Dissertations / Theses: 'REDUCING WASTAGE'

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Dahlberg, Carl. "Reducing Bodybuilder Waste on SCANIA Trucks." Thesis, KTH, Fordonsdynamik, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-52455.

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In a world of fierce competition that is the reality for heavy truck manufacturers, it is important to optimize every step of production to the greatest extent. The Swedish truck manufacturer SCANIA early adopted such ideas and has put great efforts to implement a concept called lean production. As a part of the company’s strive for continuous improvement, all parts of the value adding chain shall be as efficient as possible. Previously this work has been focused inside the SCANIA organization but as demands on production volume and profit margin increases, focus turns outside the factory premises. A bodywork is fitted as a last step in the completion of many trucks. This is done by external companies called bodybuilders, outside the control of the factory. In this thesis, the bodybuilder induced waste is addressed from a global perspective. The report is entirely based on interviews with people inside SCANIA, SCANIA’s Swedish business unit, bodybuilders in both Sweden and Poland and a Swedish employer’s organization. Through these interviews, the difficulties surrounding the subject have been mapped from different perspectives. As a complement to the interviews, a program that calculates the annual waste related to shortened chassis frames has been developed. The main waste inducing problem areas found in this thesis is: - Poor communication between seller and bodybuilder before specifying and ordering the chassis. - Poor communication between factory and bodybuilder regarding existing chassis preparations. - A high degree of customer involvement in the bodybuilder process on the Swedish market. - High price sensitivity on the Polish market makes chassis specified without preparations more attractive. - Highly diverse customer demands on the Swedish market. - Insufficient ordering tools to meet the customer demands of individually customized vehicles. - Discrepancies between the global focus at factory and the local nature of the market on which the sellers exist. The costs related to shortened chassis frames alone is estimated to cost SCANIA 5 000 000 SEK annually in terms of reduced chassis frame waste and decreased costs for bound investments when chassis are standing at bodybuilders. In order to go from today’s annual production of 70 000 vehicles to the long-term goal of 150 000 vehicles/year, it will be crucial to reduce waste throughout the whole production chain. This will require better prepared vehicles from factory, better ordering software for the sellers and less rigid customer behaviour on certain markets. The increased communication between seller, bodybuilder and factory will be necessary and could be implemented through cooperation between selected bodybuilders and sellers in a preferred program.

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Müllerström, Malin. "CHECK ME : Reducing Waste Trough Salvage Crafts." Thesis, Högskolan i Borås, Akademin för textil, teknik och ekonomi, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hb:diva-26640.

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Textile waste, both pre and post consumer, is a problem that needs a solution, and fast. This work aims to find a simple solution to that problem, to exemplify how a small change in thinking and structures can make a big difference. The proposal is a design system of square construction, with roots in historical fabric conservancy practices and by use of salvage craft techniques. By constructing garments out of squares, waste is eliminated by simple means and existing materials of different qualities can be cut in the same way, thereby rationalized, then assembled into larger materials and so an up cycling process is achieved. The result of this work is a versatile design system which may lead to many different outcomes in the hands of different designers without compromising on desired fit and without the waste generated from cutting conventionally. In the present fashion field solutions such as this system are necessary to encourage the apprehensive designer to take steps towards sustainable practices.

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Bissmont, Mimmi. "Reducing household waste : A social practice perspective on Swedish household waste prevention." Licentiate thesis, Malmö universitet, Malmö högskola, Institutionen för Urbana Studier (US), 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-13752.

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This thesis studies household waste prevention from a social scienceperspective. Swedish waste management is efficient in handling wastebut has not succeeded in reducing its quantities, even though theissue of waste prevention is being raised at both international andnational levels.The aim of this thesis is to study and analyse the practice ofhousehold waste prevention. I seek to understand and explainhow it may be possible for households in their everyday to reducethat waste. With understanding comes an aspiration to mitigatewhatever impedes households from reducing their waste. A secondaim is therefore to apply these new understandings and make policysuggestions as to how household waste prevention can be promotedand supported. My research questions are:• How is everyday household waste prevention as a practicenarrated and discussed? And how can this practice andthe activities in it be understood in connection with socialstructures?• What obstacles and opportunities do households experience inconnection with the practice of everyday waste prevention?• What policy suggestions can be drawn from these findings? Household waste prevention has in earlier research often beenstudied from a waste management perspective, juxtaposing it withrecycling. These studies has identified a need to approach the areafrom a consumption perspective. Sustainable consumption has,however, in general failed to incorporate disposal as a practicesin itself, in that disposal involves competence in knowing what todo with certain things, as well as relation between things and theirmeanings. This runs the risk of leaving waste and waste preventionas part of consumption scarcely researched. It is in this identified gapthat I place my study.In order to address my questions, two studies were carried out.The first is presented in Article I, ‘Household practices of disposal –Swedish households’ narratives for moving things along’. The datawas gathered using in-depth interviews with Swedish households not explicitly devoted to waste prevention. The study focused oneveryday disposal activities. The second study, presented in Article II,is called ‘The practice of household waste minimisation’. This studycollected data from Swedish bloggers engaging in waste-minimisationpractices, sometimes called ‘zero-waste bloggers’, focusing on howthese forerunners describe practising waste minimisation in theireveryday.In both studies I used sociological theories of how humans asactors relate to the social structures and how humans act in theireveryday. The theories applied were derived from the extensive workof Anthony Giddens on structuration and late-modernity. As I placehousehold activities at the centre of my study, I have also appliedtheory of practice. My analysis starts off with the claim that waste is an unintendedconsequence of keeping up shared practices: in other words, thathousehold waste production is neither deliberate nor completelyvoluntary. For waste prevention practices to happen, the prevailingidea that recycling alone is good enough needs to be challenged.There need to be other opportunities to act, such as buying secondhandclothes, unpackaged groceries, repairable electronics etc. Theseopportunities need to be normalised, meaning that they need tobe socially spread and accepted. They also need to be reasonablyconvenient, as in not demanding too much time and effort. The studyof the minimising forerunners reveals that these households have tostruggle in their everyday to minimise their waste. This implies thathousehold waste prevention is not supported by the social structuresin Sweden and, therefore, will not increase by itself.I move on to suggest a new model for the understanding ofsustainable consumption. This model takes the perspective of practicetheory and presents four stages of consumption: need, obtain, use anddispose. All four stages should be recognised as possible situationsfor interventions. There is also a need for a holistic perspective onconsumption, where none of the stages is studied in isolation fromthe rest.I conclude the thesis by pinpointing the identified major obstaclesto household waste prevention, and by suggesting necessary changesin order for household waste prevention to become a shared practice.

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Gobel, Amy Rose. "Reducing reagent waste through process improvement and preventive maintenance." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/111273.

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Thesis: M.B.A., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, in conjunction with the Leaders for Global Operations Program at MIT, 2017.
Thesis: S.M. in Engineering Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, in conjunction with the Leaders for Global Operations Program at MIT, 2017.
This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (page 91).
Quest Diagnostics has committed to reducing operating expenses by $1.3B between 2012 and 2017. A portion of the cost-saving initiative focuses on reagents - expensive liquids that are combined with patient samples to detect compounds of interest. This project aims to reduce reagent waste for high-volume diagnostic tests run on an instrument platform that generates a relatively high amount of reagent waste. Waste, in this context, means any reagent that does not generate unique patient results. Therefore critical components of the quality system, such as quality control and calibration tests, are designated waste even though they are a necessary expenditure. Quality control (QC) samples and mechanical errors accounted for 5.2% and 4.4%, respectively, of all reagent usage prior to the start of the project. Mechanical errors occur when the diagnostic testing platform encounters something unexpected, such as debris or a reading that indicates insufficient sample volume, which interrupts sample processing. The instrument jettisons this test and attempts to repeat the assay. Initial discussions with laboratory representatives revealed differing interpretations of quality control requirements. All sites using the platform of interest were then surveyed to gauge the extent of variation. All sites met quality control requirements but several exceeded them. The most pertinent variations are listed below. 1. Frequency: Several sites ran control samples more often than established in Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) requirements, increasing total QC usage by over 70%. 2. Container size: The choice of container determines the amount of "dead volume", material that the instrument cannot access and must be discarded. Some sites used containers with 12.8 times the dead volume required in the smallest option. 3. Reuse policy: Some labs reuse containers of quality control materials across multiple batches. Reusing QC material further reduces the amount of dead volume discarded, but using new QC materials eliminates the possibility of evaporation between batches. An interdisciplinary team of experts tasked with maintaining the SOPs has reviewed these results and will clarify the appropriate SOP interpretation to unify practices across laboratories. In order to understand mechanical errors, I observed routine maintenance at four sites and found that business units did not consistently share best practices. Collaborating with vendor representatives and operators, I launched an Autonomous Maintenance (AM) pilot program in order to develop training materials capturing institutional knowledge and to test additional maintenance procedures. The AM activities generated 29 training documents, which were added to a national database of competency training materials. All operators certified to operate the testing platform will be required to review and pass comprehension quizzes on the training materials. As the Marlborough site continues to develop improvements to the maintenance procedures, these changes will be shared with the vendor and incorporated into training documents.
by Amy Rose Gobel.
M.B.A.
S.M. in Engineering Systems

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Jonsson, Måns, and Johannes Sandberg. "Reducing food waste in the Swedish household using IoT." Thesis, Blekinge Tekniska Högskola, Institutionen för maskinteknik, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:bth-19671.

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Anledningen till denna avhandling är att undersöka hur ett innovativt Internet of Things-baserat system kan vara fördelaktigt för att minska matavfall. Det anses viktigt att hitta nya sätt och lösningar på det växande problemet med matavfall. Syftet med denna studie är att hitta nya möjliga lösningar för att minska matavfall i Sverige. För att utveckla en lösning krävs en större förståelse för hur svenskar hanterar matavfall idag. Avhandlingen bygger på verkliga behov och undersöker noggrant hur en lösning kan utvecklas på bästa sätt. Design Thinking processen kommer att genomföras i denna studie. För att närma sig och undersöka dagens behov kommer en enkätundersökning och intervjuer att genomföras tillsammans med sökandet efter liknande forskning och lösningar inom området matavfall. En prototyp har utvecklats och olika funktioner har skapats i enlighet med de behov som fanns. Den utvecklade prototypen har också varit i kontakt med potentiella användare för att samla in feedback om prototypen. Resultatet av detta arbete är att det är möjligt att utveckla en teknisk och innovativ lösning för problemet med matavfall. Det går också att se att det finns en stor utvecklingspotential när det gäller Internet of Things på detta område. En välutvecklad prototyp med flera funktioner har skapats och kan visa vägen för andra innovativa lösningar för matavfall. Matavfall är ett enormt problem i världen idag och lösningar krävs. Det finns människor runt om i världen som svälter ihjäl och fortfarande kastas 30% av den producerade ätbara maten bort. Nya tekniska och innovativa lösningar behövs inom detta område och mer forskning bör bedrivas. Internet of Things har en stor potential för att minska matavfallet i framtiden.
The reason for this thesis is to investigate how an innovative Internet of Things based system can be beneficial in reducing food waste. It´s considered important to find new ways and solutions to the growing problem of food waste. The purpose of this study is to find new possible solutions to reduce food waste in Sweden. To develop a solution, a greater understanding of how Swedes handle food waste today is required. The thesis will be based on real needs and carefully examine how a solution can be developed in the best way. The Design Thinking process will be carried out in this study. To approach and investigate the needs of today, a survey and interviews will be conducted together with article research with similar solutions in the field of food waste. A prototype has been developed, and different features have been created according to the needs that existed. The developed prototype has also been in contact with potential users to collect feedback about the prototype. The result of this work is that it´s possible to develop a technical and innovative solution for the problem of food waste. It can also be seen that there is a great development potential regarding the Internet of Things in this area. A well-developed prototype with multiple features has been created and can show the direction for other innovative solutions for food waste. Food waste is a huge problem in the world today, and solutions are required. There are people around the world that are starving to death, and still, 30% of the produced eatable food is thrown away. New technical and innovative solutions are needed in this area, and more research should be conducted. Internet of Things will continue its development in the near future and has big potential to help reducing food waste.

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Shukla, Shuchi S. "Evaluation of Odor-Reducing Commercial Products for Animal Waste." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/36627.

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Six odor-reducing commercial products were tested for their efficacy in reducing odors from dairy and swine wastes. A sensory panel method was utilized for odor evaluations, in which the panel played an important part. Comparisons between products were made for agitated and unagitated conditions and effect of storage time (three weeks in which experiments were performed). Cotton pieces tied to the mouth of the sample jars were useful in absorbing the odors. Odor-treated jars were observed and evaluated by panel members. The odors were rated on a discrete scale of 0-5, with '0' being no odor and '5' the highest odor level of dairy or swine waste. The products were analyzed for their effectiveness on dairy and swine wastes separately. The "General Linear Model" was used for data analyses, and all the products were compared for their effectiveness under each waste storage condition and elapsed storage time. Each product was able to reduce odors. For both dairy and swine wastes, one product stood out and was very effective, whereas another product was less successful. Unagitated storage conditions of swine waste favored the product performance. Unagitated storage conditions were also found to be better for most of the products; only two products were slightly better in effectiveness under agitated storage conditions. The effect of storage time on product-effectiveness for each product for both dairy and swine waste varied. Odor levels from unagitated swine waste was very low in the beginning, but became worse with increasing storage time. Dairy waste in unagitated conditions had slightly higher levels of odors in the beginning, but became a little less with increasing storage time. Under the conditions of this study, it can be recommended that: 1) P2 has a better chance in reducing odors, 2) in general, unagitated conditions favor the reduction in odor levels, and 3) dairy waste should be treated in the first few days following collection, whereas swine waste should be treated when it is old. Testing of these products in actual field conditions would provide stronger support for these findings.
Master of Science

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Spengemann, Pauline. "Reducing Food Waste in the Household through Behaviour Change." Thesis, Interactive Institute, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ri:diva-24158.

