This study aims to demonstrate the critical role of waste management in urban sustainability, promote planners' contribution to proactive and efficient waste management, and facilitate the integration of waste management into mainstream sustainability planning. With anticipated increases in population and associated waste generation, timely and effective waste management highlights one of the most critical challenges of sustainable development, which calls for meeting "the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (WCED, 1987). Waste management in urban areas plays a particularly important role, given that waste generated from urban areas are often exported out of the region for processing and treatment, and the impacts of waste disposal activities may pass on to the other jurisdictions, and even to the next generations. An urban system cannot be sustainable if it requires more resources than it can produce on its own and generates more wastes than the environment can assimilate. The current waste management practice, which focuses on short-term impacts and end-of-pipe solutions, is reactive in nature and inadequate to promote sustainability within urban systems, across jurisdictions, and across generations. Through material flows in and out of urban systems, many potential opportunities exist to reduce waste generation and to minimize the negative impacts on the environment, the economy, and the society. City planners' involvement in waste management, however, has been largely limited to siting waste management facilities. Linking waste management with three important lenses in planning-land use, economic development, and environmental planning, this study investigates the impacts of urban growth on waste management activities, the need of transforming the reactive nature of current waste management, and the challenges and opportunities that planners should address to promote urban systems' self-reliance of material and waste management needs. This study includes three empirical analyses to complement theoretical discussions. First, it connects waste statistics with demographic data, geographic characteristics, and policy instruments at the county level to examine whether waste volume can be decoupled from urban population growth. Second, it examines the life cycle costs of different waste management options and develops a simulation study to seek cost-effective strategies for long-term waste management. Third, it compiles evidence of geographic-specific characteristics related to waste management and demonstrates why waste management policies cannot be one-size-fit-all. This study finds that, with successful implementation of strategic policy design, waste generation and its associated impacts can be decoupled from population and urban growth. Good lessons about waste reduction programs can be learned from different communities. Meanwhile, this study also reveals various challenges facing communities with heterogeneous characteristics, such as housing density, building age, and income. Accordingly, this study discusses the potential opportunities for planners to contribute to community-specific waste management programs, the prospect of transforming waste management practice from a cost burden to a long-term economic development strategy, and the need to incorporate waste management into the sustainable urban planning agenda.

The study aimed to identify leading practices to promote environmentally friendly and efficient efforts in surgical healthcare. Despite widespread enthusiasm for going green in the U.S. economy, little information is available to inform the medical community on the effort. We explore safe and efficient strategies for hospitals and healthcare providers to protect the environment while delivering high-quality care. As part of the study design, we performed a systematic review of the literature using relevant Pubmed search terms and surveyed a panel of hospital managers and CEOs of healthcare organizations pursuing green initiatives. Recommendations were itemized and reviewed with each panelist for a consensus agreement. At the end, we identified forty-three published articles and obtained interview data from the 7-member expert panel. Five green recommendations for surgical practices were identified: (1) OR Waste Reduction and Segregation; (2) Environmentally Preferable Purchasing; (3) Energy Consumption Management; (4) Pharmaceutical Waste Management; (5) Reprocessing of Single Use Medical Devices. We concluded that the medical community has a large opportunity to implement green practices in surgical units. These practices can have significant benefits to both the healthcare community and the environment.

Diss. Stockholm : Stockholms universitet, 2007.

