Driving Municipal Recycling by Connecting Digital Value Endpoints in Smart Cities

Abstract

Uncontrolled global economic growth at any cost is having palpable and general consequences for SC (smart cities) environments and sustainability worldwide. The current economic growth model is, according to experts, decidedly unsustainable, and if urgent measures are not taken, the quality of life for future citizens will decline. In the search for solutions that would make cities sustainable, the deployment of the ICT factor is playing a decisive role. However, in its role as a driver, the ICT factor needs to increase the numbers of value endpoint connectors by incorporating citizens, corporations and institutions into city decision-making, thereby becoming a real integrative tool that achieves sustainability and is more than merely a tech flag. In this sense, the present paper proposes that the digital and programmable economy as an ecosystem should become a sustainability city driver because it facilitates the integration of different value endpoints in order to work in the same purpose, allowing, for example, increased sustainability levels in cities such as improving municipal recycling. This paper will apply ICT and digital concepts, the environment-social-economy model and fuzzy logic methodology.