Can we use waste generation as a smart indicator?

Abstract

Improving environmental quality is one of the prominent purposes of the governments in developing countries where additional international pressures with an increasing level of environmental awareness exist. Environmental quality models are predicted by using generally its components such as air pollution, emissions, demand and awareness to protect it, but by somehow lack of municipal solid waste generation and municipal solid waste management expenditures. Objectives This study aims at exploring the effects of municipal solid waste generation per capita, municipal solid waste expenditures per capita, and waste expenditures rate on environmental quality. Prior work A range of assessment tools have been designed to provide holistic picture of smart cities and many common prospects of the system. Focusing on the specific domains of the smart city concept, some scholars propose four smart environment indicators, including attractiveness of natural conditions, pollution, environmental protection and sustainable resource management. Approach The current study constructed a national dataset from Turkish provinces, including environmental indicators, running a causal relationship model. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between environmental quality and municipal solid waste management. Results The mean of environmental quality index level in 81 cities. The mean of annual municipal solid waste generation in 81 cities was 429 (± 100.25) kg per capita in Turkey in 2016. Municipal solid waste expenditures per capita was a predictor of environmental quality level. Implications The findings of this study signal that we can estimate the level of environmental quality by using municipal solid waste management in the next years. Our results showed that municipalities’ solid waste management expenditures clearly had an impact on environmental quality level in Turkey. This type of convergence of interests might get municipalities to adopt municipal solid waste management programs adopting IT towards better environmental quality level. Value Environmental quality level turned out to be reflecting environmental inequality in the provinces of Turkey.