Impact of COVID-19 on the qualitative and quantitative aspect of household solid waste

Abstract

Houshold waste is the residue generated daily by people as a result of consuming goods and services. The qualitative and quantitative aspects depend on the lifestyle and standard of living of citizens. Hence a change in habits, following an economic or health crisis, can influence the production of waste and its composition. The objective of the present work is to assess the impact of lockdown on the generation of trash and on the habits related to the consumption of goods in two communes in Morocco. More specifically, this study would investigate the behavior of citizens with regard to protective equipment against the coronavirus COVID-19. The results of the survey show that there is an influence of lockdown on the items purchased during this period, with an increase in the purchase of disinfectant products and a decrease in the consumption of meat and canned goods. Thus, the results showed that the quantity of organic fractions had decreased in the domestic waste with the appearance of other fractions such as residues of cleaning products. In addition, the survey conducted showed that 87% of respondents mix coronavirus protective equipment with household waste, which may contribute to the spread of the virus. Concerning the quantitative aspect, the weigh-ups showed that the monthly rate of increase of waste production between the months of February and March 2019 and the corresponding period in 2020 have decreased from +11.41% to +3.8% in the city of Khenifra (from 2,572 ton in Mars 2019 to 2,456 ton in the correspondent period in 2020) and from +4.73% to -1.23% in the center of Tighassaline (from 136 ton in Mars 2019 to 123 ton in the correspondent period in 2020).