Title: Are we on the right track? Challenges of current theoretical research in smart waste management vs. practical application in case studies

Authors: Tobias Knayer; Natalia Kryvinska

Addresses: Stuttgart, Germany; Department of Information Systems, Faculty of Management, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava 25, 82005, Slovakia ' Department of Information Systems, Faculty of Management, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava 25, 82005, Slovakia

Abstract: The paper examines the current challenges of smart waste management (SWM) with current practical case studies. The focus is on whether topics that current theoretical research identifies as challenges are also reflected in the practical case studies. To this end, 24 case studies were analysed and evaluated with the help of coding software and seven specially created codes. The codes were technologies used, transport of waste, digitalisation, stable network, bin placement, security concerns and type of waste. Results show: 1) case studies focus on transport (66%) and the remaining challenges play a subordinate role; 2) types of waste such as textile collection are little analysed, others are not even considered; 3) there is a lack of standardisation in the use of SWM, especially for communication protocols and sensors, as pilot projects are mostly used; 4) researchers recommend more case studies with a larger number of waste bins and sensors.

Keywords: smart waste management; SWM; smart bins; transport; waste material.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTM.2025.150831

International Journal of Services Technology and Management, 2025 Vol.30 No.4, pp.270 - 283

Received: 30 Jan 2025
Accepted: 30 Aug 2025
Published online: 23 Dec 2025 *

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