Στην εργασία αυτή αντιμετωπίζεται το πρόβλημα της χωροθέτησης εγκαταστάσεων και της κατανομής της ζήτησης σε περιφερειακό επίπεδο μέσω της παρουσίασης σχετικών μαθηματικών υποδειγμάτων μικτού ακέραιου προγραμματισμού, τα οποία στη συνέχεια εφαρμόζονται σε περιπτωσιολογική μελέτη. Η εργασία αφορά την χωροθέτηση δημοσίων εγκαταστάσεων. Ειδικότερα, αναφέρεται στην κατηγορία των προβλημάτων χωροθέτησης που χρησιμοποιούν την τυπική συνάρτηση αποδοτικότητας minsum. Σε αυτές τις περιπτώσεις οι εγκαταστάσεις τοποθετούνται έτσι ώστε να ελαχιστοποιούν το άθροισμα του συνολικού κόστους μεταφοράς. Η εργασία επικεντρώνεται στην χωροθέτηση οχληρών εγκαταστάσεων και συγκεκριμένα στη χωροθέτηση εγκαταστάσεων διαχείρισης αστικών απορριμμάτων. Αυτές οι εγκαταστάσεις ασκούν επιδράσεις όχι μόνο στον χώρο που καταλαμβάνουν, αλλά και σε μεγάλες εκτάσεις γύρω τους. Το πρόβλημα χωροθέτησης σε αυτές τις περιπτώσεις γίνεται ακόμα πιο πολύπλοκο λόγω της αναγκαίας συνεκτίμησης πολλαπλών κριτηρίων. Για τον σκοπό αυτό αναπτύσσεται ένα εξειδικευμένο πλαίσιο παραγωγής μαθηματικών υποδειγμάτων. Ειδικότερα,. στην παρούσα διδακτορική εργασία, δημιουργήθηκαν μαθηματικά υποδείγματα βελτιστοποίησης μικτού ακέραιου προγραμματισμού, τα οποία στη συνέχεια αναλύονται με μεθόδους πολυκριτηριακής ανάλυσης. Τα υποδείγματα αυτά εφαρμόζονται σε περιπτωσιολογική μελέτη με θέμα το χωροθετικό σχεδιασμό ενός περιφερειακού συστήματος διαχείρισης των αστικών απορριμμάτων για τον νομό Αχαΐας. / This study considers a facility location problem with demand allocation in regional level through mixed integer programming models that have been developed for these propose. Afterwards, these models applied in a case study. The present research concerns mostly the public facility location problems. In particular, the PhD dissertation deals with models using the typical mathematical function of efficiency minsum. Therese models locate the facilities in order to minimize the sum of costs for opening facilities and variable transportation costs. The problem becomes more complicated if, in addition it is necessary to locate undesirable facilities. The selection of proper sites for the facilities with obnoxious characteristics is a sensitive issue that has often cause social and political tension. The multiobjective nature of the problem implies that a number of environmental social and political criteria have to be considered. The study presents a model generating framework for formulating location allocation models that applied in municipal solid waste management systems. These models analyzed via multicriteria methodology in order to select the locations of different types of facilities at the regional level. Finally, we apply these concepts in a case study for the development of a solid waste management system for a specific region in Greece.

Pagrindinis šio darbo tikslas – charakterizuoti lyderystės įtampas paribio versle. Paribio verslu vadiname verslą, kuris visuomenei reikalingas, bet pats savaime yra ekonomiškai nepagrįstas. Jam būtinas subsidijavimas ar spec. sąlygų sudarymas. Didelė reikšmė teikiama kultūros ir civilizacijos funkcionavimo ypatumams, kurie sąlygoja specifinės paribio verslo aplinkos susidarymą. Šiame darbe atliekų tvarkymo veikla nagrinėjama kaip paribio veikla, parodoma, kad ji gali būti ir ekologinio sąmoningumo indikatoriumi. Siekiama parodyti tapimo ekologiniu lyderiu problemas atliekų (šiukšlių) tvarkymo versle. Darbo uždaviniai: išnagrinėti kaip apibrėžiamas sąmoningas požiūris į šiukšles, atskleisti žmonių segregaciją socialinės, kultūrinės ekologijos požiūriu, paaiškinti šiukšles kaip semantinį kultūros vienetą bei kaip jos įtakoja lyderiavimo specifiką, paaiškinti paribio verslo psichologines, kultūrines ir socialines įtampas ir ištirti paribio lyderius, jų santykį su administraciniu vadovavimu. Literatūros analizėje pirmiausia apžvelgiama kas tai yra ekologinė sąmonė, kaip ji formuojama, kas tai sąlygoja. Norint suprasti kokioje specifinėje aplinkoje vykdomas atliekų tvarkymas toliau nagrinėjama segregacija. Vėliau nagrinėjamos šiukšlės kaip semantinis kultūros vienetas, kas sąlygoja skirtingus požiūrius į vartotojiškumą ir į šiukšles. Kadangi ekologinė lyderystė tarpsta specifinėje verslo paribio aplinkoje trumpai pristatomos atliekų tvarkymo ir apmokėjimo galimybės bei... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The main aim of the thesis is to characterize leadership strains in peripheral business. Peripheral business is a business that is necessary for the population but not economically viable in itself. It is in a need for either subsidies or support through the creation of favourable conditions. The features of culture and civilization which inform the specific environment peripheral business functions in are of key significance. In this paper, waste management is demonstrated to be peripheral business and it is shown that waste management can be an indicator of environmental awareness. The aim is to show the problems on the way to leadership in the waste management sector. The study objectives are to provide a definition of environmental awareness, demonstrate people’s segregation in terms of social and cultural environment, explain waste as a semantic cultural unit, demonstrate how waste affects the leadership characteristics, characterize the psychological, cultural, and social strains of leadership in peripheral business, and analyze peripheral business leaders and their approach to administrative management. First, literature research into the subject is analyzed. The definition of environmental awareness, the ways it is shaped, and the effects it produces are covered. In order to clarify the specific context of waste management, segregation is studied. Later, the semantics of waste are analyzed, and the author looks into the reasons for different approaches to... [to full text]