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Farr-Wharton, Geremy. "Mobile interaction design approaches for reducing domestic food waste." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2015. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/82295/8/Geremy_Farr-Wharton_Thesis.pdf.

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This thesis is a trans-disciplinary study of domestic food waste in Australia. Firstly, it examines why consumers are prone to waste food. Secondly, it explores several situated design interventions to reduce domestic food waste by informing consumer food supply and location awareness, and improving the level of food literacy among consumers. The thesis outcomes have implications for academic and industry domains within the fields of Human-Computer Interaction, urban informatics, environmental sustainability, food security and public health.

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Domingo, Nikula. "Reducing construction waste in healthcare projects : a project lifecycle approach." Thesis, Loughborough University, 2011. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/9107.

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Construction waste generation is a global issue in the sustainable construction context and several studies have been performed in different parts of the world to develop methods and tools for waste prevention, reduction, reuse and recycling. Most of these studies adopted a linear approach by focussing on a specific project phase, such as design, procurement or construction. However, there is a consensus in the literature that factors causing construction waste span across the project life cycle and recent researchers emphasised the need for a more integrated lifecycle approach to holistically assess and evaluate causes of waste to suggest recommendations to reduce lifecycle construction waste generation. Over recent years, the UK government has been investing billions of pounds in new and refurbished healthcare projects, where the healthcare buildings are often referred to, in literature, as complex buildings. This large investment has created a number of sustainability issues including water consumption, CO2 emissions, energy consumption, and more significantly construction waste generation. However, no significant research has been undertaken to propose a systematic construction waste minimisation mechanism for healthcare construction projects. Therefore, this research aims to develop a lifecycle construction waste minimisation framework for healthcare projects (HC-WMF). In order to identify the research problem and construction waste generation issues peculiar to healthcare projects, nine preliminary interviews were conducted with healthcare clients (N=3), architects (N=3), and contractors (N=3). The findings revealed that healthcare projects generate high rates of waste compared to other building projects throughout the project lifecycle, identified complex features that have an effect on waste generation, and identified particular causes of construction waste in healthcare projects. A further in-depth study based on four case studies was undertaken to understand the impact of waste generation due to the causes of waste, the relationship between complex features in healthcare projects and the causes of waste, and best waste minimisation practices to be implemented throughout a healthcare project lifecycle to address construction waste causes. Three interviews (client, architect, and contractor) from each case study were undertaken during the data collection stage. A Healthcare Construction Waste Minimisation Framework (HC-WMF) and Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) were then developed based on the findings of the literature review, preliminary data collection study and case studies, and adoption of the key concepts of problem solving methodology. This HC-WMF comprised six waste minimisation strategies (project documents management, stakeholders waste awareness, communication and coordination, buildability, materials selection and procurement, and change management) to be followed throughout the lifecycle stages of a healthcare project. SAT provides a means to assess the effectiveness in implementing HC-WMF and to obtain feedback and learning outcomes for continuous further improvements. In order to validate the developed HC-WMF and SAT a validation questionnaire (N=26) and validation interviews (N=4) were conducted. The validation results showed that the HC-WMF and SAT would be very useful in reducing construction waste generation from healthcare projects. The research contributes to construction waste minimisation research introducing a novel approach to lifecycle waste reduction. Also, the research revealed the complex features in healthcare projects that affect construction waste generation, causes and origins of waste peculiar to healthcare projects, and best waste minimisation strategies to implement to reduce construction waste generation from healthcare projects. Most importantly, through HC-WMF, this research produced a set of guidelines to be followed throughout the healthcare project lifecycle to reduce construction waste generation. The study has made recommendations which, if adopted, will lead to significant improvements in sustainable healthcare construction due to construction waste minimisation. The content should be of interest to clients, designers, and contractors dealing with construction waste minimisation and sustainable construction in healthcare projects. Key words: Construction waste, Healthcare, Causes of waste, Healthcare complexities, Waste minimisation, UK.

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Singh, Akshit. "Improving efficiency and reducing waste for sustainable beef supply chain." Thesis, University of East Anglia, 2018. https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/67075/.

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In this thesis, novel methodologies were developed to improve the sustainability of beef supply chain by reducing their environmental and physical waste. These methodologies would assist stakeholders of beef supply chain viz. farmers, abattoir, processor, logistics and retailer in identification of the root causes of waste and hotspots of greenhouse emissions and their consequent mitigation. Numerous quantitative and qualitative research methods were used to develop these methodologies such as current reality tree method, big data analytics, interpretive structural modelling, toposis and cloud computing technology. Real data set from social media and interviews of stakeholders of Indian beef supply chain were used. Numerous issues associated with waste minimisation and reducing carbon footprint of beef supply chain are addressed including: (a) Identification of root causes of waste generated in the beef supply chain using Current Reality Tree method and their consequent mitigation (b) Application of social media data for waste minimisation in beef supply chain. (c) Developing consumer centric beef supply chain by amalgamation of big data technique and interpretive structural modeling (c) Reducing carbon footprint of beef supply chain using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) (d) Developing cloud computing framework for sustainable supplier selection in beef supply chain (e) Updating the existing literature on improving sustainability of beef supply chain. The efficacy of the proposed methodologies was demonstrated using case studies. These frameworks may play a crucial role to assist the decision makers of all stakeholders of beef supply chain in waste minimization and reducing carbon footprint thereby improving the sustainability of beef supply chain. The proposed methodologies are generic in nature and can be applied to other domains of red meat industry or to any other food supply chain.

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Hallbäck, Sofia, and Ellen Paulsson. "Reducing waste with an optimized trimming model in production planning." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för matematik och matematisk statistik, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-173253.

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In which ways can the process of trimming dispersion coated board products be optimized so as to reduce material waste and increase production efficiency? This is the question that this master thesis report seeks to answer. In paper production, alot of waste is generated when cutting production reels into customer reels. Some material waste are necessary in order to ensure good quality, however a large amount of the wastecould be reduced if the cutting process was to be optimized. During this project, carried out at a forest company, a mathematical optimization model was developed in order to reduce waste and save costs. This model is based on a cutting stock problem using column generation approach. It provides as its output cutting patterns and an optimal allocation of rolls for production purposes, which implies minimizing the number production rolls needed.The visualization of the results could also be used to achieve optimal stock levels, and easier keep track on how to use the material available in stock. Findings show that there are potential savings to be done. Simulations suggest an implementation of this model could result in material savings of around 7 %. This could also translateto environmental savings in CO2, where every decrease of one tonne material equals to adecrease in CO2emissions of 500 kg

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Boyes, Anthony John. "Reducing Moisture Damage in Asphalt Mixes Using Recycled Waste Additives." DigitalCommons@CalPoly, 2011. https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/654.

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This thesis has determined that using fly ash as a mineral filler in asphalt pavements can help strengthen and reduce asphalt moisture damage. Also, dynamic shear rheometer tests show that these additives have a stiffening effect on asphalt binder. Moisture related damage is considered one of the main causes of asphalt pavement failure. As water infiltrates a layer of asphalt, it slowly strips away asphalt binder, weakening the aggregate/binder bond. This process, combined with the cyclic loading of traffic, can lead to several different types of asphalt failure including rutting, raveling, bleeding, and cracking. For several decades, research has been conducted to find a solution to this problem. Currently in practice, hydrated lime and a variety of amine-based chemicals are being used as anti-stripping agents. However, as an emphasis towards sustainability has increased, waste products are now being investigated for this purpose. This thesis investigated the anti-stripping effectiveness of two waste products: fly ash and cement kiln dust (CKD), and compared them with hydrated lime and an amine-based chemical additive. The results indicate that class C fly ash can be used as an asphalt anti-stripping additive; however it is more costly than lime or amine chemicals.

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Callegari, M. "THE GUT MICROBIOME ASSOCIATED TO HONEYBEES AND WASTE-REDUCING INSECTS." Doctoral thesis, Università degli Studi di Milano, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2434/540651.

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Insects are the most diverse group of animals on Earth and are adapted to a wide range of habitats. They have a remarkable impact on the human life: they include not only human and animal parasites, crop pests, or vectors of human, animal and plant diseases, but also beneficial insects, such as pollinators (e.g. the honeybee Apis mellifera), insects reared to obtain products for the human benefit (e.g. silkworms) or mass-reared insects as food and feed or as biological control agents (e.g. parasitoids or predators). Moreover, since the increase of human population, the growing demand for protein for human and animal consumption is forcing the search of alternative sources: in this scenario insects have been proposed as sustainable rich-protein substrates. For instance, the black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens) is a promising candidate for the sustainable recycling of biological waste into feedstuff for livestock, poultry and aquaculture in the framework of a circular economy approach (Nguyen et al., 2015; van Huis et al., 2013). The insect evolutionary success and diversification are partially due to the symbiotic relationships that they have established with a wide range of microorganisms. These complex symbiotic interactions include commensal, parasitic and mutualistic relationships (Dale and Moran, 2006). The function commonly attributed to the microorganisms that inhabit the intestinal tract of animals is the depolymerization and breakdown of the diet components, which allow the nutrient supplementation and recycling. Moreover, they also provide detoxification of the toxic diet-components and protection against pathogens and parasites and this underlines the importance of a healthy gut microbiota for the host well-being (Dale and Moran, 2006; Engel and Moran, 2013; Hamdi et al., 2011). At the beginning of this PhD thesis an introductive chapter offers an overview of the current knowledge on the potential application of microorganisms in relation to the management of the emerging insect farming with agricultural, industrial and environmental interest. The insect gut microbiota is influenced by many factors, such as the host diet, developmental stage and genetics, and in the last years researchers have been addressed many efforts to elucidate their impact on the host gut microbiota, mainly considering insect pests, parasites or vectors of diseases (Montagna et al., 2015a; Vacchini et al., 2017). Moreover, the importance to characterize factors, such as the oxygen concentration, pH and redox potential status, existing within the insect gut compartments has been only recently recognized and, hence, not so much work has been performed so far in this direction. Indeed, the insect gut includes aerobic and anaerobic niches, passing through microaerophilic habitats, and compartments characterized by acidic, neutral or basic conditions, even in the same digestive tract (Engel and Moran, 2013). Understanding the drivers that shape the microbial diversity in the insect gut microbiota is pivotal in comprehending the symbiosis interactions and in exploiting insects for agricultural, environmental and feed applications. Since the increasing interest and limited information on this topic, the aim of this PhD thesis was to evaluate the influence of the diet, developmental stage and physicochemical conditions occurring in the different intestine compartments on the gut microbiota associated to different helpful insects. Specifically, the honeybee Apis mellifera and the waste-reducing insect H. illucens were considered. These insects are characterized by polyphagous diet, the former more specialized and the latter more variegated for the honeybee and BSF, respectively. Finally, the probiotic effect of some selected bacteria was evaluated to observe a possible bacterial contribution to the BSF performance when insects were exposed to a low-performing diet. The second chapter of my PhD was devoted to the study of the compartmentalization of the bacterial community along the honeybee intestine, taking into account the variations of the physicochemical conditions of oxygen level, pH and redox potential at a micrometer scale. Indeed, the gut microbiota of the adult honeybee workers has been deeply investigated and shown to include nine dominant bacterial phylotypes, belonging to Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria (Kwong and Moran, 2016). Although much information is available on the diversity, genomic features and evolution of these phylotypes, a comprehensive study of the bacterial diversity in relation to the physicochemical conditions occurring in the gut portions was missing (Kwong and Moran, 2016). The variation of the oxygen partial pressure (pO2), redox potential and pH in the crop, midgut, ileum and rectum of honeybee foragers was measured taking advantage of microsensors and microelectrodes, while bacterial composition and co-occurrence networks were determined by 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing. Bacterial abundance was measured by quantitative PCR. Results showed that a diagonal oxygen gradient was present in all the compartments that resulted anoxic in their centre, supporting that the previously reported bacterial stratification was linked to the oxygen availability. A progressive pH decrease from the crop to the rectum, presumably associated to the increasing microbial acidogenic activity, was paralleled by an increasing complexity of the network connections. Data provided the evidence of a physicochemically-driven gut compartmentalization of the bacterial communities at the level of the microbiota networking and diversity. In the third chapter the influence of diet source and developmental stage on BSF bacterial community structure and composition was investigated by applying culture-independent analysis, combining the Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (ARISA)-PCR fingerprinting and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. Specifically, insects were reared on three different diets (standard, fruit-waste derived and vegetable-waste derived ones) and sampled at three different developmental stages (i.e. larval, prepupal and adult ones). According to data, the bacterial communities associated to H. illucens were characterized by three dominant phyla, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. Statistical analysis showed significant differences between the bacterial communities considering the three diets and the three developmental stages, except in the case of male and female adults, which did not differ statistically. Regardless the life stage and food source, 10 OTUs were shared among individuals, mainly belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family. Moreover, by using microsensors and microelectrodes it was verified the variation of the physicochemical conditions, in terms of pO2, pH and redox potential within the gut compartments of 4th instar larvae, when reared on the three different diets. Data suggested that the variation of the physicochemical conditions, driven by the modification of the alimentary regimes, possibly affected the bacterial community structure. Once verified the effect of the diet as a driving force in shaping BSF bacterial community, the last chapter of this PhD thesis was devoted to investigate the potential bacterial contribution to BSF performance when insects were reared on a low-performing diet i.e. the fruit-waste derived one. Bacterial isolations were performed from the dissected guts of BSF larvae reared on standard diet, using selective and enrichment media, resulting in the establishment of a bacterial collection made up of 193 isolates. After the collection dereplication and the strains’ identification, the hydrolytic activities of the isolates were characterized in order to evaluate their potential metabolic contribution to the host. Data showed a potential involvement of the bacterial isolates in the breakdown of the diet components and in the nutrient supplementation. Moreover, several isolates showed the ability to produce exopolysaccharides (EPS) that could mediate the bacterial adhesion to the insect epithelia. Finally, based on the results of the metabolic profiles, two isolates were selected and administered, individually and in combination, to BSF larvae reared on nonsterile fruit-waste derived diet to assess their influence on the host performance. Results showed that the administration of selected bacteria could influence the weight gain of the larvae when reared on a nutritionally unbalanced diet. In conclusion, this work underlines that different factors can modulate the structure, composition and compartmentalization of the bacterial communities associated to non-pest and economically relevant insects. One of the innovative aspects of this study was to have evaluated the physicochemical conditions occurring in the insect gut compartments at the micrometer scale. The combination of such investigations with 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing data provides useful information to describe the insect-associated microbial community to further uncover its contribution to the host. REFERENCES Dale C., and Moran N. (2006). Molecular interaction between bacterial symbionts and their hosts. Cell. 126:453-465. Engel P., Moran N.A. (2013). The gut microbiota of insects - diversity in structure and function. FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 37:699-735. Hamdi C., Balloi A., Essanaa J., Gonella E., Raddadi N., Ricci I. , Boudabous A., Borin S., Manino A., Bandi C., Alma A., Daffonchio D., Cherif A. (2011). Gut microbiome dysbiosis and honey bee health. J. Appl. Entomol. 135:524–533. Kwong W.K., Moran N.A. 2016. Gut microbial communities of social bees. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 14:374-84. Montagna M., Chouaia, B., Mazza G., Prosdocimi E.M., Crotti, E., Mereghetti, V., Vacchini V., Giorgi A., De Biase A., Longo S., Cervo R., Lozzia C.G., Alma A., Bandi C., Daffonchio D. (2015a). Effects of the diet on the microbiota of the red palm weevil (Coleoptera: Dryophthoridae). PLoS One 10:e0117439. Nguyen T.T.X., Tomberling J.K., Vanlaerhoven S. (2015). Ability of black soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larvae to recycle food waste. Environ. Entomol. 44(2): 406-410. Vacchini V., Gonella E., Crotti E., Prosdocimi E.M., Mazzetto F., Chouaia B., Callegari M., Mapelli F., Mandrioli M., Alma A., Daffonchio D. (2017). Bacterial diversity shift determined by different diets in the gut of the spotted wing fly Drosophila suzukii is primarily reflected on acetic acid bacteria. Environ. Microbiol. Rep. 9(2):91-103. van Huis A. (2013). Potential of insects as food and feed in assuring food security. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 58:563-83.

