Exemplifying the Zero Waste Concept in smart cities

Abstract

Due to the environmental imbalance on our planet, the concept of zero waste is gaining importance day by day. It is particularly important in the aspect of production and consumption cycle management and responsible waste management in urban space. The aim of this article is to exemplify methods of reducing waste in smart cities according to the author's Waste Management for Generation, Environment, and Gains (WM2GEG) scheme. An additional aim was to select the most effective ways of rational waste management in smart cities. A structured interview method was used to collect data, and the research sample was selected using the Smart City Index 2020. The study identified environmentally and socially friendly and economically beneficial methods of rational waste management, such as composting organic waste, creating underground waste containers, and incinerating waste with energy recovery. Specific ways to reduce waste are also presented, such as banning disposable packaging and obtaining energy from renewable sources.