The containment of the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and limitations on commercial activities, mobility and manufacturing sector have significantly affected waste management. Waste management is critical to human development and health outcomes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The invaluable service provided by the waste management sector ensures that the unusual heaps of waste that poses health risks and escalate the spread of COVID-19 is avoided. In this study, we assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on waste management by observing lockdown and social distancing measures. We found that the quantity of waste increased across countries observing the social distancing measure of staying at home. The intensification of single-use products and panic buying have increased production and consumption, hence thwarting efforts towards reducing plastic pollution. However, several countries have thus far instituted policies to ensure sustainable management of waste while protecting the safety of waste handlers.

中文翻译：

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COVID-19 大流行对废物管理的影响

遏制 COVID-19 大流行的蔓延以及对商业活动、流动性和制造业的限制已显着影响了废物管理。废物管理对人类发展和健康结果至关重要，尤其是在 COVID-19 大流行期间。废物管理部门提供的宝贵服务可确保避免造成健康风险和加剧 COVID-19 传播的异常废物堆。在这项研究中，我们通过观察封锁和社会疏离措施来评估 COVID-19 大流行对废物管理的影响。我们发现，在遵守居家隔离措施的国家中，垃圾的数量有所增加。一次性用品的加剧和抢购使得生产和消费增加，因此阻碍了减少塑料污染的努力。然而，迄今为止，一些国家已经制定了政策，以确保废物的可持续管理，同时保护废物处理者的安全。