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Ajayi, Olubunmi R. "Challenges and opportunities for reducing food waste in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria." Thesis, Griffith University, 2022. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/412983.

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Sustainable food systems can contribute to addressing food security, climate change, poverty alleviation, and economic growth. With 870 million undernourished people around the world and food shortages exacerbated by climate change, the United Nations (2015) made food security a priority in 2013. Gustavsson et al. (2011) estimated global food waste at 30% of food production. In 2015, the United Nations member states adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets under the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The goal related to food waste reduction. Goal 12 “sustainable consumption and production” aims to reduce per capita food waste to 50% at both consumer and retail levels alongside reducing food waste in the supply chain and along production lines. The debate on food waste has become significant within the waste industry and has received considerable attention from premier organizations, including the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The UN (2015) estimated that almost half of all global food production is wasted, representing USD 750 billion. The environmental and climate change impact of the wasted economic resources associated with the production, distribution, and disposal of wasted food is another area of concern. The FAO reported that food waste has direct annual economic costs equal to USD 1 trillion, environmental costs of USD 700 billion, and social costs of USD 900 billion. (FAO, 2013) Food waste research is gradually evolving, especially in developed economies with less research investment in developing countries. After years of waste management in developing countries, research has shown that food waste constitutes a significant portion of municipal solid waste (Asomani-Boateng & Haight, 1999). A large percentage of the municipalities’ budgets are spent on waste collection. This research investigates barriers limiting food waste initiatives and programs effectiveness and identify opportunities for strategic interventions in food waste management in Lagos, Nigeria. Lagos was chosen because it is a progressive state, leading initiatives in the country. Lagos also experiences serious climate change issues and is home to the largest urban agglomeration in Nigeria. Furthermore, Lagos is a mega city, the largest and most populous in Africa. A successful food waste policy in Lagos could filter into other states in Nigeria and serve as a model for other countries. The main question addressed in this research is “what are the challenges and opportunities for developing a zero food waste strategy in Lagos Metropolis?” To attain this goal, the researcher applied qualitative methods in a three phased approach. The first phase involved reviewing journal papers, documents, and literature. Data from the literature informed the selection and analysis of three successful and replicable cases from San Francisco, Taiwan, and South Korea that were evaluated for aspects which could be adapted to Lagos Metropolis. Information derived from the first phase informed the design of questions and other research techniques for conducting in-depth interviews with 14 global experts. Information from the second phase of the study informed the third phase which involved four focus groups consisting of about 68 attendees and in-depth interviews with 21 local experts. The informants represented relevant stakeholders from international organizations, government agencies, private industry, universities, research institutions, farmers, market associations, and non-governmental organizations. There are four main findings from this study. 1) A set was established of barriers limiting effective management of food waste in Lagos. These barriers include the lack of five main elements: food waste policy, end markets, infrastructure, readily available data, and food preservation knowledge. Other barriers are supply chain factors, greed, uncontrolled population density, poverty, consumption habits, culture, and a lack of continuity of policy initiatives and programs, among others. 2) Opportunities for waste management were identified such as implementing buy back programs, enhancing collaborations and partnerships among stakeholders, creating awareness, improving communication channels, investing in sustainable technology like driers for roasting fruits and vegetables, incentivizing farming operations, optimizing pricing for farmers, improving roads and infrastructure, encouraging communities to take ownership through food gardens and composting, and embedding enforcement in the existing regulatory framework to enhance food waste management in Lagos. 3) A food waste reduction framework was developed by analysing best practices and research findings to design and deliver effective responses to food waste in relevant institutions, detailing proven practices in food waste management systems, and synthesizing key success factors.4) A food waste management framework was devised for Lagos State. These findings provide a better understanding of the current state of food waste in Lagos, how it is presently managed, and the barriers and opportunities for developing workable policies, strategies, and sustainable solutions. In this study, guidelines are also proposed for designing, implementing, and evaluating future food waste management programs. In its results, significant policy opportunities were identified for food waste management, strategies, and guidelines to develop a food waste framework towards SDG Goal 12 by 2030. Finally, this study contributes to the scant body of information on zero waste and food waste management studies in developing countries using the case of Lagos, the largest city in Africa. The solutions proposed in this study are robust and have implications for other developing countries facing similar problems and could help mitigate climate change impacts facing the global community.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Eng & Built Env
Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology
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Hong, Young. "Bioleaching of Gold and Copper from Electronic Waste Using Sulphate Reducing Bacteria." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/20960.

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This thesis examined a novel hybrid method to recover gold and copper from electronic waste (e-waste) based on combination of biological and chemical generation of thiosulphate reagent. E-waste is growing waste stream rich with copper and gold. Thiosulphate is an effective leaching reagent to recover these metals however it is hampered by high cost deeming it economically unfeasible. Currently there are no alternative technologies that are able to overcome this limitation. To establish the need for this new hybrid method, we examined the economics of e-waste and current available technologies. The evaluation revealed these metals with will continue to exist in future e-waste stream and their value will continue to increase. Existing technologies were capital cost intensive and required large e-waste volumes to achieve operational cost parity. These findings were indications that copper and gold are appropriate target metals for our new technology. The novel technology exploits the natural ability of sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) to generate sulphide that is subsequently oxidised to thiosulphate. The approach involved the isolation of SRB to generate sulphide; conversion of sulphide to thiosulphate using sulphite; and metal leaching studies using generated thiosulphate. This study showed thiosulphate was generated from bioreduced sulphide by isolated SRB. Leaching studies compared the efficiency of reagent grade thiosulphate with thiosulphate generated by the hybrid technology. The gold recoveries of the hybrid generated thiosulphate ranged from 9 to 99%. These favourable results demonstrated for the first time the technical feasibility of generating thiosulphate via biological and chemical route and the thiosulphate generated can effectively leach gold from e-waste. Thus paving for a novel and sustainable method of leaching gold from e-waste.

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Olsson, Fredrika. "The Potential of Reducing Carbon Footprint Through Improved Sorting." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för geovetenskaper, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-415691.

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Almost five million tonnes of household waste was generated in Sweden in 2018, half of which was residual waste sent for incineration with energy recovery. For materials that can not be recycled or biologically treated, incineration with energy recovery is considered a preferred management option. The issue is that the fraction for residual waste contains considerable amounts of wrongly sorted materials, such as food waste and plastic packaging, which can be recycled or biologically treated, thus causing a smaller environmental impact. To quantify the composition and waste quantities of the wrongly sorted materials a waste composition analysis of the residual waste from four community bins in Västmanland county was conducted. The analysis revealed that about two-thirds of the waste was wrongly sorted and only one-third was actual residual waste. Life cycle analysis was subsequently used to calculate the carbon footprint of the wrongly sorted food waste and plastic packaging waste as well as the carbon footprint from optimal sorting and treatment of the materials. The investigation concluded that for food waste, anaerobic digestion caused a smaller climate impact than incineration with energy recovery and for plastic packaging, recycling generated a smaller climate impact than incineration with energy recovery. The size of the carbon footprint for the different management methods was in line with the priority order given in the waste hierarchy, stated in Swedish legislation. However, the size of the potential climate savings partly depended on the choices made in the life cycle analysis where the most sensitive parameters were related to external production of heat, polymer resin and vehicle fuel. If the potential climate savings is extrapolated for VafabMiljö's entire collecting area, the total climate savings per year would be 8 263 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per year for food waste and 2 070 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per year for plastic packaging waste. This would be equivalent to driving 1 250 laps around the Earth with a car every year or flying 14 900 times Sweden–Thailand back and forth every year.
Nästan fem miljoner ton hushållsavfall genererades i Sverige under 2018, varav ungefär hälften skickades till energiåtervinning. För avfall som inte kan materialåtervinnas eller behandlas biologiskt anses energiåtervinning vara den bästa metoden för avfallshantering. Problemet är att stora mängder återvinningsbart material såsom matavfall och plastförpackningar felaktigt hamnar i restavfallet när det istället hade kunnat återvinnas och på så sätt medfört en mindre miljöpåverkan. För att kvantifiera samansättning och avfallsmängder av det felaktigt sorterade materialet, gjordes en plockanalys på restavfallet från fyra miljöbodar i Västmanland. Analysen visade att ungefär två tredjedelar av materialet var felaktigt sorterat och endast en tredjedel utgjordes av övrigt restavfall. Livscykelanalys användes därefter för att beräkna klimatavtrycket för det felaktigt sorterade matavfallet och för plastförpackningarna som återfanns i restavfallet såväl som klimatavtrycket för optimal sortering och hantering av materialen. Ordningen i avfallshierarkin visade sig stämma väl överens med klimatavtrycket från de olika behandlingsmetoderna i det undersökta området. För matavfall innebar rötning en lägre klimatpåverkan än energiåtervinning och för plastförpackningar medförde materialåtervinning en lägre klimatpåverkan än energiåtervinning. Storleken på besparingarna av växthusgaser berodde dock till viss del på val av inparametrar och de faktorer som främst påverkade var alternativ produktion av värme, plastråvara och drivmedel. Om resultaten extrapoleras över hela VafabMiljös upphämtningsområde så skulle de totala klimatbesparingarna för matavfall vara 8 263 ton koldioxidekvivalenter per år och för plastförpackningar 2 070 ton koldioxidekvivalenter per år. Dessa besparingar är jämförbara med bilkörning motsvarande 1 250 varv runt jorden varje år eller 14 900 tur- och returresor med flyg Sverige–Thailand varje år.

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Papetti, Alessandra. "Methods and tools for reducing food waste in the household environment." Doctoral thesis, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11566/242952.

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Il “Food Waste” nell’Unione Europea ammonta a circa 89 milioni di tonnellate per anno di cui il 42% proviene dall’ambiente domestico. È stato, inoltre, stimato che il 60% di quest’ultimo è evitabile sensibilizzando il consumatore finale e incentivandolo all’adozione di migliori abitudini alimentari che consentono, tra l‘altro, di ridurre i problemi di salute e obesità. A tal proposito, numerosi sforzi sono stati dedicati dal mondo scientifico e industriale al riuso degli scarti delle industrie alimentari, allo sviluppo di nuovi sistemi per la gestione dei rifiuti e al lancio di campagne di sensibilizzazione dei cittadini. Tuttavia, metodi e strumenti in grado di aiutare il consumatore finale a previvere lo spreco sono ancora carenti. In questo contesto, l’obiettivo della ricerca, svolta in collaborazione con la Indesit Company, è stato quello di studiare e sviluppare un sistema integrato in grado di ridurre lo spreco di cibo nell’ambiente domestico e migliorare lo stile di vita dell’utente finale, in termini di salute e benessere. In particolare, è stata sviluppata un’applicazione web e una serie di servizi correlati in grado di guidare il consumatore finale nella corretta conservazione degli alimenti, supportarlo nella gestione degli acquisti e suggerire le ricette che necessitano di ingredienti in scadenza e meglio soddisfano i suoi requisiti nutrizionali. Questo è stato possibile grazie alla parallela realizzazione di un frigorifero connesso dotato di un lettore NFC in grado di leggere le informazioni contenute in specifici “tag” da applicare sulla confezione dei prodotti. Ciò consente di avere a disposizione un inventario aggiornato degli alimenti presenti in casa e tracciarne le scadenze. Le potenzialità del sistema proposto sono state valutate analizzandone l’usabilità e i benefici in termini di impatto ambientale ed economico. Infine, l’effettiva integrazione del sistema in un ecosistema più ampio ha permesso di valutarne anche l’interoperabilità.
The total quantity of food waste in the European Union has been estimated at around 89 million tonnes per year of which about 42% is thrown out by households. Furthermore, it has been esteemed that the 60% of the latter would be avoidable by increasing users’ awareness and encouraging them to adopt better eating habits, which also allow reducing the health and obesity problems. For this reason, several attempts have been dedicated by the scientific and industrial world to the reuse of food industries wastes, the development of systems for a more efficient waste management and the launch of campaigns to attract interest of citizens on this issue. However, methods and tools able to support consumers to prevent the waste are still lacking. In this context, the goal of the present research work, carried out in collaboration with the Indesit Company, consists in the study and development of an integrate system able to reduce the household food waste and improve the end-users lifestyle in terms of health and wellbeing. In particular, a web application and a set of related services have been developed to guide the user in the proper storage of food, support him/her in the purchase planning and suggest the recipes that better satisfy his/her energy and nutritional requirements and need ingredients close to expire. Such result was possible thanks to the development of a smart fridge equipped with a NFC reader that allows reading specific NFC tags that the user can configure according to the food information. This allows having an updated stocks inventory and tracking the products expirations. The potentialities of the system has been evaluated from the usability, environmental and economic point of view. Finally, the system integration in a wider smart ecosystem allowed also evaluating its interoperability.

