Impact of COVID-19 Waste on Environmental Pollution and Its Sustainable Management

The COVID-19 epidemic has wreaked havoc all across the world, resulting in massive deaths and significant health and economic losses. With the rise in COVID-19 cases, the volume of biomedical waste has multiplied, exposing more people to the epidemic. Garbage management is already a concern for impoverished and underdeveloped countries, and the waste generated during a pandemic scenario has added to those difficulties. If improper waste management techniques are not changed, the world will face a new crisis that could be referred to as a “garbage crisis.” The increased quantity of COVID-19-associated waste (CAW) and their presence in the environment will make them more vulnerable, potentially increasing the danger of food chain contamination. Some governments have already begun to prepare contingency measures in order to deal with the “waste crisis.” Given the paucity of information on the mutational features and potential hosts of this newly discovered COVID-19, there is a pressing need for an effective plan to protect India's ecosystem against further contamination. In the period of COVID-19, it is critical to develop a more efficient, automated, computerized, and well-modified waste management system for dealing with the current situation and delaying the expected waste disaster in the near future. The purpose of this article is to discuss the challenges that have arisen as a result of trash discharges, their potential causes, and possible long-term solutions.