Blockchain Technology no more requires any formal introduction. The distributed ledger technology has already carved its niche in various business protocols. However, today, the technology has superseded towards social good. Isn’t that interesting?
Earlier we witnessed to the working of blockchain in the field of blockchain in automotive industry, benefits of blockchain in trading, blockchain in manufacturing, hospitality, blockchain in defense and security, needless to say even blockchain in music and entertainment industry. But today, several business platforms are into testing blockchain for social goods such as waste disposal, eradicating poverty, hunger, promising education, safe and clean drinking water and so on. Ongoing research numbers are endless. Blockchain enthusiasts are into digging new possibilities of blockchain in eradicating these social evils and bring back our earth to a good living place again. Few have already come up with innovative solutions, but yet to get with worldwide implementation.
Among them is blockchain for waste management. Today waste disposal is no less than a nerve breaking task. Every nation despite of its size and technology power, are into stiffly facing the challenge of disposing the wastes. It has become a herculean task for the nation to find a convenient and appropriate means of disposal.
Currently, the waste management around the world is carried in a haphazard manner. Though exists several waste plants to set ablaze the wastes or recycle the garbage, it eventually results with other forms of wastes as its by-products. And there lacks a poor system to control and monitor these waste materials. However, with blockchain, there can be a system established which shall be transparent, reliable and trustworthy.
With blockchain, it can be made easier the transportation of waste from end to another. Establishing QR codes on trash bags and smart contract for each move, shipment of wastes can be neatly organized. Even regulatory compliance can be made straight with blockchain technology.
Information straight will make sure that the project gets executed wisely on time. Like today, the wastes shall never get accumulated in mid-way causing hazardous to inhabitants and environment. With blockchain one can make sure that the most appropriate means of waste disposal is adopted and is effectively carried.
Not that complete waste of a nation, at least a big percentage of it can be streamlined using technology of blockchain. The rising burden of waste disposal, consequently the environmental problems can be brought down significantly with innovations powered with blockchain.
Current challenges that many countries including India face is the rising rate of human population and urbanization. With massive development taking place all around, there amounts to huge tons of wastes every lane. As more space of earth is carved for raising buildings, there hardly exists landfill spaces to get disposed the wastes. Finding new disposal sites or landfill space has become quite challenging for the designates.
Blockchain in waste management can truly transform the whole process to a sustainable one. Connecting different IoT sensors, further integrating them to the decentralized network can help in real-time tracking and generation of data corresponding to wastes carried.
For instance, an RFID or a weigh sensor in trucks carrying the garbage can readily give away the information like where the truck is heading to, how much amount of garbage is being carried, the kind of wastes it contains, the information of landfills and many more. The authorities can thus easily track and monitor the waste management activities.
Blockchain can totally reinvent the traditional means of disposing waste particles.
Let’s take the use case.
At present, there isn’t a central body to regulate and manage the wastes disposed. The wastes are being collected by certain groups or associations working in and around a place or particular locality. In case these groups put an end to their service, the people of that locality is left to suffer. In short, no guarantee that the service will retain for tomorrow or not.
However, with blockchain, this uncertainty can be curbed. Stakeholders like customers can make use of the blockchain network to place their waste collection request. Even on behalf of the customer, the municipal manager can place the request for waste collection from particular locality.
Thereafter, upon receiving the requests, the inspector who is responsible to take action can visit the sites and order for waste management operations.
In blockchain, the data’s get stored in blocks that too in chronological order. Therefore, each request added will get consequently placed one after the other. Being cryptographically signed, the network remains tamper resistance, creating no illusions or alterations.
Unlike the traditional setup, where people easily wash off their responsibilities, with blockchain it hardly arises. It becomes quite easy to find where the lapse occurred, which individual or group is responsible for the delay in operation and so on. Thus with a blockchain-powered waste management platform it becomes highly ease for the stakeholders to trace the waste management activities. Transparency and traceability is achieved with blockchain waste management, which highly lacks in the current system.
In nutshell, each stakeholder or participant’s activities get recorded in blockchain and enable them to access the transactions transparently any time anywhere. In case of disputes each participant can real-time reach to the transactions’ roots in blockchain.