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Michaelis, Peter. "Reducing resource consumption in the UK steel sector : an exergy analysis." Thesis, University of Surrey, 1998. http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/842698/.

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This study has investigated the use of exergy analysis when applied to the UK steel sector. The aim has been twofold: to assess whether exergy analysis provides greater insight into physical processes at this level than conventional thermodynamic analyses; and whether it can be used to identify ways that this sector has reduced its impact on the environment in the past, and how this might continue in the future. An overview of the issues surrounding resource consumption and waste generation and their relationship to the steel sector are given [Chapter 1]. The theory behind exergy analysis is then reviewed and its relevance to reducing resource use and waste minimisation examined [Chapter 2]. An exergy analysis was performed on all the processes within the steel sector [Chapters 3 & 4] and the reasons for thermodynamic inefficiencies discussed. Based on these analyses, exergy analysis was found to be superior to other methods in describing some, but not all, processes when compared with two forms of energy analysis [Chapter 5]. This is due to fact that exergy includes an account of entropy which quantifies thermodynamic quality. It was shown that reducing the exergy consumption of the steel sector leads to a reduction in resource use and to some extent will lead to a reduction in the emission of pollutants. Two different systems which could represent the UK steel sector were investigated to determine which best fitted the aims of the study [Chapter 6]. The first system was based on all processes within the UK which were linked to the use of steel; the second was based on all processes, regardless of location, which were linked to the use of steel in the UK. It was found that for the steel sector at least, there was little difference in the exergy consumption of each system, although these were structurally quite different. Finally a system was chosen to represent the UK steel sector which best suited the needs of the study. This system was used to examine the evolution of the steel sector from 1954-1994, detailing all the main steel and scrap flows, the exergy consumption in; mining, transport, steel production and scrap processing, the effects of trade and the role of manufacture and product use in generating scrap [Chapter 7]. It was found that the exergy consumption of the UK steel sector has fallen twofold in this time period, indicating a large reduction in resource consumption. Based on past evolution, scenarios for possible futures of the steel sector were constructed [Chapter 8]. These showed that from 1994 to 2019 substantial reductions in the exergy consumption of the sector are possible (between 15% and 72% of 1994 levels by 2019) through changes to: the overall demand for steel goods, the technology of steel production and the mix of steel production methods.

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Liu, Pu. "Reducing the environmental impact of wind turbine blades." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2017. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/270347.

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Wind energy, one of the most promising sources of clean energy, has developed rapidly over the last two decades. Wind turbines (WT) are arguably clean during operation, offering minimal pollution and zero CO2 emissions, but significant amounts of energy are used and CO2 emitted during their manufacture, and, furthermore, the turbines are environmentally problematic at end-of-life (EoL), especially the blades. WT blades are mainly made with composite materials comprising thermosetting resin and glass fibre. They are lightweight and strong but problematic to recycle. Large volumes of waste will be generated when these WT blades are decommissioned and environmental concerns have been raised. The main aim of this study is to understand the environmental impact of wind turbine blades and to find solutions to reduce it. A quantitative method is adopted, first evaluating the WT blade waste inventory then calculating its environmental impact, and finally analysing the differences between all possible EoL options in terms of environmental and financial performance. The results firstly identify the global wind turbine blade waste inventory with detailed generation time and location which could help policy makers to gain an understanding of the size and severity of this problem. Secondly, the outputs indicate where most impact is generated and identify what to prioritise to reduce waste and reduce environmental impact, which is of value to blade manufacturers and other stakeholders. Moreover, this work highlights previous incorrect assumptions and provides findings to build on for future work. Thirdly, ‘optimal’ EoL options for the WT blade waste have been characterized: the current ‘optimal’ EoL option is life extension; mechanical recycling is the current ‘optimal’ recycling option; chemical recycling will be the ‘optimal’ option for the future. Future research is suggested as aiming to improve the performance of recycled fibre or to reduce the energy consumption of recycling processes.

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Asp, Simon. "Reducing Food Waste with a Sustainable Lunch Concept : A Service Design Project." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för tillämpad fysik och elektronik, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-163206.

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Environmental problems such as pollution and overconsumption is something that is mentioned often in the news as this thesis is written. Food waste is a problem that causes valuable resources to be lost, as on average one third of all food globally is being wasted. The food chain is complicated, from the farm to the table, and innovations in all parts of the chain could help reduce the waste. We have aimed our scope to the end of the chain, when food is made at a restaurants to be served to customers. Figures say that about 23% of food in the restaurant business in Sweden is being wasted. To try to solve this problem, we have turned to service design and the methodologies presented there, to find a potential solution that could help reduce food waste. An extensive service design process was made with many interviews with restaurants to find where a solution could be made. The whole design process is presented in the report, and the final concept resolves around a sustainable lunch dish that can be made out of ingredients that would otherwise be thrown out. The dish would be sold at lunch restaurants for a reduced price since it is cheap to make, and would make more people act sustainable. A concept test was made to evaluate the the sustainable dish concept with the help from the public. The main question was: Is this concept something that could be adopted by people who buy lunch on a regular basis in Sweden? The concept test resulted in 165 respondents that were asked what they would choose to eat from a given menu. 32% chose the sustainable dish, and although biases were believed to have played a role in the decision, the concept was deemed successful. A website was then designed, aimed towards restaurants that wanted to adopt the concept and to get started in an easy way.

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Townsend, Rita Evelyn. "Leadership Strategies for Reducing Operational Costs in Waste Management Businesses in Liberia." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/6746.

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Waste is a global composite of organic and inorganic derivatives from human activities. Municipal solid waste consists primarily of plastics from households and e-wastes, creating opportunities for waste management businesses. The purpose of this study was to explore leadership strategies for reducing operational costs in waste management businesses in Liberia. In this multiple case study, 6 business leaders from 6 waste management businesses in Liberia were recruited as participants. The conceptual framework guiding the study was the transformational leadership theory. Each business leader responded to open-ended questions in a semistructured interview. Data were analyzed by iteratively searching recurrent codes to elicit themes. Themes that emerged included education and training for customers and staff, as well as efficiency and effectiveness for value creation from waste. Based on the findings of this study, waste management business leaders might contribute to social change by employing marginalized population segments in local communities. The marginalized segments in communities could be empowered to communicate waste management messages about recycling, supplementing their skills and messages using waste management technological innovations. The results from this study might provide insight into how waste management leaders might use innovative solutions to reuse, recycle, and re-engineer wastes. The results from this study might help waste management business leaders envision opportunities for improvement on waste-to-energy products and services in the lives of customers and employees.

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Moffitt, Kaylee. "Enzymatic degradation of Keratinous materials from livestock processing to generate value added products." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2021. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/207235/1/Kaylee_Moffitt_Thesis.pdf.

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Livestock is a major industry that generates a range of wastes and low value co-products such as keratinous hair, horns, feathers and hooves. Enzymatic hydrolysis of keratin could generate products with added value, although process challenges arise from the highly recalcitrant nature of the material. Outcomes of this work include an optimised process with over 85% of the solid material solubilised by hydrolysis, and an understanding of keratinase enzyme performance that will aid future process development towards the generation of value-added products from low value livestock keratin.

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Mutambanengwe, Cecil Clifford Zvandada. "Hydrogenases from sulphate reducing bacteria and their role in the bioremediation of textile effluent." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004019.

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The continuing industrial development has led to a corresponding increase in the amount of waste water generation leading to a consequential decline in levels and quality of the natural water in the ecosystem. Textile industries consume over 7 x 10[superscript 5] tons of dyes annually and use up to 1 litre of water per kg of dye processed and are third largest polluters in the world, the problem being aggravated by the inefficiencies of the dye houses. An abundance of physio-chemical methods are in use world wide, however, there is increasing concern as to their impact in effectively treating textile effluents as they introduce secondary pollutants during the ‘remediation’ process which are quite costly to run, maintain and clean up. Research on biological treatment has offered simple and cost effective ways of bioremediating textile effluents. While aerobic treatment of textile dyes and their effluents has been reported, its major draw back is commercial up-scaling and as such anaerobic systems have been investigated and shown to degrade azo dyes, which form the bulk of the dyes used world wide. However, the mechanisms involved in the bioremediation of these dyes are poorly understood. The aims of this study were to identify and investigate the role of enzymes produced by sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) in bioremediating textile dye and their effluents. Sulphate reducing bacteria were used in this study because they are tolerant to harsh environmental conditions and inhibit the proliferance of pathogenic micro-organisms. The appearance of clear zones in agar plates containing azo dye concentrations ranging from 10 – 100 mgl[superscript -1] showed the ability of SRB to decolourize dyes under anaerobic conditions. Assays of enzymes previously reported to decolourise azo dyes were not successful, but led to the identification of hydrogenase enzyme being produced by SRB. The enzyme was found to be localised in the membrane and cytoplasm. A surface response method was used to optimize the extraction of the enzyme from the bacterial cells resulting in approximately 3 fold increase in hydrogenase activity. Maximum hydrogenase activity was found to occur after six days in the absence of dyes but was found to occur after one day in the presence of azo dyes. A decline in hydrogenase activity thereafter, suggested inhibition of enzymatic activity by the putative aromatic amines produced after azo cleavage. Purification of the hydrogenase by freeze drying, poly ethylene glycol, and Sephacryl – 200 size exclusion- ion exchange chromatography revealed the enzyme to have a molecular weight of 38.5 kDa when analyzed by a 12 % SDS-PAGE. Characterisation of the enzyme revealed optimal activity at a pH of 7.5 and temperature of 40 °C while it exhibited a poor thermal stability with a half-life of 32 minutes. The kinetic parameters V[subscript max] and K[subscript m] were 21.18 U ml[superscript -1} and 4.57 mM respectively. Application of the cell free extract on commercial dyes was not successful, and only whole SRB cells resulted in decolourisation of the dyes. Consequently trials on the industrial dyes and effluents were carried out with whole cells. Decolourisation rates of up to 96 % were achieved for the commercial dyes and up to 93 % for the industrial dyes over a period of 10 days.

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Widanalage, Varuna Lasantha Kumara, and Serkan Kizilirmak. "Reducing fabric consumption : by improving marker efficiency." Thesis, Högskolan i Borås, Akademin för textil, teknik och ekonomi, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hb:diva-23894.

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Resource degradation is a significant problem in the world, which is directly related to the textile and fashion industry. Efficient use of the material has been identified as an essential aspect to be addressed seriously. It is a critical topic that has attracted the attention of people and companies in recent years and has become a fundamental issue of sustainability. This research study was based on UN sustainable development goals number 12 and 8, which focuses on resource efficiency. The research is designed in considering fabric consumption, which has a significant impact on the textile and clothing industry to contribute to a brighter future and a more sustainable life. The purpose of this study is to reduce the fabric consumption through improving marker efficiency. The research focuses on investigating the behaviour of marker efficiency concerning usable fabric widths, markers with different sizes and marker with style combinations to reduce fabric consumption. The improvements of the existing markers lead to reduce fabric wastage during the cutting process while improving resource efficiency in consumption and production. In this study, the explanatory sequential design of mixed research method is employed with carrying out experiments to collect and analyze quantitative data, explained and elaborated with qualitative findings through expert interviews to get insights into the quantitative findings in a deductive approach. The marker efficiency significantly varies according to the combination of sizes and style and usable fabric width. The improvements of the marker efficiency, reduce the fabric consumption per garment and increase resource efficiency while preventing waste generation. A saving of 1% of a material which consumed millions of tons per year, significantly affect on reducing resource depletion and environmental pollution. This study is limited to five usable fabric widths, four size marker combinations and two style combinations. Moreover, it is focused on material efficiency, and cost efficiency is not considered. There are possibilities for clothing manufactures’ to improve resource efficiency by improving marker efficiency while planning the demand, considering multi-size and multi-style markers. They can concern usable fabric widths, which provide higher marker efficiencies during material purchasing.

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Srey, Chanrita, Naoko Otonari, and KHOUYA ALI Adam EL. "The Barriers and Drivers in Reducing Food Waste within Grocery Stores : A case study." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för marknadsföring (MF), 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-56344.

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The aim of this thesis is to describe perceived barriers and drivers and analyze its impact on the implementation of strategies among food retailers in order to reduce food waste. On supply chain, food retailers are in the powerful position, communicating both consumers and suppliers. Existing literatures and our findings show that food retailers engage mostly in strategies to prevent and re-use food waste. The methodology used in this thesis is qualitative research through single case study design in order to gain valuable insights from food retailers and develop the existing theories. The empirical date is collected through semi-structured interviews with a store manager, the head of logistics and a project manager and environmental ambassador, Karin Bildsten. The findings had formed several learning points. First, in this case the major barrier is lack of resources in financial and knowledge terms in order to implement strategies. Second, consumers have a strong impact on the implementation of strategies, playing both as drivers and barriers. Lastly, environmental consideration of employees is a strong driver as well as positive response from society toward implementing different strategies. This research intended to give inspiration to other researchers into this new field of research. The authors concluded with practical recommendations to food retailers as well as some advices to different stakeholders.

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Lee, Joyce. "Get Your Butt Off the Ground!: Consequences of Cigarette Waste and Litter-Reducing Methods." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2012. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/pomona_theses/44.