In order to see if, and how, future aid efforts can be improved and better contribute to a more sustainable and resilient society this essay is about how management of solid waste generated in emergency situations work and what effects the waste have on public health. This is investigated using information collected from secondary sources and interviews with three persons who have knowledge and experience in the subject. Health and sustainability are of importance in the guidelines that deal with management of waste in disaster situations. However, there are no documentations of real experiences of disaster waste impacts on human health. Even so the waste might contaminate drinking water and increase the amount of disease-carrying vectors in the area. Previous conditions in the country, low priority of waste and information to the public are some of the main features preventing optimal function of a sustainable and healthy waste management. / För att se om och hur framtida biståndsinsatser kan förbättras och i större utsträckning bidra till ett mer hållbart och motståndskraftigt samhälle handlar denna uppsats om hur hanteringen av katastrofavfall fungerar och vilka effekter detta avfall har på människors hälsa. Detta undersöks med hjälp av information som samlats in från sekundärkällor samt intervjuer med tre personer som har kunskap och erfarenhet i ämnet. Hälsa och hållbarhet är av betydelse i de riktlinjer som behandlar hantering av avfall i katastrofsituationer. Trots att inga verkliga erfarenheter av katastrofavfalls effekter på människors hälsa finns dokumenterade kan avfallet förorena dricksvatten och öka mängden smittspridande vektorer i området. Tidigare förhållanden i området, låg prioritet av avfall och dålig information till allmänheten är några av de viktigaste funktionerna som förhindrar optimal funktion av en hållbar och sund avfallshantering.

Characterization of phosphorus (P) in organic amendments is essential for environmentally sustainable fertilization of agricultural soils. The sequential chemical extraction (SCE) technique commonly used for P characterization does not provide any direct molecular information about P species. Studies were conducted to characterize P species in organic amendments and amended soils at a molecular level. The SCE was used to fractionate P in organic amendments including biosolids, hog, dairy and beef cattle manures, and poultry litter. The extracts were analyzed for total P and P species using inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, respectively. The relative proportions of P species in intact organic amendments and residues after each extraction, and calcareous soils amended with organic amendments and monoammonium phosphate (MAP) were estimated using the synchrotron-based P 1s X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. The solution 31P NMR provided a detailed characterization of organic P in the non-labile NaOH and HCl fractions of organic amendments, but was limited in characterizing the labile fractions of most of these organic amendments due to their proneness to alkaline hydrolysis. The XANES analysis, however, identified the actual chemical species constituting the labile P that was only characterized as inorganic P or orthophosphates by sequential extraction and solution 31P NMR. In the amended Vertisolic and Chernozemic soils, XANES analysis estimated ‘soluble and adsorbed P’ as the dominant P species. For the Vertisolic soil, both the unamended and soil amended with biosolids and MAP contained hydroxyapatite (HAP). In addition, soil amended with biosolids, hog and dairy manures contained β-tricalcium phosphate (TRICAL), a more soluble CaP than HAP. TRICAL was found in all amended soils except in that amended with hog manure, while HAP was present in appreciable amount only in the control. Overall, the combination of techniques used in these studies improved the understanding of P species in organic amendments and amended soils that would not have been possible with any individual technique. Technological advances in P analysis should therefore be combined with conventional chemical extraction techniques to determine the fate of P in the environment.

