Blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize waste management systems by improving transparency, traceability, and accountability. While real-life use cases specific to city/municipal waste management may still be limited, here are a few examples where blockchain technology has been applied in waste management and related fields:

1. Plastic Waste Tracking: The Plastic Bank, a social enterprise, uses blockchain to create a global plastic recycling ecosystem. It allows individuals in developing countries to exchange collected plastic waste for digital tokens via blockchain technology. This incentivizes waste collection while providing a transparent and traceable system for tracking the plastic waste throughout the recycling process.
2. Supply Chain Management: Blockchain is used to enhance supply chain transparency and traceability in the waste management industry. It enables better tracking of waste materials from generation to disposal, ensuring compliance with regulations and reducing fraud or illegal dumping. For example, WasteLedger is a blockchain-based platform that tracks waste from collection to final treatment, providing an immutable record of transactions and improving accountability.
3. Carbon Credits and Emissions Reduction: Blockchain can be used to facilitate the trading and verification of carbon credits in waste management. By digitizing carbon credits on a blockchain platform, it becomes easier to track and verify emissions reductions achieved through waste management practices. This transparency increases trust and enables efficient trading of carbon credits between waste management entities and other stakeholders.
4. Waste-to-Energy Solutions: Blockchain technology can be utilized in waste-to-energy projects to track and validate energy generation from waste. By recording data related to waste input, energy output, and emissions reduction on a blockchain, it becomes easier to verify the environmental impact and provide an auditable record for stakeholders, including regulators and investors. Though the attempt at Waste-to-Energy Solution in Kochi has terribly failed due to poor planning and execution and maladministration by Kochi civc authorities.
5. Waste Traceability and Recycling: Blockchain can enhance the traceability of waste materials in recycling processes. By recording the journey of recyclable materials on a blockchain, it becomes possible to track their origin, processing steps, and final destination. This improves transparency, reduces fraud, and increases consumer trust in recycling initiatives.
6. Decentralized Waste Management Platforms: Blockchain-based platforms can enable decentralized waste management solutions. These platforms allow individuals or communities to directly interact and trade waste-related services, such as waste collection, recycling, or composting. Blockchain technology ensures transparency, secure transactions, and fair compensation for participants.
7. Incentivizing Recycling: Some blockchain-based platforms provide incentives for recycling by rewarding individuals or businesses with digital tokens or cryptocurrencies for proper waste disposal and recycling practices. These tokens can be exchanged for discounts, products, or services within the platform’s ecosystem, motivating participants to actively engage in sustainable waste management.

It’s important to note that while blockchain technology shows promise in waste management, widespread adoption and integration into city/municipal waste management systems are still in early stages. However, the potential benefits of transparency, traceability, and incentivization make it an area worth exploring for future waste management solutions. Kerala will have to wait for a very long, long time before we see blockchain technologies in e-governance or even waste management. We do not have leaders with the vision to execute for the long term, to be able to see beyond the next elections.