Rural areas are exposed to severe environmental pollution issues fed by industrial and agricultural activities combined with poor waste and sanitation management practices, struggling to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in line with Agenda 2030. Rural communities are examined through a “dual approach” as both contributors and receivers of plastic pollution leakage into the natural environment (through the air–water–soil–biota nexus). Despite the emerging trend of plastic pollution research, in this paper, we identify few studies investigating rural communities. Therefore, proxy analysis of peer-reviewed literature is required to outline the significant gaps related to plastic pollution and plastic waste management issues in rural regions. This work focuses on key stages such as (i) plastic pollution effects on rural communities, (ii) plastic pollution generated by rural communities, (iii) the development of a rural waste management sector in low- and middle-income countries in line with the SDGs, and (iv) circular economy opportunities to reduce plastic pollution in rural areas. We conclude that rural communities must be involved in both future plastic pollution and circular economy research to help decision makers reduce environmental and public health threats, and to catalyze circular initiatives in rural areas around the world, including less developed communities.

Today, heavy metals remain crucial pollutants in municipal waste due to their danger and leaching behavior. The purpose of this study is to analyze the sources of heavy metals in mixed municipal waste, including from recently introduced products, and to identify their composition and leaching properties in various fractions. The author has measured the concentration of four heavy metals (lead, cadmium, nickel, and chromium) in various fractions sampled from an operational municipal waste facility in the town of Pirna (Saxony, Germany). Batteries and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) were found to be the main sources of heavy metals in municipal waste, while a relatively high metals’ content was also detected in the rubber fraction. To assess leaching behavior, landfill simulation reactors were used to simulate conditions over several decades. The metals’ weight in the input and output waste was compared. The lowest leaching rate was found for lead, while the highest was found for cadmium and chromium. In addition, it was confirmed that the degree of leaching depended on the humidity and organic matter in the landfill: the higher the moisture and organic matter, the more heavy metals are leached from the waste.

This study introduces the current status of recycling technology for waste lithium-ion batteries, with a focus on the environmental impact during the recycling process of waste lithium-ion battery cathode materials. Composition of lithium-ion battery was analyzed in order to estimate which...

The composition of widespread electronic devices (mobile phone, computer mouse, keyboard, web-camera, monitor) was studied by manual dismantling. The material flow analysis was done for e-waste components. For the case study of Ukraine, five devices under investigation contain over 4 thousand...