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Cigarette butts are rapidly accumulating on our planet; trillions of them are discarded every year. In this paper, I examine why cigarette litter is a problem. I first discuss the biodegradability of filters and its scientific basis, including ways to enhance degradation rates by chemically manipulating filters. I also talk about the persistence of cigarette chemicals and their potential toxic effects on children and animals. I consider other social, economic, and environmental consequences of cigarette filters and chemicals. Furthermore, I discuss various solutions smokers and non-smokers alike have created to address the problem of cigarette litter; these methods come from a wide range of artistic, science-based, and policy-based perspectives. Finally, my thesis examines this issue in the context of a college campus – Pomona College in Claremont, CA. I discuss a map showing the number of cigarette litter around buildings and sidewalks on campus and consider factors that influence the location and high counts of litter. Finally, I make recommendations for the college based on my findings.

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Philp, J. C. "Corrosion of steel mediated by sulphate-reducing bacteria, with reference to nuclear waste disposal." Thesis, Edinburgh Napier University, 1987. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.377584.

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Of the multifarious economic activities of the sulphate-reducing bacteria, the best documented is that of steel corrosion. In the latter part of this century reports of SRB-induced corrosion have come from a variety of industries and much work has been done on practical as well as theoretical aspects of the problem. Despite this the corrosion mechanism has remained indeterminate. The bulk of the argument centres on the role of hydrogenase in the removal of hydrogen from cathodic sites on the steel surface, and whether this is important compared to cathodic depolarisation caused by biogenic ferrous sulphide. A relatively new industry where cognisably the SRB may manifest corrosion is the disposal of radioactive wastes, which concept entails the use of steel canisters. Many concepts for high-level waste disposal do envisage just this with burial in a mined repository, and backfilling with the clay mineral bentonite. For the UK concepts effort has been made to produce a safety assessment giving canister wall thicknesses to provide a steel canister of 500-1000 years integrity. The work effectuated for this thesis is of a dual nature. Firstly, consideration was given to the present theories of SRB-induced corrosion with experimentation aimed at deducing the most important mechanism(s) by a process of elimination. Secondly, and of equal emphasis, experiments were designed to examine what extra effect SRB may have on steel canister integrity under some conditions of high-level radioactive waste disposal, with a view to fitting any such extra effects into the safety analysis. SRB were found to be ubiquitous in proposed nuclear waste disposal sites examined for their presence. Laboratory corrosion studies using pure cultures of SRB (static and continuous culture) showed that corrosion of relevant mild carbon steel will be affected by levels of organic carbon, sulphate and phosphate which are unlikely to be present in significant quantities in a waste vault. Fe2+ availability was also shown to be a prerequisite to high corrosion rates. For high level radioactive waste the use of bentonite, a proposed backfilling material for waste canisters, containing SRB was shown to enhance corrosion of mild carbon steel. A model system to show this was set up using a bentonite clay/granitic groundwater mix in which SRB and steel coupons were present. Corrosion mechanisms which are likely to be involved include cathodic depolarisation and FeS production; it is not envisaged that the volatile phosphorus compound `identified' by Iverson as a corrosion product is involved. Genetic manipulation to produce hydrogenase-less mutants were unsuccessful during this study. It was aimed to produce such mutants to test the roles of the enzyme hydrogenase in rates of corrosion under repository conditions. Other factors (e.g. high pH) affecting the activity and effects of SRB on nuclear waste isolation materials were examined and are discussed for intermediate level radioactive waste disposal.

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Stronger, Brad A. "Harnessing waste heat and reducing wasted lighting : three mechanical structures for efficient energy systems." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/54659.

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Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2008.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 47-48).
This thesis presents three mechanical structures designed for efficient energy systems. In [3], Cooley presents a modification of a fluorescent lamp which allows it to detect nearby occupants and dim itself automatically. This modification presents marketability challenges, as a metal electrode must be suspended from the lamp, but one solution is to integrate an electrode holder into the bulb socket. We present one design for such an integrated electrode. Second, we discuss the creation of a homopolar motor to convert the low-voltage electrical power available from a thermoelectric wafer, which could be powered by waste heat. We are able to achieve brushes and bearings with electrical resistance as low as 70 m[Omega] and friction torque under 300 ,/N.m to demonstrate a proof-of-concept test setup. The demonstrated electromotive force constant is 82 V/rad/s using a 1 inch diameter, 5500 gauss magnet. Finally, we discuss the application of waste heat harvesting to household water heating, and discuss several designs for a water heater with integrated attachment points for waste heat producing devices.
by Brad A. Stronger.
S.B.

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Uster, Benjamin. "The use of waste mussel shell in sulfate-reducing bioreactors treating mine-influenced waters." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Civil and Natural Resources, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/11262.

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Mining-Influenced Water (MIW) poses major environmental issues in New Zealand and worldwide due to a legacy of unmitigated mining activities. As conventional MIW treatment technologies can be very costly in terms of chemical and energy inputs, cheaper and environmentally-friendly alternative remediation strategies have been developed. These so-called passive treatment technologies include a range of engineered systems relying on biogeochemical processes able to mitigate the acidity and to immobilize the metals in MIW. The present research, built on previous work conducted at the University of Canterbury, investigated the use of waste materials in mesocosm lab-scale sulfate-reducing bioreactors (SRBR) to treat actual mining-influenced water (MIW) sourced at an active coal mine in New Zealand. Specifically, this study investigated using waste mussel shells as an alkaline amendment (instead of the more conventional material limestone), with organic waste materials such as wood byproducts and compost in complex substrate mixtures in upward-flow SRBR. The influence of hydraulic retention times of approximately 3 and 10 days (HRT; i.e. the contact time between the MIW and the substrate mixtures in the SRBR) on the treatment performances was also evaluated. Overall, each system successfully treated the MIW (e.g. increased the pH > 6 and removed >78 % of the metals, except Mn) during the first 5-month treatment period, while during the second 5-month period, the treatment systems containing limestone and/or operating at a short HRT started to show signs of decreased efficiency. Generally, the system containing mussel shell and operating at a long HRT was constantly the most efficient system. Over the whole 41-week period of treatment, key metal removal efficiencies ranged between 97.6 and 99.7 % (Al), 83.9 and 95.2 % (Fe), and 9.2 and 38.8 % (Mn). Sulfate removal, in terms of moles of sulfate removed per cubic meter of substrate per day, was on average below the design values of 0.3 mol/m3/d, and ranged between 0.03 and 0.55 mol/m3/d (median values were 0.26 to 0.3 mol/m3/d during the first 5-month period but dropped to 0.094 to 0.1 mol/m3/d during the second 5-month treatment period). The SRBR containing mussel shell instead of limestone resulted in significantly higher alkalinity generation (between 32 to 85 % higher) and higher metal removals (between 0.6 % higher for Al and 14 % higher for Ni). These results were mainly attributed to the unique mineralogy of the mussel shell which comprises of aragonite with traces of calcite, while limestone comprises of pure calcite with traces of quartz. The statistical analyses showed that the sulfate reduction was not significantly affected by the alkalinity source. Similarly, systems operating at a longer HRT (10 days instead of 3 days) showed better treatment performances than systems operating at a short HRT in terms of alkalinity generation (44 to 62% higher), metal removal (between 0.5 % higher for Al to 15 % higher for Ni, and between 17 to 23 % higher for Mn), and sulfate reduction (50 to 77 % higher). Overall, the systems operation on a longer HRT were dominated by a more reduced environment facilitating the precipitation of metal sulfides, while the reactors running on a shorter HRT were constantly maintained out of equilibrium by the continuous addition of fresh MIW. Chemical and mineralogical analyses performed on the spent substrates suggested that the metals were removed through precipitation as, and adsorption onto, metal sulfides (Fe, Zn, Ni, Cu), (oxy)hydroxides (Al, Fe, Zn), and carbonates (Mn, Zn). Mn, a metal known to be harder to remove from solution was likely removed through the precipitation of rhodochrosite (MnCO3) and via adsorption onto the organic matter. These results generally corroborated the results obtained using the geochemical modeling PHREEQC. Overall, this study showed that mussel shells are not only a sustainable and effective alternative to mined limestone, but their use in SRBR would also result in a better treatment of MIW. Additionally, even though an increase in HRT resulted in a better contaminant removal, a HRT of approximately 3 days was sufficient to remove about 80% of all metals (except Mn). Therefore, the difficult choice of an optimal HRT must balance the need to meet a specific effluent quality while keeping the treatment time reasonably short, and an intermediate retention time of approximately 6 days could be optimal.

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Gill, Kaine C. "Lean concepts in customer care : adding value and reducing waste with proactive order status messaging." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/43826.

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Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2008.
Includes bibliographical references (p. [78]).
Information technology (IT), operational efficiency, and a strong relationship with customers are three critical components to Dell's success over the last twenty four years. Information technology throughout Dell's history has enabled strategic advantages such as the direct sales model. Operationally, Dell has continuously striven to be best in breed in terms of having an efficient supply chain and manufacturing facilities. Dell's customers were delighted because Dell dealt directly with them without a middle man, quickly translating their needs into products and solutions. These three factors are interdependent and have driven Dell to a sixty billion dollar Fortune 50 company in less than a quarter century. Over the last few years Dell has begun to embrace a lean culture within its manufacturing and supply chain operations. These initiatives are above and beyond other continuous improvement initiatives such as Business Process Improvement (BPI) which traditionally has focused on cost avoidance. To date the lean concepts have not progressed far beyond traditional operational boundaries or the proverbial four walls of manufacturing. This thesis looks to apply lean philosophical concepts and tools in customer service and IT environments. The analysis included consumer call center call drivers identification and value stream mapping of online self help environments. The analysis pointed to the order management process and proactive order status messaging in particular as a thesis focus area. The author convinced high level leaders across Dell's support, IT, and logistics organizations to sponsor a kaizen event to bring all of the key stakeholders together to design an ideal state, end-to-end proactive order status messaging process.
(cont.) Stakeholders analyzed communication channels (phone, internet, email channels, etc.) and messages delivered (order processed, order confirmed, order shipped messages, etc.). The team developed a coherent ideal state vision of what the processes and data systems should look like. Some short and long term successes were realized by the time this thesis was published.
by Kaine C. Gill.
S.M.
M.B.A.

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Löfgren, Helena. "NOx-reducering vid avfallsförbränning." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för tillämpad fysik och elektronik, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-158644.

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Avfallsförbränning kan användas för att minska volymen hos avfallet, destruera farligt avfall och utvinna energi för el- och värmeproduktion. Umeå Energis kraftvärmeverk Dåva 1 förbränner hushålls- och verksamhetsavfall. Vid förbränningen bildas bland annat kväveoxider (NOx) vars utsläpp regleras dels av Förordning SFS 2013:253 om förbränning av avfall och dels av Lagen (1990:613) om miljöavgift på utsläpp av kväveoxider (NOx) vid energiproduktion (kväveoxidavgiften). Dåva 1 använder selektiv icke-katalytisk rening (SNCR) med ammoniakinsprutning för att rena rökgaserna från NOx. En del av ammoniaken förblir oreagerad (ammoniakslip) och bidrar troligen till korrosion på den kallare lågtrycksekonomisern nedströms rökgaskanalen. Umeå Energi vill minska sina utsläpp av NOx utan att öka risken för ammoniakrelaterad korrosion av lågtrycksekonomisern. I det här arbetet undersöktes om och hur NOx-bildningen kunde minskas och om det befintliga SNCR-systemet kunde optimeras. Vidare gjordes en utredning om användningen av selektiv katalytisk rening (SCR) på svenska avfallsförbränningsanläggningar samt om och var i Dåva 1 SCR skulle vara fördelaktig att installera. Effektiviteten hos SNCR-systemet testades genom att i perioder stänga av ammoniakdoseringen och logga rökgasinnehållet. Det visade sig vara mycket effektivt (80 %) om det kördes vid rätt temperaturintervall. Men det framkom också att temperaturgränserna för vilken tdoseringsnivå som används troligen kan behöva korrigeras för förbättringar i effektiviteten vid andra temperaturer. Det skulle kunna minska både NOx-utsläpp och ammoniakanvändningen. Användningen av SCR vid svenska avfallsanläggningar undersöktes genom intervjuer. Det visade sig vara bara fem anläggningar och där alla hade placerat katalysatorn i rengasposition, alltså efter elfilter och våt rening. Rökgasinnehållet vid tre olika positioner i Dåva 1 undersöktes för att se om det fanns höga halter av SO2, HCl och stoft, vilka i kombination med ammoniak kan skapa beläggningar som minskar effektiviteten hos en katalysator. Alla positioner låg efter slangfiltren och hade därmed låg stofthalt. Position A låg mellan slangfilter och högtryckseko1 hade den varmaste positionen (205℃) och position B efter ekopaketen (145℃). Position C var efter alla reningssteg i rengaspostion och svalaste positionen (65℃). Variationen hos temperaturerna för de olika positionerna medför en stor skillnad i behovet av att återvärma rökgaserna. Den säkraste positionen, med lägst innehåll av stoft, HCl och SO2 var rengaspositionen, men den krävde istället mest uppvärmning av rökgaserna. Med tanke på att SNCR-systemet visade sig ha förbättringspotential, borde det effektiviseras innan man överväger att installera ett SCR system.
Waste incineration is used to reduce the volume of waste, destruction of hazardous waste and to extract energy in combined heat and power plants (CHP). Umeå Energi’s CHP Dåva 1 incinerates municipal solid waste (MSW) and other hazardous waste. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are formed in the combustion process. The emission of NOx is regulated in Sweden’s regulation SFS 2013:253 and law 1990:613. Dåva 1 uses selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) with ammonia as flue gas treatment, to reduce NOx in the flue gas. Some of the ammonia in the process remains unreacted (ammonia slip) and it probably contributes to corrosion in the colder economizer. Umeå Energi wants to reduce the NOx emissions without increasing the ammonia related corrosion of the economizer. In the present study, the possibility to reduce NOx formation by SNCR optimization was evaluated. Furthermore an investigation on the use of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) in waste incineration plants in Sweden, and whether it is beneficent to install in Dåva 1, was included. The current efficiency of the SNCR system was tested by switching of the ammonia in short periods of time and measuring and logging the flue gas composition. The efficiency (80 %) proved to be very high if operated at the optimal temperature. ButHowever, the test also showed that the temperature limits for the injection levels could be optimized for improved efficiency. Improved efficiency at all temperatures could reduce both NOx emission and ammonia use. The use of SCR in Swedish waste incineration plants was investigated through interviews. It was found that only five plants are equipped with SCR and they were placed in the clean gas position – after electrostatic precipitatorelectric filter and wet scrubber treatment. The contents of the flue gas was examined monitored at three positions at Dåva 1. The content of SO2, HCl and dust were measured, which in combination with ammonia can cause coating with reduces the efficiency of the catalyst. All three positions were located after the textile filters and had low contents of dust. Position A was located between the textile fabric filters and the economizers and was the hottest position with 205℃. Position B was located after the economizers and had the temperature of 145℃. Position C had the cleanest and thereby the safest position for a catalyst, due to its location after all the flue gas treatments, but the temperature was only 65℃ and requires most re-heating of the flue gas. Since the SNCR system proved to have potential to be more efficient, it should be optimized before considering an investment in a SCR system.

