecosystems within the surrounding environment and are the leading causes of air and soil pollution. Advancements in eco-friendly technology – particularly in areas of automation, data analytics and decentralisation present viable solutions to combat these challenges. They can help us in aligning with sustainability goals, simultaneously creating an efficient resource loop.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are at the centrefold of many such innovations – optimising the collection and segregation of waste, while also adding efficiency across waste management processes. For example, AI-enabled sorting systems are being employed at multiple recycling units to effectively distinguish between different kinds of material, ensuring higher precision and accuracy and reducing cross-contamination. Similarly, IoT-enabled Smart Bins equipped with sensors which monitor fill-levels can notify waste collection services when full – preventing unnecessary collection trips, reducing fuel consumption and optimising route planning.
Such integrations are independent of human-intervention and can significantly reduce operational costs, eventually reducing the carbon footprint at a city-wide level. Additionally, a tech-based decentralised model can help navigate diverse waste streams more effectively. By processing waste at-source and not relying on larger, centralised networks, we allow for localised management of waste. This removes the need for transportation while discouraging the practice of landfilling – hence, proving to be a sustainable approach. In urban environments, scalable and modular on-site waste treatment units can reduce reliance on overburdened municipal waste infrastructure.
These systems can be deployed in both residential and commercial settings and aid in handling of non-recyclable, reject waste effectively, in turn reducing the volume of waste that ends up in landfills. For instance, decentralised solutions can directly be included into new developments in the context of realty and estate. Not only does this serve short-term benefits in efficiently managing waste on-site but it also helps realise long-term goals for greener building operations and helps in restoring environmental health. In addition, automated tracking technologies have seamlessly managed to enhance the transparency and accountability in waste management processes.
Blockchain technology, for example, is utilised to track waste throughout its lifecycle – from collection to processing. By providing an infallible record of waste handling, these technologies enable streamlining of processes while ensuring strict compliance to regulations. This helps foster trust among stakeholders and creates a localised resource loop. This technology encourages better enforcement of recycling policies while enabling a clear audit-trail for organisations committed to meeting certain sustainability goals and thresholds. Another tenet of this innovation is data analytics which is being leveraged to forecast trends in waste generation to optimise waste management systems. Through analysing data on waste patterns, businesses can predict peak waste periods which enables efficient allocation of resources – ultimately eliminating most operational inefficiencies in the process and allowing for maximum optimisation.
Such technological innovations in waste management are now being viewed through the lens of the three-pronged benefits they offer – measuring optimisation not just across financial performance but also through social and environmental yield. As global priorities continue to shift towards more sustainability, waste management systems need to be restructured to align with these broader goals. The new dawn of waste management relies on the adoption of the aforementioned advancements. While technologies help with processing this waste, they also ensure the final disposal and get rid of it. Be it organic waste composting/bio-gas generation or clean incineration solutions, these technologies positively impact waste management, helping in the ultimate disposal of waste. They can help us dispose of waste at a building or facility level, thereby reducing operational costs as well as preventing the dumping of this waste.
Clean tech start-ups in India are rising, using advanced technologies to boost waste management efficiency nationwide. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, businesses and municipalities can lead the way in reducing the environmental impact of waste disposal while improving operational efficiency.
