The construction and demolition (C and D) recycling industry creates economic opportunity through business activity; promotes equity through workforce training and partnerships; and helps to conserve natural resources through the reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling of C and D debris. While C and D recycling satisfies traditional local economic development goals, it also addresses broader goals of progressive, and sustainable local economic development. The general planning literature shows an increasing interest in sustainability; however, there have been fewer studies on sustainable local economic development initiatives. This research examines the current state of local economic development agency support for the C and D recycling industry as an economic development strategy. In doing so, the dissertation assembles the array of activities local economic development agencies used to support the industry; identifies distinguishing policy or contextual characteristics of agencies that actively supported the industry from those that did not; and assesses whether the agencies support for C and D recycling fit within the rational planning model. Using data from a national survey of local economic development agencies, the study categorizes the local economic development tools used to support the industry. Results show that a combination of traditional, progressive, and sustainable local economic development tools are adapted and newly created to satisfy the specific needs of this specialized industry. Multiple discriminant analyses identify key characteristics of the agencies that support C and D recycling. These characteristics include previous support for the general recycling industry, the presence and support of environmental enterprise zones and eco-industrial parks, and knowledge of local landfill capacity issues. Overall, the agencies that actively supported C and D recycling engage in activities associated with sustainable local economic development. The descriptive and statistical analyses are combined with the surveys qualitative responses to determine that local economic development agencies do not operate under a strict interpretation of the comprehensive rational planning model in their support of C and D recycling. Instead, local economic development agencies use modified rational and reactive planning strategies in their support of the industry. The study concludes with policy recommendations to increase local economic development agency support for C and D recycling.

Ziel der Arbeit war das mögliche Einsatzspektrum von Sekundärmaterialien im Prozess der Herstellung von Bauteilen aus Aluminiummehrstoffbronzen (CuAl15Fe5Ni2Mn2) zu erweitern, um das Werkstoffrecycling in der Gießerei auf höchstmöglichem Niveau einzusetzen. Verschiedene Raffinationsmöglichkeiten wurden analysiert und 4 davon getestet. Die Schleifstaubaufbereitung mittels Magnetbandringscheider und Permanent- Magnettrommelscheider wurde erprobt und im industriellen Maßstab getestet. Weiterhin wurde die Gasraffinationswirkung auf die Schmelze mit Stickstoff und Argon sowie mit der Zugabe von Chlor und Ammoniak getestet. Die Salzraffination der Schmelze wurde untersucht und die optimalen Raffinationszusammensetzungen wurden definiert. Die fraktionierte Kristallisation als Raffinationsmethode für die Aluminiummehrstoffbronze wurde ebenfalls untersucht. Im Anschluss wurden die Einsatzmöglichkeiten der Raffinationstechnologien in der Giessereiindustrie kritisch bewertet.

Die 17 Elemente der Seltenen Erden sind Bestandteil vieler Hochtechnologieprodukte, wie Elektromotoren, Spezialgläsern oder Katalysatoren, dennoch liegt die Recyclingrate aus End-of-Life-Produkten derzeit unter 1 %. Mit der Feststoffchlorierung wurde im Rahmen dieser Arbeit eine chemikalien- und kostensparende Methode für den Aufschluss Seltener Erden aus Leuchtstoff- und Magnetabfällen untersucht. Dabei wurden die gemahlenen Edukte mit NH4Cl vermischt und anschließend im Drehrohrofen erhitzt. Durch thermische Zersetzung des NH4Cl wird HCl- und NH3-Gas freigesetzt. Ersteres überführt die Seltenen Erden in die wasserlöslichen Metallchloride, während der NH3 im Prozess als Lösung in 5N-Reinheit anfiel. Die Seltenerdausbeuten lagen je nach Ausgangsstoff zwischen 83,9 und 99,9 %. Die Optimierung der Feststoffchlorierung erfolgte anhand statistischer Versuchspläne, wodurch neue, überraschende Erkenntnisse im Hinblick auf Reaktionsverläufe, Selektivitäten und Prozessführung gewonnen werden konnten.