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Eriksson, Albert. "Reducing waste from healthcare in a society of mass consumption : Applying PSS for personal protective equipment." Thesis, Blekinge Tekniska Högskola, Institutionen för maskinteknik, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:bth-21088.

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Background. The amount of waste generated each year is increased, research indicates that 79 % of plastic waste is dumped in landfills, 12% to incinerated and 9% of the plastics are recycled. At the beginning of the year 2020, an increase in personal protective equipment (PPE) was noted as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic that spread around the world. As a foundation to the waste problem in society, VolvoGroup presented its zero mission goals. The zero missions goals were to be captured in a problem space provided by Volvo. A problem space that students at Blekinge Institute of Technology and Stanford University were set out to find a solution to. Objectives. The objectives of this thesis were through the Design Thinking strategy to find solutions that are circular and applied as a PSS. The goal is to apply a circular system of which Volvo Group can apply in their line of work, also to transition this solution into other areas, e.g. healthcare. Methods. For research measures, the Design Research Methodology was used to frame the research and Design Thinking to frame the design process. Results. The result presented is a machine that can provide Volvo Group or healthcare with circular single-use gloves. The circular aspects are enabled by a certain material, allowing the created system to be circular. The system is applied as a product-service system, enhancing the availability of gloves in either healthcare or inside Volvo Group. Conclusions. The circular system applied as a PSS satisfies the goals by Volvo Group by reducing waste generated, increasing availability of protective equipment, thus increasing the safety of users in need of PPE. The created circular system has the potential to be applied in other areas than waste management and healthcare, which can be proved through future research.
Bakgrund. Mängden sopor som slängs ökar för vart år som går. Forskning visar att79% av all plast som slängs går till deponi, 12% går till förbränning och resterandemängd plast (9%) återvinns. Under år 2020 har förbrukningen av skyddsartiklar av engångstyp ökat på grund av den Covid-19-pandemi som bröt ut i början av året. Den ökade förbrukningen har sin tur medfört nedskräpning av skyddsartiklar i naturen i en ökad omfattning. Till följd av detta har Volvo Group utformat ett uppdrag i syfte att få hjälp med att nå sin nollvision. Visionen innebär att utsläpp, olyckor och produktionsstopp ska upphöra helt och hållet. Uppdraget tilldelades en gruppstudenter på Blekinge Tekniska Högskola och Stanford University. Studenterna fick i uppgift att angripa problemet och komma med en lösning som uppfyller företagets nollvision. Syfte. Syftet med denna rapport är att genom design thinking- strategin finna en lösning som kan skapa ett cirkulärt system och appliceras som ett produkt-servicesystem (PSS). Målet är att kunna applicera detta system inom Volvo koncernen, men att även kunna presentera möjligheten att göra systemet tillämpningsbart inom sjukvården. Metod. I rent forskningssyfte användes Design Research Methodology för att rama in forskningen som skedde parallellt med utvecklingsprocessen. Utvecklingsprocessen följde ramarna för Design Thinking som presenterar olika typer av verktyg för design och utveckling av en produkt. Resultat. Det resultat som presenteras i denna rapport är ett cirkulärt system applicerat i en form av en PSS. Det som möjliggör detta system är ett material som tillåter reproduktion av engångshandskar som går att applicera inom sophanteringsindustrin. Detta indikerar även på att ett likande system kan medföra att sjukvården kan bli självständig i sitt användande av skyddsutrustning. Slutsatser. Ett cirkulärt system som uppfyller Volvos nollvision genom att skydda deras arbetare sluter ett kretslopp för en typ av skyddsutrustning. Det leder även tillökad tillgänglighet av utrusning. Detta system har potentialen att appliceras inom sjukvården i form av ett centraliserat system på sjukhus som tillför mindre enheter med tillverkade handskar.

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Smuts, Lizl. "Investigation into the biological removal of sulphate from ethanol distillery wastewater using sulphate-reducing prokaryotes." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004000.

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Ethanol production wastewater is known to be toxic, and is not easily biodegradable. It also consists of a variety of coloured components adding to the complex composition of this wastewater. Disposal of this wastewater into water courses is not recommended and yet is performed all over the world. Investigation of this wastewater found that there was a high concentration of sulphate which, in the presence of sulphate-reducing prokaryotes can cause sulphide corrosion of cement. The concentration of sulphate in the wastewater was approximately 2770 mg/L. It was also found that the wastewater pH was very low and discharge of the wastewater into the wastewater treatment works caused a negative impact on the overall quality of the final wastewater discharged to sea. It was found using FISH techniques that there were no sulphate-reducing prokaryotes present in the wastewaters but that a sulphate-reducing population existed on the sewer wall. An anaerobic contact process was designed to treat this wastewater targeting sulphate reduction to sulphide, to be converted into elemental sulphur and to increase the wastewater pH. The process did not achieve this aim and only approximately 20-30 % reduction in sulphate from the wastewater was achieved with little to no change in the pH. A 95 % reduction in sulphate concentration was needed in order to reach acceptable discharge limits. Sulphate reduction could not be carried out, even under ideal laboratory conditions. It was found that the barrier causing the digester failure was the high concentration of phenols present in the wastewater (3.3 g/L) together with the production of high concentrations of volatile fatty acids (on average 13 g acetic/L). These two components are known to cause digester failure, especially phenols, and phenols are usually only degraded by fungal species. It was concluded that the wastewater itself was not amenable to this method of biological treatment.

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Selin, Janina. "Towards reducing food waste in a hotel breakfast buffet : A case study of Profil Hotels Calmar Stadshotell." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för organisation och entreprenörskap (OE), 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-76322.

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Food waste is a major environmental issue. It takes electricity, water, and energy to produce food, to store it, to refrigerate it, to transport it and to prepare it. If for some reason the food is then not consumed, it goes to landfill, where it produces greenhouse gases. The fact that food waste is a significant contributor to the tourism industry’s negative impact on the environment has not received as much attention from tourism academics as one could expect, given the magnitude of the problem in tourism, neither has it been given much attention on how to handle it. This study therefore looks into ways to alter consumer food waste as well as identifying the opportunities of food service strategies that allow reducing food waste, while at the same time maintaining the quality of the service at a hotel in Kalmar. The research used social practice theory (SPT) and the concept of service quality as a theoretical framework to guide the collection as well as the analysis. The empirical work of this study consists of two phases, where firstly an exploratory phase was conducted to measure food waste from the breakfast buffet and to conduct a customer survey to point out possible initiatives to reduce food waste. The responses and results were then further analyzed to find patterns and themes which formed the explanatory phase, focusing on assessing the interest of hotel management to adopt solutions reducing food wasted from the breakfast service. The results and analysis proved that most participants, whether consumers or providers, already have a general idea of what sustainable food consumption means as well as engaging in sustainable practices and behaviors. The analysis of the results through the framework of SPT revealed that the factors that motivate participants to engage in sustainable behaviors resonate more to sustainable consumption rather than reducing the consumption, which can be a reason for the vast amount of food waste. However, the results revealed that though there is a growing movement towards reducing food waste as well as straightforward strategies that can be implemented to reduce food waste, there is still a need to try and change the fundamental behaviors to become more sustainable in that matter.

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Mattson, Gustav. "Applying the Behaviour Change Wheel to design and evaluate a food waste reducing prototype for workplace kitchens." Thesis, KTH, Skolan för elektroteknik och datavetenskap (EECS), 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-279424.

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Food waste is an arguably increasing problem in society, with consumers being responsible for as much as half of all combined food waste. The problem needs to be tackled from all angles, but there is no all encompassing solution for all situations. One context consumers find themselves in is the kitchen at their place of work, where the shared nature of the refrigerator creates situations and problems not found in the home environment. It is for these shared kitchens that this study is focused on providing a physical solution based on The Behavioural Change Wheel (BCW), book providing methods and tools for designing with the goal of behavioural change. The intention of this study was to develop, test and later evaluate a prototype on its behavioural change capacity and potential, using the tools presented in the BCW. The developed prototype took form as an RFID activated labelling system, providing users with the current date and their name on a label to be adhered on the articles they place in the shared refrigerator. After the testing period, an online questionnaire was sent out and was answered by fourteen out of seventeen participants. The two week testing period and subsequent questionnaire provided no conclusive answers regarding detected behavioural change capacity, but the potential is considered high based on participants qualitative comments and attitudes, and their quantitative usage. No measurements of change in food waste is conducted, but the target behavioural changes would provide a positive development resulting in less food waste in the workplace kitchen, if not only a more orderly refrigerator.
Matavfall är ett påtagligt ökande problem i samhället, där konsumenter ansvarar för så mycket som hälften av allt kombinerat matavfall. Problemet bör hanteras från alla möjliga håll, men det finns ingen allmän lösning för alla situationer. Ett sammanhang som konsumenterna befinner sig i är köket på deras arbetsplats, där kylskåpets gemensamma natur skapar situationer och problem som inte återfinns i hemmiljön. Det är för dessa delade kök som denna studie riktar sig på att tillhandahålla en fysisk lösning baserad på The Behavioural Change Wheel (BCW). Den innehåller metoder och verktyg för att designa med beteendeförändring som mål. Syftet med denna studie var att utveckla, testa och senare utvärdera en prototyp angående dess beteendeförändringsförmåga och potential, med hjälp av de verktyg som presenteras i BCW. Den färdigställda prototypen tog form som ett RFID-aktiverat etikettsystem, som gav användarna det aktuella datumet och deras namn på en etikett som ska sättas på artiklarna som de placerar i det delade kylskåpet. Efter testperioden skickades ett frågeformulär ut och fjorton av sjutton deltagare svarade. En testperiod på två veckor och efterföljande frågeformulär gav inga avgörande svar angående påvisad beteendeförändringsförmåga, men potentialen anses vara hög baserad på deltagarnas kvalitativa kommentarer och attityder, och deras kvantitativa användning. Inga mätningar kring mängd matavfall utfördes, men målbeteendeförändringarna skulle ge en positiv utveckling som resulterar i mindre matavfall i arbetsplatsens kök, om inte bara ett mer ordnat kylskåp.
Smart storage solutions in the fridge of the future to reduce food waste

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Price, Vaneaton. "Continuous color removal from concentrated dye waste discharges using reducing and oxidizing chemicals : a pilot plant study /." Thesis, This resource online, 1993. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-08042009-040505/.

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CASTIGLIONE, CLAUDIO. "The resource efficiency in sustainable production system: Monitoring consumptions, reducing waste, and reusing them as raw materials." Doctoral thesis, Politecnico di Torino, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/11583/2896998.

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Laska, Marcel, and Marko Radenkovic. "Human Centered Approach for Reducing Household Food Waste by Tracking Fridge Inventory and the Use of Mobile Application." Thesis, Malmö universitet, Fakulteten för teknik och samhälle (TS), 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-20378.

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Increasing amounts of food waste is becoming a problem in developed countries. This research project is about how to reduce food waste by tracking fridge inventory and the best-before date of fridge stored food by a smartphone application. Food waste occurs in several different ways. It can be found in the household, retail stores and in the catering and events sector. Food waste can also be classified as avoidable waste, possibly avoidable waste and unavoidable waste. This project focuses on the household sector and the use of a mobile application to track fridge inventory and best-before date. The purpose of the application is to try to reduce household food waste. There is previous research about reducing household food waste using mobile applications and they all take different approaches. This study focuses on building upon these previous approaches together with data gathered from our own questionnaire with Sweden as primary focus. The combined data results in our own mobile application solution that has been tested by users in Swedish households. The study’s research question is addressed by the use of the application during a period of one-week observation. Our data collection consists of the participants being interviewed at the end of the observation period. The interviews gathered information related to whether the users successfully reduced food wastage in their households.

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Dlangamandla, Nkosikho. "Design of integrated processes for a second generation biorefinery using mixed agricultural waste." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2843.