The author poses a question whether the current legal regulation of waste is proper. The question is answered by analyzing five issues: variety of the concepts of waste (waste can be perceived in distinct manners and the current concept aggravates the solution of two principal waste problems – danger to the environment and danger to human health); non-systematic use of terms (improper terms are used in Lithuanian legal acts); the jurisprudence of Lithuanian courts in explaining the concept of waste (the courts do not perceive waste properly); the twofold term of the municipal/household waste in Lithuanian legal acts (municipal/household waste is regulated by using the same term, thus it is not clear for which waste persons are taxed); the application of the municipal levy for waste management (the current model does not encourage to preserve the environment). The author concludes that the variety of the concepts of waste, the disagreements among the scholars on the question, the difficulties encoutered by the courts and non-ameliorating status of the environment show that it should be reasonable to discard the current legal regulation of waste. The two principal problems posed by waste and unsuccessfully solved by the current legal regulation are determined principally by the objects which are not in any possesion. Then waste should be perceived as an object which is not in a possesion and the legal regulation should be orientated in making all the objects to have a possesor. / Disertacijoje keliamas klausimas, ar esamas atliekų tvarkymo teisinis reguliavimas yra tinkamas. Į šį klausimą atsakoma analizuojant penkis atliekų tvarkymo teisinio reguliavimo probleminius aspektus: (1) atliekų sampratų įvairovę (atliekas galima suvokti labai įvairiai, o dabartinė atliekų samprata apsunkina dviejų pagrindinių atliekų keliamų problemų – pavojingumo aplinkai ir žmogui - sprendimą); (2) nesusistemintą terminiją (teisės aktuose vartojami netinkami terminai); (3) Lietuvos teismų praktiką aiškinant atliekų sąvoką (teismai atliekas suvokia netinkamai); (4) dvilypę komunalinių atliekų sąvoką (komunalinės atliekos teisės aktuose suvokiamos dvejopai, todėl neaišku, už kokių konkrečiai atliekų tvarkymą asmenys yra apmokestinami); (5) vietinės rinkliavos už komunalinių atliekų surinkimą ir atliekų tvarkymą taikymą (rinkliava neskatina asmenų tausoti aplinkos). Daroma išvada, kad atliekų sampratų įvairovė, teisės mokslininkų nesutarimai, ką laikyti atliekomis, teismų patiriami sunkumai nagrinėjant atliekų bylas ir negerėjanti aplinkos padėtis rodo, kad būtų tikslinga atsisakyti esamo atliekų teisinio reguliavimo. Dvi pagrindines atliekų problemas, kurias siekiama išspręsti esamu atliekų teisiniu reguliavimu, iš esmės kelia tik nevaldomi objektai. Tuomet atliekomis reikėtų laikyti tik tuos objektus, kurie nėra valdomi, o teisiniu reguliavimu siekti, kad visi objektai būtų valdomi.

Characterization of phosphorus (P) in organic amendments is essential for environmentally sustainable fertilization of agricultural soils. The sequential chemical extraction (SCE) technique commonly used for P characterization does not provide any direct molecular information about P species. Studies were conducted to characterize P species in organic amendments and amended soils at a molecular level. The SCE was used to fractionate P in organic amendments including biosolids, hog, dairy and beef cattle manures, and poultry litter. The extracts were analyzed for total P and P species using inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, respectively. The relative proportions of P species in intact organic amendments and residues after each extraction, and calcareous soils amended with organic amendments and monoammonium phosphate (MAP) were estimated using the synchrotron-based P 1s X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. The solution 31P NMR provided a detailed characterization of organic P in the non-labile NaOH and HCl fractions of organic amendments, but was limited in characterizing the labile fractions of most of these organic amendments due to their proneness to alkaline hydrolysis. The XANES analysis, however, identified the actual chemical species constituting the labile P that was only characterized as inorganic P or orthophosphates by sequential extraction and solution 31P NMR. In the amended Vertisolic and Chernozemic soils, XANES analysis estimated ‘soluble and adsorbed P’ as the dominant P species. For the Vertisolic soil, both the unamended and soil amended with biosolids and MAP contained hydroxyapatite (HAP). In addition, soil amended with biosolids, hog and dairy manures contained β-tricalcium phosphate (TRICAL), a more soluble CaP than HAP. TRICAL was found in all amended soils except in that amended with hog manure, while HAP was present in appreciable amount only in the control. Overall, the combination of techniques used in these studies improved the understanding of P species in organic amendments and amended soils that would not have been possible with any individual technique. Technological advances in P analysis should therefore be combined with conventional chemical extraction techniques to determine the fate of P in the environment.

The Institute of Resource Ecology (IRE) is one of the eight institutes of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden – Rossendorf (HZDR). The research activities are mainly integrated into the program “Nuclear Waste Management, Safety and Radiation Research (NUSAFE)” of the Helmholtz Association (HGF) and focused on the topics “Safety of Nuclear Waste Disposal” and “Safety Research for Nuclear Reactors”. Additionally, various activities have been started investigating chemical and environmental aspects of processing and recycling of strategic metals, namely rare earth elements. These activities are located in the HGF program “Energy Efficiency, Materials and Resources (EMR)”. Both programs, and therefore all work which is done at IRE, belong to the research sector “Energy” of the HGF. The research objectives are the protection of humans and the environment from hazards caused by pollutants resulting from technical processes that produce energy and raw materials. Treating technology and ecology as a unity is the major scientific challenge in assuring the safety of technical processes and gaining their public acceptance. We investigate the ecological risks exerted by radioactive and nonradioactive metals in the context of nuclear waste disposal, the production of energy in nuclear power plants, and in processes along the value chain of metalliferous raw materials. A common goal is to generate better understanding about the dominating processes essential for metal mobilization and immobilization on the molecular level by using advanced spectroscopic methods. This in turn enables us to assess the macroscopic phenomena, including models, codes, and data for predictive calculations, which determine the transport and distribution of contaminants in the environment.