Die Arbeit widmet sich der Problemstellung der Substitution des Primärrohstoffes Kautschuk durch Rezyklate in Form von Gummimehl. Die für das innerbetriebliche Recycling von Kleinchargen technischer Elastomere hier eigens konzipierte und umgesetzte Warmmahltechnologie dient zur Herstellung von Gummimehlrezyklat hoher Qualität aus Lkw-Altreifen. Hinsichtlich ausgewählter Verarbeitungs- und Materialkennwerte von Mischung und Vulkanisat werden die Auswirkungen der Zugabe von Rezyklaten und die wesentlichen Einflussgrößen des den Rezyklaten zugrunde liegenden Aufbereitungsprozesses – das Kryogenmahlverfahren bzw. die neu entwickelte Warmmahltechnologie – herausgearbeitet. Abschließend erfolgt die Formulierung materialspezifischer Versagensmechanismen, die das entsprechende Aufbereitungsverfahren der Rezyklate berücksichtigen. / The work is devoted to the problem of the substitution of the primary raw material rubber by recycled materials in the form of rubber powders. For the in-plant recycling of small batches of technical elastomers an ambient grind technology was specifically designed and implemented for making rubber powders of high quality out of used truck tires. In terms of selected processing and material characteristics of the mixture and the vulcanizate the influences of the addition of recycled material and the significant factors affecting the regeneration process underlying these recyclates – the cryogenic grinding versus the new developed ambient grinding technology – were worked out. Finally, the material-specific failure mechanisms were formulated, incorporating the regeneration process of such regenerated materials.

During the spring 2004 a pilot school recycling program was implemented within Robert E. Lee Elementary. The primary goal of the program was to determine how recycling education in the school would affect curbside recycling rates within the surrounding community. The program was a cooperative effort between the University of North Texas, City of Denton Solid Waste Department and Keep Denton Beautiful. Throughout the first months of the study during the spring 2004, an increase in curbside recycling within the Robert E. Lee Elementary attendance zone was observed, with a dramatic decrease in participation over the summer and a rapid increase once again during the second full semester of the study. In a survey conducted with 3rd and 5th grade students at the pilot project school, most students expressed positive attitudes about recycling. Students whose survey responses indicated a high level of knowledge about what could be recycled were 37% more likely to claim to recycle regularly, than those students that scored low on the knowledge portion of the survey. Although the total amount of waste generation (recyclable and non-recyclable) at Robert E. Lee Elementary did not decrease during the study, the campus was able to divert recyclable material from their trash at a much higher rate than two other local elementary campuses with paper-only recycling and no associated recycling education program. Based upon the success of the recycling program at Robert E. Lee Elementary, the City of Denton Recycling Division has agreed to move forward with offering recycling to more schools within the Denton Independent School District during the 2005-2006 school year.

Die Frage der Weiterverarbeitung von industriell anfallenden wertmetallhaltigen Reststoffen gewinnt einen immer höheren Stellenwert. Die Untersuchungen dieser Arbeit befassen sich mit einem titanhaltigen Rückstand der Pigmentindustrie. Zur Aufbereitung wurde ein hydrometallurgischer Prozess zur Entfernung von Störelementen und zur gleichzeitigen Anreicherung von Titan entwickelt. Eine gezielte Abtrennung von Titan bezüglich der Elemente Eisen und Vanadium kann mittels Solventextraktion durch das Extraktionsmittel DEHPA (Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphorsäure) erfolgen. Durch Extraktionsversuche zeigt sich, dass Titan bevorzugt extrahiert werden kann und es wird der ideale Arbeitspunkt für die Extraktion von Titan erarbeitet. Dabei zeigt sich, dass acht DEHPA-Moleküle für eine vollständige Extraktion von Titan nötig sind. Weiterhin wurden spektroskopische Messungen mittels GALDI-MS und NMR-Spektroskopie bezüglich des Vorliegens von Titan mit DEHPA durchgeführt. In der organischen Phase kommt es hauptsächlich zum Vorliegen von [Ti]4+ und [Ti2O2]4+. Weiterhin kommt es zu einer gleichartigen Anordnung von acht DEHPA-Molekülen. Die Arbeit liefert nicht nur einen Mehrwert für das Verständnis der Komplexierung von Titan durch DEHPA, sondern stellt aufgrund der gewählten Parameter einen direkten Bezug zum entwickelten Aufbereitungsprozess dar.