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Thesis (Doctor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.
Lignocellulosic biomass (agro-waste) has been recommended as the most promising feedstock for the production of bioalcohols, in the biofuel industry. Furthermore, agro-waste is well-known as the most abundant organic matter in the agricultural and forestry product processing industry. However, the challenge with utilizing agro-waste as a feedstock is its highly recalcitrant structure, which limits hydrolysis to convert the holocelluloses into fermentable sugars. Conventional pre-treatment methods such as dilute acid, alkaline, thermal, hot water and enzymatic, have been used in previous studies. The challenge with these conventional methods is the generation of residual toxicants during the pretreatment process, which inhibits a high bioalcohol yield, by reducing the microbial populations’ (fermenter) ability to be metabolically proficient during fermentation. Numerous studies have been developed to improve the engineered strains, which have shown to have an ability to reduce the inhibition and toxicity of the bioalcohols produced or by-products produced during pre-treatment, while enhancing the bioalcohol production. In the present study (chapter 5), evaluation of common conventional methods for the pretreatment of the mixed agro-waste, i.e. (˃45µm to <100µm) constituted by Citrus sinensis, Malus domestica peels, corn cobs from Zea mays and Quercus robur (oak) yard waste without a pre-rinsing step at a ratio of 1:1 at 25% (w/w) for each waste material, was undertaken, focusing on hot water pre treatment followed by dilute acid (H2SO4) pre-treatment. To further pretreat the mixed agro-waste residue, cellulases were used to further hydrolyse the pre-treated agro-waste in a single pot (batch) multi-reaction process. The TRS concentration of 0.12, 1.43 and 3.22 g/L was achieved with hot water, dilute acid and cellulases hydrolysis as sequential pretreatment steps, respectively, in a single pot multi-reaction system. Furthermore, a commercial strain was used to ascertain low (C1 to C3) and high carbon content (C4+) bioalcohol production under aerobic conditions. Multiple bioproducts were obtained within 48 to 72 h, including bioethanol and 1-Butanol, 3-methyl, which were major products for this study. However, undesirable bio-compounds such as phenolics, were detected post fermentation. Since multiple process units characterised by chemical usage and high energy intensivity have been utilized to overcome delignification and cellulolysis, a sustainable, environmental benign pretreatment process was proposed using N. mirabilis “monkey cup” fluids (extracts) to also reduce fermenter inhibitors from the delignification of mixed agrowaste; a process with minimal thermo physical chemical inputs for which a single pot multi-reaction system strategy was used. Nepenthes mirabilis extracts shown to have ligninolytic, cellulolytic and xylanolytic activities, were used as an enzyme cocktail to pretreat mixed agro-waste, subsequent to the furtherance of TRS production from the agro-waste, by further using cellulase for further hydrolysis. N. mirabilis pod extracts were determined to contained carboxylesterases (529.41±30.50 U/L), β-glucosidases (251.94±11.48 U/L) and xylanases (36.09±18.04 U/L), constituting an enzymatic cocktail with a significant potential for the reduction in total residual phenolic compounds (TRPCs). Furthermore, the results indicated that maximum concentration of TRS obtainable was 310±5.19 mg/L within 168 h, while the TRPCs were reduced from 6.25±0.18 to 4.26 ±0.09 mg/L, which was lower than that observed when conventional methods were used. Overall N. mirabilis extracts were demonstrated to have an ability to support biocatalytic processes for the conversion of agro-waste to produce fermentable TRS in a single unit facilitating multiple reactions with minimised interference with cellulase hydrolysis. Therefore, the digestive enzymes in N. mirabilis pods can be used in an integrated system for a second generation biorefinery.

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40

Vyas, Nitin. "Effectiveness of a closed system device in reducing occupational exposure and environmental concentrations of anticancer drugs." Thesis, University of Plymouth, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/3049.

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Owing to their non-selective nature, anti-cancer drugs affect both cancerous and non-cancerous cells and present a major health risk to healthcare staff working with them. This project was conducted at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, to investigate the extent of contamination with anti-cancer drugs on work surfaces and the environmental emissions of these drugs. In the Isolator study, surface contamination arising from the preparation of five anticancer drug infusions (epirubicin, fluorouracil, cisplatin, oxaliplatin and carboplatin) in a pharmaceutical isolator and external surfaces of infusion bags and syringes using a conventional syringe and needle technique was investigated and compared with that obtained using a closed system drug transfer device (Tevadaptor). Wipe samples were taken for a period of one week from pre-defined areas in a pharmaceutical isolator and from the surface of prepared Intra-Venous (IV) infusion bags and pre-filled syringes to obtain baseline data. Gloves and preparation mats used during this period were also collected. Following a one-week operator familiarisation period, the Tevadaptor device was then introduced for cytotoxic preparation and wipe-sampling of surfaces and collection of consumables was continued for a further week (intervention period). The samples obtained were then analysed by HPLC and ICP-MS. The baseline contamination data from Tevadaptor isolator study was undetected to 0.9 ng cm-2 (epirubicin), undetected to 3.58 ng cm-2 (5-FU) and 0.05-0.92 ng cm-2 (Pt) in the wipe samples from the pharmaceutical isolator surfaces; amounts on glove samples were 1100-6100 ng/glove (epirubicin), 300-8100 ng/glove (5-FU) and 1-6 ng/glove (platinum). During the intervention phase isolator surface contamination was not detected in all samples for 5-FU and epirubicin and platinum was detected on the isolator surfaces in the range of 0.002-0.09 ng cm-2. The use of Tevadaptor resulted in a reduction of contamination on external surfaces by a factor of 10 or more for all marker drugs. A ward study investigated the surface contamination in the oncology out-patient department caused by cisplatin, oxaliplatin, carboplatin and gemcitabine. The study compared the effect of using the Tevadaptor to prepare and administer anticancer drugs infusions on ward surface contamination to the current UK standard practice. A questionnaire was also distributed to participating staff members to assess the user-friendliness of Tevadaptor. Wipe samples were taken from pre-defined areas from the oncology out-patients department and gloves used by nursing staff for assembly and administration of the above drugs were also collected. Sample collection followed a similar schedule to the Tevadaptor isolator study. The baseline ward surface contamination ranged from undetected to 4.97 ng cm-2 (gemcitabine) and 3.1 ng cm-2 (platinum). In the case of gloves used by nursing staff the levels of contamination ranged from undetected to 1251 ng/glove (gemcitabine) and 405.4 ng/glove (platinum). The contamination on ward surfaces during the intervention phase ranged from undetected to 3.21 ng cm-2 (gemcitabine) and 2.69 ng cm-2 (platinum) and contamination levels on gloves ranged from undetected to 9252 ng/glove (gemcitabine) and 1319 ng/glove (platinum). During the intervention phase there was a reduction in frequency of contamination, even though the total amount of surface contamination by anticancer drugs did not always decrease in comparison to baseline data, presumably due to unaccounted spillages. A drain study investigated the presence of platinum in hospital wastewater as a measure of contamination caused by the excretion of platinum-based anticancer drugs by patients. Platinum was measured over a three week period in one of the main drains and in the effluent of the oncology ward. The study showed the presence of measurable quantity of platinum which ranged from 0.02 to 140 μg L-1 in the oncology effluent and 0.03 to 100 μg L-1 in the main drain. Data from this study was coupled with published measurements on the removal of the drugs by conventional sewage treatment and then concentration of platinum arising from each drug was predicted in recipient surface waters as a function of water flow rate. Although predicted concentrations were below EMEA guidelines warranting further risk assessment, the presence of potentially carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic substances in surface waters is cause for concern. The results showed that a closed system drug transfer device (CSTD) used in conjunction with an isolator is highly efficient in reducing surface contamination with anti-cancer drugs. However, despite current best practice contamination on ward surfaces remained even after the use of a CSTD. Nursing as well as healthcare staff should be educated of these results and the risks of occupational exposure to low levels of anti-cancer drugs and the use of PPE should be emphasised. Results of the drain study form the basis of preliminary estimates of the likely concentrations of platinum-based drugs in surface waters and their potential environmental impacts.

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Bayramoğlu, Eser Eke, Anil Özçelik, Mehmet Çetin, and Erkan Eren. "Investigation on Reducing Chromium Quantity in Chromium Containing Wastes of Leather Industry Using Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) - 289." Verein für Gerberei-Chemie und -Technik e. V, 2019. https://slub.qucosa.de/id/qucosa%3A34242.

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Content: In the leather industry, the shaved wastes after the wet blue phase, which are exposed by the shaving process, are one of the substances that cause environmental pollution for the leather industry. Most of the time, these wastes can be buried and may cause serious environmental pollution. In this study, wet blue shaved wastes to be mineralized to chromium and so prevented oxidise to Cr (VI) by using oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) .Wet blue shaved wastes were mixed with 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2% doses into the growth medium. After the oyster mushroom growth, the consuming of chromium from the growth media and chromium content that uptaken by the mushroom were investigated with in House method / ICP-MS. Take-Away: -Oyster mushroom degrade the waste -Oyster mushroom can uptake chromium -Oyster mushroom can grow medium where contens chromium

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42

Orrefalk, Amanda, and Charlotta Nedström. "Saving the world - One truck at a time : A case study at Volvo Trucks on reducing the packaging waste through circular economy." Thesis, Karlstads universitet, Fakulteten för hälsa, natur- och teknikvetenskap (from 2013), 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-68618.

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The production and consumption of today generates huge amounts of waste, and due to the increasing living standards the amount will continue to increase. The waste leads to large environmental impacts due to pollution and emissions of greenhouse gases, as well as the depletion of raw materials. This study aimed to investigate how sustainability through circular economy can drive the development towards reducing the packaging waste in a company. The ambition was to identify possible actions that could be implemented in order to decrease the amount of combustible waste and the entailed environmental impact. A case study was performed at Volvo Group Trucks Operations assembly plant in Tuve in Gothenburg. The initial part of the study consisted of a literature review and was followed by the empirical study where interviews and observations were conducted in order to investigate what actions that could reduce the packaging waste. The data was analysed and one action was selected to be further investigated, and calculations of its environmental and economic aspects are performed. Three different types of inner packaging of LDPE (Low Density Polyethelen) plastics were selected, and the calculations showed that the reduction of CO2-emissions amounts to as much as 6.3 tonnes per year and cost savings of 11 000 SEK per year when reusing the inner packaging. These savings indicate that it is profitable to return the packaging to the supplier if it is located closer than 10 200 - 16 600 km to the site. The managerial implications of implementing a returnable packaging system are the cost savings and the reduction of environmental impacts.
Produktioner och konsumtion genererar idag stora mängder avfall och på grund av den ökande levnadsstandarden fortsätter mängden avfall att öka. Avfallet leder till stor miljöpåverkan på grund av föroreningar och växthusgasutsläpp, liksom uttömning av råmaterial. Denna studien syftade till att undersöka hur hållbarhet genom cirkulär ekonomi kan driva utvecklingen mot att minska förpackningsavfallet i ett företag. Ambitionen var att identifiera möjliga förslag som skulle kunna implementeras för att minska mängden av brännbart avfall och därmed den miljöpåverkan som följer. En fallstudie utfördes på Volvo Group Trucks Operations monteringsanläggning i Tuve i Göteborg. Den inledande delen i arbetet bestod av en litteraturstudie som följdes av en empirisk studie, där intervjuer och observationer utfördes för att undersöka vilka förslag som skulle kunna minska förpackningsavfall. Datan analyserades och ett förslag valdes ut för att undersökas vidare genom beräkningar för dess miljömässiga och ekonomiska aspekter. Tre olika typer av inneremballage av LDPE-plast valdes ut och beräkningarna visade att reduceringen av CO2-utsläpp uppgick till 6,3 ton per år och kostnadsbesparingarna till 11 000 SEK per år då inneremballage återanvänds. Dessa besparingar indikerar att det är lönsamt att returnera förpackningar till leverantören om den är belägen närmare än 10 200- 16 600 km från fabriken. Incitament för företag att implementera ett retursystem är de minskade kostnaderna samt den minskade miljöpåverkan.

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Nord, Iza. "Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Through the Use of Free Shops : A Case Study of Two Free Shops in Gothenburg." Thesis, Mittuniversitetet, Avdelningen för ekoteknik och hållbart byggande, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-33920.

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Products, throughout their life cycle from production to waste management, create emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). This leads to environmental impacts on the climate (Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, 2016). The consumed products from households are increasing (World Wildlife Fund, 2008) and so is the waste generated from them (Avfall Sverige, n.d.). A more sustainable development generating from circular economy should be focused on to increases the reuse of products and by so reduce the amount of waste generated (Göteborgs Stad, n.d.a.) This study have examined if the use of Free Shops can help the city of Gothenburg to reach higher up the waste management hierarchy towards reuse and prevention, and if carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) can be avoided by using Free Shops. Two Free Shops with the purpose to increase reuse in Gothenburg have been studied and their effect on GHG emissions, presented as CO2e, have been analysed. A Life Cycle Inventory Study (LCI) has been conducted on all, but two, different materials entering the Free Shops for four weeks, including the production, waste management, transportation and storage. The result of the study shows that a mean of 10 ton CO2e per Free Shop per year can be avoided when reusing at a Free Shop instead of buying new products. This equals leaving a low energy lamp on for approximately 590 years (World Wildlife Fund, 2009) based on a low energy lamp using 0,007 kWh (Eon, 2007). To examine if the Free Shops can reduce the amount of waste disposed of by households in Gothenburg the material entering the Free Shops was weight and analysed to estimate how it corresponded to the amount of waste disposed of. The result shows that the material entering a Free Shop only corresponds to 0.0025 percent of the household waste disposed of in the city. This indicates that Free Shops by themselves will not solve the problem with increasing amounts of waste and emissions from increasing production. However, they can help in a small scale.

20180625

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Ngwenya, Nonhlanhla. "Enzymatic recovery of rhodium(III) from aqueous solution and industrial effluent using sulphate reducing bacteria: role of a hydrogenase enzyme." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004015.

