The Impact of COVID-19 on Solid Waste Generation in the Perspectives of Socioeconomic and People’s Behavior: A Case Study in Serdang, Malaysia

Veknesh Arumugam, Ismail Abdullah, Irwan Syah Md Yusoff, Nor Liza Abdullah, Ramli Mohd Tahir, Ahadi Mohd Nasir, Ammar Ehsan Omar and Muhammad Heikal Ismail
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Veknesh Arumugam: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
Ismail Abdullah: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
Irwan Syah Md Yusoff: Department of Resource Management and Consumer Study, Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
Nor Liza Abdullah: Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia
Ramli Mohd Tahir: KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd, Shah Alam 40000, Malaysia
Ahadi Mohd Nasir: KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd, Shah Alam 40000, Malaysia
Ammar Ehsan Omar: KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd, Shah Alam 40000, Malaysia
Muhammad Heikal Ismail: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-11

Abstract: Malaysia has enforced several phases of Movement Control Order (MCO) as a quarantine period since 18 March 2020 with the intended purpose of containing the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. The quarantine has affected people’s daily lives with frequent job dismissal and retrenchment due to the struggling economic conditions of particularly small and medium businesses. This study aimed to understand the impact of MCO on solid waste management in Serdang, Selangor from the aspects of socioeconomic and people’s behavior. Solid waste generation data in Serdang, Selangor was collected by KDEB Waste Management through waste weighing daily throughout 2019 and 2020. The collection was conducted according to different housing areas of Serdang. The quantitative findings have recorded a decline of 9.94% in solid waste data generation subjected to COVID-19 lockdown. In conjunction with that, an online questionnaire participated by 310 respondents was conducted on understanding the effect of the lockdown on people’s behavior and socioeconomic aspect with respect to solid waste management. This study revealed that June onwards (after MCO Phase 1) generated the most solid waste. Indeed, solid waste generation due to MCO according to the waste refusal behavior is the consensus in favor of Malaysia’s appropriate need for stricter policies.

Keywords: solid waste generation; socioeconomic; people’s behavior; movement control order; coronavirus disease (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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