Waste Management During Pandemic of COVID-19 in India, Italy, and the USA: The Influence of Cultural Perspectives

Current pandemic of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, affecting nearly 210 countries has brought significant challenges in municipal waste management practices and procedures. It introduces problems regarding the handling and disposal of wastes generated due to affected people and facilities including safety and health measures for employees at the hospitals, municipalities, HCWT facilities, and crematorium, general procedures due to coronavirus for waste sector and special equipment and treatment. The coronavirus crisis has put the resilience of our society to the test which exerts unprecedented pressure on many economic activities, including those that are indispensable to our well-being. The prescriptions and rules reported in the regulation of different countries resulted in any case also influenced by the specific socio-economic context in which they are implemented or not. In comparing the current regulation implemented in Italy, India, and the USA this aspect resulted clearly depicted that the solution of the COVID waste management depends on many factors, namely robust national policy, governance, effective municipal and health care waste administration, effective health care systems, mass awareness, social distancing, using mask and gloves, hand washing, and vaccination. Italy was one of the countries that was affected severely at the initial stage at faster rates most but could recover faster, while India and USA are the biggest democracy among the affected countries. India was less affected at the initial stage, while the USA was affected much. India could develop the vaccine faster supporting many of the countries in the world. Considering the role of India, Italy, and the USA, most significant in the pandemic COVID situation, the article considers to review the waste management situation under pandemic COVID-19 in these three countries.