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In an attempt to overcome the high maintenance and costs associated with traditional physico-chemical methods, much work is being done on the application of enzymes for the recovery of valuable metals from solutions and industrial effluents. One of the most widely studied enzymatic metal recovery systems uses hydrogenase enzymes, particularly from sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB). While it is known that hydrogenases from SRB mediate the reductive precipitation of metals, the mechanism of enzymatic reduction, however, is not yet fully understood. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the role of a hydrogenase enzyme in the removal of rhodium from both aqueous solution and industrial effluent. A quantitative analysis of the rate of removal of rhodium(III) by a resting SRB consortium under different initial rhodium and biomass concentrations, pH, temperature, presence and absence of SRB cells and electron donor, was studied. Rhodium speciation was found to be the main factor controlling the rate of removal of rhodium from solution. SRB cells were found to have a higher affinity for anionic rhodium species, as compared to both cationic and neutral species, which become abundant when speciation equilibrium was reached. Consequently, a pH-dependant rate of rhodium removal from solution was observed. The maximum SRB uptake capacity for rhodium was found to be 66 mg rhodium per g of resting SRB biomass. Electron microscopy studies revealed a time-dependant localization and distribution of rhodium precipitates, initially intracellularly and then extracellularly, suggesting the involvement of an enzymatic reductive precipitation process. A hydrogenase enzyme capable of reducing rhodium(III) from solution was isolated and purified by PEG, DEAE-Sephacel anion exchanger and Sephadex G200 gel exclusion. A distinct protein band with a molecular weight of 62kDa was obtained when the hydrogenase containing fractions were subjected to a 10% SDS-PAGE. Characterization studies indicated that the purified hydrogenase had an optimum pH and temperature of 8 and 40°C, respectively. A maximum of 88% of the initial rhodium in solution was removed when the purified hydrogenase was incubated under hydrogen. Due to the low pH of the industrial effluent (1.31), the enzymatic reduction of rhodium by the purified hydrogenase was greatly retarded. It was apparent that industrial effluent pretreatment was necessary before the application an enzymatic treatment method. In the present study, however, it has been established that SRB are good candidates for the enzymatic recovery of rhodium from both solution and effluent.

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45

Suárez, De La Fuente S. "Reducing shipping carbon emissions under real operative conditions : a study of alternative marine waste heat recovery systems based on the organic rankine cycle." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2016. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1502214/.

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The biggest source of energy loss in shipping is found in the propulsion system. This study focuses on analysing, and working with, the concept of heat management for waste heat energy from the exhaust gas and scavenge air. Using waste heat recovery systems (WHRS) to make shipping more efficient represent a good area of opportunity. On board ships, a water-based Rankine cycle (RC) is typically installed; this has the task of providing steam and power. This work explores alternative waste heat technologies to assess the development and suitability, but also to find better solutions to the traditional RC. Different models coupled with advance optimisation processes were created to understand the marine WHRS. The results show that WHRS are sensitive to environmental and operational factors which must be considered at design stage. While water offers the possibility of producing both steam and power; organic Rankine cycles (ORC) produce larger power outputs at temperatures between 90˚C and 230˚C which translate to lower CO2 emissions. Organic WHRS will play an important role in the future as regulations push for tighter emission controls, and waste energy availability for power production reduces due to an increase in prime mover efficiency and waste heat utilisation for other processes (e.g. ballast treatment). The ORC technology can be applied to any kind of vessel type and size, keeping in mind that the ORC benefits depend on the waste heat temperature and availability, the ship's heat requirements and operational profile. It is also then important to bear in mind some of the drawbacks, such as larger mass flow rates and flammability of some of the organic fluids studied which will introduce additional safety equipment and costs.

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Roosen, Timothy James. "Reducing Lean and Environmental Wastes: The Integration of Value Stream Mapping with Environmental Wastes to Improve Production, Performance, Efficiency and Process Flow." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Mechanical Engineering, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/7663.

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Current concepts of environmental waste focus on the total production of waste from a production plant or industrial setting and the subsequent consequences on the natural environment. Hence, there is an emphasis on containing waste within the industrial boundaries and applying a post-production process to clean it up. However, waste is generated by individual processes within the production system and can be more effectively treated at this individual site level. Therefore, focused management of environmental waste reduction requires that production engineers first know what the environmental waste is and where specifically it is being generated. However, this is often simply not known with any accuracy. In addition, production plants are controlled and improved by lean methods. Current environmental waste methods lack integration with lean methods and thus are not included in the continuous improvement cycles. Consequently, there is a need to include environmental waste impacts alongside the other primary lean wastes. This work develops just such an integrative method which includes both environmental waste and Value Stream Mapping (VSM). This method was developed and tested in a re-manufacturing setting (i.e. Christchurch Engine Centre, Pratt and Whitney) and is able to represent a variety of environmental wastes. Specifically, it integrates aspects from the generic environmental standard ISO14001 through to an organisational environmental risk register. It provides integration within the VSM process which ensures that the established lean improvement programme (through the use of Kaizen improvements) is focused on specific environmental improvement actions. While the example for this thesis used the factors of carbon footprinting, perceived impact, costs to remediate and waste volumes (both removed from process and residual); the method is capable of being generalised to nth dimension environmental factors. It is thus able to represent a customised environmental waste index for any particular industry. Ambiguous user estimation of waste quantities was accommodated through PERT beta distributions. Several ways to represent the multi-dimensional environmental waste impact data were explored via industry focus group reviews and the preferred representation was designed to completion. The resulting method can be used by production staff to quantify and represent environmental impacts at the level of the individual processes and aggregated to report wastes for the whole value stream. The method may also be used by executives to align organisational practices with strategic objectives for waste reduction.

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Olsson, Fredrik, and David Lindgren. "Avfallshantering och kvalitetsstyrning för effektiv reducering av avfallsproduktion : En fallstudie genomförd på Cloetta Sverige AB." Thesis, Karlstads universitet, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-57007.

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Användningen av naturliga resurser ökar allt mer och därmed även dess knapphet. I organisationer finns det en överdriven användning av naturtillgångar då en del inte används till sitt primära syfte, vilket kan ses som en form av slöseri. Avfallsproduktion är ett område som dels utgör ett onödigt användande av naturliga resurser och samtidigt innebär kostnader för en organisation. Avfallsproduktion kan placeras in under interna kvalitetsbristkostnader som innefattar produkter med fel och brister som upptäcks vid tillverkning. Reduktion av defekta produkter och avfallsproduktion är ett överlappande områden mellan koncepten Lean och Green. Därmed blir det av stor vikt att effektivt reducera uppkomsten av felaktiga produkter och således minska sin avfallsproduktion för att uppnå en hållbar utveckling gällande miljö och ekonomi. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka vad det kan finnas för brister i en tillverkningsindustris hanterings- och dokumenteringsprocesser av producerat avfall som motverkar att det effektivt kan reduceras. Vidare är syftet att undersöka hur en lösning kan se ut som beaktar brister från två perspektiv, vilket är systemets nuvarande utformning med hänsyn till teori samt hur väl implementerat systemet är i praktiken. Genom en fallstudie på Cloetta Sverige AB i Ljungsbro som både arbetar utefter sitt egna Lean-2020 initiativ och med hållbar miljöutveckling, har en nulägesbeskrivning av hanterings- och dokumenteringsprocesser gjorts på en av fabrikens produktionslinjer. Teorier inom avfallshantering och kvalitetsstyrning har använts för att identifiera brister i deras nuläge men även utgjort en grund till de förbättringsförslag som utformat en lösning. Funna brister och utformad lösning har sedan bidragit till slutsatser som besvarar studiens syfte och tillhörande frågeställningar. I slutsatsen konstateras de tre största bristerna som bidrar till att fallföretaget inte kan effektivt angripa sin avfallsproduktion. Dessa brister är: rapporteringssystemen är utformade på ett sätt som gör det svårt att utvinna eftersträvad information; rapporteringen genomförs felaktigt; icke lämpliga mätmetoder används för viktbestämning av producerat avfall. Förbättringsförslagen beaktar alla funna brister från de två perspektiven och lyfts fram i analys tillsammans med rekommendationer till fallföretaget för hur de kan implementeras.
Natural resources are increasingly being used and at the same time its scarcity increases. In organisations there is an excessive use of natural resources, as some are not used for their primary purpose, which can be seen as a form of waste. Production of solid waste is an area that represents unnecessary use of natural resources and at the same time entails costs for an organisation. It can be placed within internal quality deficiency costs that include defective products that are discovered during manufacturing. Reduction of defective products and solid waste is an overlap between the concepts of Lean and Green. Thus, it is of great importance to effectively reduce the occurrence of defective products and thus minimise the generation of solid waste in order to achieve a sustainable development in terms of environmental and economical concern. This study aims at investigating what deficiencies may exist in a manufacturing industry’s handling and documentation processes of produced waste, which counteracts that it can be effectively reduced. Furthermore, the purpose is to investigate how a solution can be formed taking all deficiencies into account from two perspectives, which is the system’s current design with references to theory and how well the system is implemented in practice. Through a case study at Cloetta Sweden AB in Ljungsbro, which works both on its own Lean-2020 initiative and with sustainable environmental development, a current state description of handling and documentation processes has been conducted on one of the factory’s production lines. Theories in waste and quality management have been used to identify deficiencies in their current processes, but also to form the basis of suggestions for improvement that shape a solution. Discovered deficiencies and designed solution hence contributes to a conclusion that answer the purpose of the study and its research questions. In conclusion, the three greatest deficiencies that contribute to the fact that the company cannot effectively reduce waste production are confirmed. These deficiencies are: reporting systems are designed in a way that makes it difficult to extract desired information; reporting is performed incorrectly; inappropriate measurement methods are used for weight determination of produced waste. The suggestions for improvement take all identified deficiencies into account from the two perspectives and are highlighted in analysis together with a recommendation on how they can be implemented.

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48

Alipour, Yousef. "High temperature corrosion in a biomass-fired power boiler : Reducing furnace wall corrosion in a waste wood-fired power plant with advanced steam data." Licentiate thesis, KTH, Yt- och korrosionsvetenskap, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-121155.

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The use of waste (or recycled) wood as a fuel in heat and power stations is becoming more widespread in Sweden (and Europe), because it is CO2 neutral with a lower cost than forest fuel. However, it is a heterogeneous fuel with a high amount of chlorine, alkali and heavy metals which causes more corrosion than fossil fuels or forest fuel. A part of the boiler which is subjected to a high corrosion risk is the furnace wall (or waterwall) which is formed of tubes welded together. Waterwalls are made of ferritic low-alloyed steels, due to their low price, low stress corrosion cracking risk, high heat transfer properties and low thermal expansion. However, ferritic low alloy steels corrode quickly when burning waste wood in a low NOx environment (i.e. an environment with low oxygen levels to limit the formation of NOx). Apart from pure oxidation two important forms of corrosion mechanisms are thought to occur in waste environments: chlorine corrosion and alkali corrosion. Although there is a great interest from plant owners to reduce the costs associated with furnace wall corrosion very little has been reported on wall corrosion in biomass boilers. Also corrosion mechanisms on furnace walls are usually investigated in laboratories, where interpretation of the results is easier. In power plants the interpretation is more complicated. Difficulties in the study of corrosion mechanisms are caused by several factors such as deposit composition, flue gas flow, boiler design, combustion characteristics and flue gas composition. Therefore, the corrosion varies from plant to plant and the laboratory experiments should be complemented with field tests. The present project may thus contribute to fill the power plant corrosion research gap. In this work, different kinds of samples (wall deposits, test panel tubes and corrosion probes) from Vattenfall’s Heat and Power plant in Nyköping were analysed. Coated and uncoated samples with different alloys and different times of exposure were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and light optical microscopy (LOM). The corrosive environment was also simulated by Thermo-Calc software. The results showed that a nickel alloy coating can dramatically reduce the corrosion rate. The corrosion rate of the low alloy steel tubes, steel 16Mo3, was linear and the oxide scale non-protective, but the corrosion rate of the nickel-based alloy was probably parabolic and the oxide much more protective. The nickel alloy and stainless steels showed good corrosion protection behavior in the boiler. This indicates that stainless steels could be a good (and less expensive) alternative to nickel-based alloys for protecting furnace walls. The nickel alloy coated tubes (and probe samples) were attacked by a potassium-lead combination leading to the formation of non-protective potassium lead chromate. The low alloy steel tubes corroded by chloride attack. Stainless steels were attacked by a combination of chlorides and potassium-lead. The Thermo-Calc modelling showed chlorine gas exists at extremely low levels (less than 0.1 ppm) at the tube surface; instead the hydrated form is thermodynamically favoured, i.e. gaseous hydrogen chloride. Consequently chlorine can attack low alloy steels by gaseous hydrogen chloride rather than chlorine gas as previously proposed. This is a smaller molecule than chlorine which could easily diffuse through a defect oxide of the type formed on the steel.

QC 20130423

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Vohralík, Lukáš. "Nové trendy v ukládání RaO." Master's thesis, Vysoké učení technické v Brně. Fakulta strojního inženýrství, 2010. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-229285.

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The main point of my diploma thesis is accession the questions of disposal of radioactice waste and related proceeding with it. The thesis is engaged in estimation of the current disposal site in the Czech republic and analysis of the particular technological ways of the procces with radioactice waste.The thesis is engaged in real possibilities of maximum minimization radioactive waste in the Czech republic in the context of raising quantity radioactive waste. It is taken up new trends in disposal of radioactice waste and technology of the modification of radioactice waste before storing.

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Lazarevic, David Andrew. "In-situ Removal of Hydrogen Sulphide from Landfill Gas : Arising from the Interaction between Municipal Solid Waste and Sulphide Mine Environments within Bioreactor Conditions." Thesis, KTH, Industriell ekologi, 2007. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-32770.

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Abstract:

This project was compiled in co-operation with the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm and Veolia Environmental Services (Australia) at the Woodlawn Bioreactor in NSW, Australia. Hydrogen sulphide is an unwanted component of landfill gas, raising occupational health and safety concerns, whilst leading to acid gas corrosion of power generation equipment and increased emissions of SOx, a primary constituent of acidification. Australian governmental requirements to place a periodic cover over the unused proportion of the tipping surface of landfills and bioreactors create an interesting opportunity for the removal of the hydrogen sulphide component of landfill gas. Using waste materials containing a high concentration of metals as waste cover can enhance the precipitation of sulphur in the form of metal sulphides. The reduction of sulphate via sulphate reducing bacteria is prevalent in sites that have a sizeable inflow of sulphate. The Woodlawn Bioreactor is located in an area where the influence of sulphate has a critical influence of bioreactor performance and production of hydrogen sulphide. Through a series of experimental bioreactors it was established that from the use of metalliferous periodic waste covers, the hydrogen sulphide component of landfill gas was maintained at an extremely low level when compared to the levels of hydrogen sulphide produced in waste under the influence of high sulphate loads with no waste cover.
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