Accelerating sustainability transition in St. Petersburg (Russia) through digitalization-based circular economy in waste recycling industry: A strategy to promote carbon neutrality in era of Industry 4.0

Abstract

Due to industrialization and economic development, urban expansion in St. Petersburg (Russia) has swelled its solid waste generation. The current waste management system does not meet the city's needs. Fundamental changes are required to accelerate its sustainability transition to achieve the 2030 UN's Sustainable Development Goals. This article critically evaluates and analyzes the existing situation of waste management in St. Petersburg and its role in promoting digitalization-based circular economy. Challenges in waste recycling that prevent it from reforming its waste management are identified. Lessons drawn from Taiwan's prowess in resources recovery are presented to inspire a transformation of its waste sector towards a digitalization. The implications of digitalization on the city's waste recycling industry are elaborated. Before applying digitalization, St. Petersburg encountered challenges such as a lack of proper infrastructure in waste management, low public participation and environmental awareness, technological gaps, and insufficient coordination among its institutions. As one of the world's leaders in waste recycling (65%), Taiwan was selected as a role model for St. Petersburg in improving its waste management. The Island's daily per capita rate decreased by 96% to 0.4 kg in 2015. Taiwan also minimized the amount of waste disposal into landfills to less than 2%, while 80% of its industrial waste was recycled. About 33% of annual waste generation in Taiwan was reduced through "Pay-as-you-throw" policy. The average volume of municipal solid waste generation per capita decreased by 20% to 0.91 kg/day. This suggests that moving towards digitalization has minimized the extraction of raw materials through resource recovery. As implications of digitalization in waste management, the consumption of virgin materials could be lowered by 25% in 2030, while a half of greenhouse gas emissions could be avoided. The World Economic Forum estimated that the circular economy could potentially add USD 700 billion in material savings to global economy.