Blockchain Applications for Waste Management - Analysis of Blockchain Use cases in Waste Management and General Guidance for Starting Blockchain Projects

Abstract

The aim of this study is to learn from the analysis of best practice examples in waste management
for future application in the municipal sector. The focus is on the problems that the
blockchain technology can primarily solve. Blockchain is a cross-sectional technology and
can be used for a wide variety of purposes. Secondly, the structural characteristics of the
use cases can also be of interest, for example whether a case is a pure business solution
for companies, i.e. B2B, or a business-to-consumer (B2C) or C2C solution, or whether a
municipality or public administration is involved, i.e. P2C or P2B. The analysis should also
reveal in which segment, or for which type of waste (municipal or industrial waste, or only
one specific waste category like glass, plastics or paper) most use cases could be found.

The study begins with a description of the general characteristics of the blockchain applications
found in waste management. Based on this, categories for screening are defined
and screening results are presented and interpreted. Of course, it is questionable whether
the results of a limited number of use cases (20 cases) are meaningful. Consequently, the
results are compared with other studies on blockchain applications and analyzed for similarities
and differences. Finally, core results are summarized, and the main findings are
presented.

Keywords: Blockchain, Waste Management, Municipal Waste Management, Blockchain based Waste Management

JEL Classification: A10, H00, H76, H83, L97, M15, O18, P25, P28