Fostering the waste management: Environmental-resource interacting attribute

Abstract Increasing waste management is one of the grand challenges for our humans. The environmental-resource interacting attribute (ERIA) quantifies the difficulties of resource recovery and environmental impact elimination in waste processes and provides important insights into the recycling potential and environmental burden of waste. We measured ERIA in detail in twelve waste categories for management pathways. Findings reveal considerable variability in ERIA across waste types and treatment paths, with copper slag exhibiting the highest and most balanced ERIA, implying easy treatment. The flow of information processed through downcycling pathways presents the highest ERIA and leans toward resource attributes. ERIA variability is significantly influenced by statistical entropy, rank, and removal rank of waste elements. We suggest classifying effective waste based on ERIA and yield and prioritizing high-potential waste in the ascending cycle path to recover valuable materials to avoid irreversible losses. ERIA provides an additional dimension for waste classification, treatment pathway selection, and therapeutic technology enhancement. Our results are of great significance to foster the governance of the waste disposal industry towards a circular economy and carbon reduction.