A Paradigm Shift in Municipal Solid Waste Collection Containers and Vehicles in Urban Areas

The rapid increase and mismanagement of municipal solid waste (MSW) in developed and developing countries lead to environmental pollution. MSW at its initial stage can be easily converted into value-added products through an integrated approach of recycling, reuse and recovery (3R). Worldwide numerous efforts have been made to develop a systematic collection scheme using advanced integrated technologies. This paper aims to discuss the challenges and advancements in existing collection containers (household, community, and smart containers) and technological intervention in vehicle systems (front, rear, side-loading mechanism) preferably used for MSW management. The study is based on three major aspects, i.e., availability of technical resources and consumer acceptance, cost-effectiveness to manage the process, recent up-gradation and advancements. It reveals that the collection vehicles with the rear, front and side-loading lifting mechanisms are most commonly preferred in developed countries, comprising broad alleys, streets and well-planned city infrastructure. However, the handheld manual equipment (handcart and tricycle) and heavy duty vehicles (dumper/mini trucks) are primarily preferred in developing and less developing countries. The applications and working principles deliberated in this study will provide a valuable resource for researchers and policy makers to design and develop existing collection tools and technologies depending on the country’s infrastructure development, social and economic status.