Household solid waste generation and sorting during Covid-19 quarantine in Panama, case study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37387/ipc.v9i2.232Keywords:
Waste generation, Waste composition, Household solid waste, Covid-19, PanamaAbstract
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused quarantines in almost all the world countries. In Panama, strict confinement was maintained between March and September. Despite the importance of solid waste management in cities, information on the impact of quarantine on the generation and composition of waste has not been sufficiently collected and disseminated. This study presents a novel methodology to collect information on household waste without leaving the house. This work shows the results of a survey on waste generation and segregation habits in six provinces of the country; and data on household waste characterization and composition in three districts in the province of Panama. The survey results show the deficiencies of the waste collection service in different areas of the country. The per capita household generation in Panama's province is 0.409 kg per capita per day (27% error and 0.23 standard deviation). This value is lower than others previously found, which could be due to a decrease in families' purchasing capacity caused by unemployment as a result of the quarantine. Regarding waste composition, the proportion of organic and hazardous waste increased. Organic waste may have increased due to a greater frequency and quantity of food prepared at home. The increase in hazardous waste is an essential indicator for issuing recommendations to reduce waste collection service personnel's risk
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