My work focuses on taking waste wire-grade PVC = poly(vinyl chloride) and waste XLPE = cross-linked polyethylene and recycle them into small wire/cable spool technology in order to reduce waste cost and reduce cost of spool production. The PVC and XLPE were provided by Encore Wire Corp. of McKinney, TX; they have also defined the standard to which I am comparing my results. The end goal is to incorporate as much PVC and XLPE into the spools while maintaining material toughness, impact resistance, as well as cost-effectiveness in the implementation of the waste materials. The work has been divided into two primary sections, the first is focused on improving material strength through the addition of ceramic fillers. The second section is focused on adding PVC and XLPE into a stronger and highly cohesive polymer matrix and optimizing the concentration of the waste products. Since XLPE is non-polar while PVC is strongly polar, compatibilizers such as CPE (chlorinated polyethylene) and MA-DCP (maleic anhydride with dicumyl peroxide) were used to improve interactions between polar and non-polar constituents. Testing involved the tensile mechanical properties, tribology and thermal properties, namely dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and evaluation of thermal degradation by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Combining PVC and XLPE together is not economically feasible with current compatiblizers. At the same time, introduction of PVC waste or XLPE waste with sufficient properties of the resulting composites is doable.

This thesis investigates the application of In-Situ Recycling and provides guidelines for localities to aid in the selection of recycling methods, as well as documents a local government's experience with Cold In-Place Recycling. The recycling methods discussed in this study include Cold In-Place Recycling (CIR), Hot In-Place Recycling (HIR), and Full Depth Reclamation (FDR). These methods are performed onsite and in-place in a continuous process of milling, mixing, and placement. The In-Situ Recycling guidelines include suggestions based on: traffic characteristics, existing road condition, distress types, road access, local climate, road geometry, and other road characteristics. The guidelines are based on information from sources including NCHRP Synthesis 421, American Recycling and Reclamation Association (ARRA), FHWA, and state agencies with recycling experience. This study also resulted in documenting obstacles that localities may face when in-situ recycling, as well as the impact of limited experience with recycling. The study also evaluated the construction of Cold In-Place Recycled pavement sections in Christiansburg, VA, using Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). Additionally, using the FWD and GPR data, alternate recycled designs were proposed in addition to a cost comparison to a conventional design. / Master of Science

Building on the development of a research agenda, the research used best practices in the UK and other developed countries to design the aims and objectives from which the methods were developed. Based on the research agenda, trends in household behaviour in Cameroon were examined in order to identify, and generate baseline information to provide a sound evidence base essential for robust policy development in education, capacity building in composting involving the third sector organizations in Cameroon. To determine attitudes, Q methodology was used. Factor analysis produced nine and eight factors representing distinct behavioural patterns of public concerns, opinions and beliefs in household waste management in Douala and Limbe. Interpreting these factors revealed 12 attitudes to household waste management practices and this will be used to design strategies. A waste composition analysis found the organic fraction >60% with the lowest per capita waste generation (0.86 kg) in the high income residential area (HIRA) and the highest (1.38 kg) in the low income residential area (LIRA) of Douala in the wet season. In the dry season, the medium income residential area (MIRA) had the highest (1.11 kg) with the lowest (0.71 kg) in the HIRA. For both seasons in Limbe, HIRA had the highest while the LIRA had the lowest. Pearson correlation and regression was used to show the relationship between waste generation and household size. The research determined barriers and success factors for composting as part of a strategy. Barriers included household hazardous waste (HHW) and odour at composting sites because more than 50% of the composted waste was food waste with high humidity especially in the wet season. This affected public acceptance to composting. A success factor is that the market for compost is increasing and is expected to increase to 30% by 2013. Added to this, more than 50% of the participating households showed positive intentions and willingness to composting. Hence, composting is expected to be a major economic activity for Cameroonians and become a national practice

Rural communities that depend on tourism for their economic well being, such as Barra de Valizas, Uruguay, rely on their social and ecological integrity to attract tourists to their communities. Peak tourist seasons and associated augmented consumption patterns can saturate the solid waste systems of these tourist destinations. Peak periods of waste production in these communities can lead to the degradation of ecological and social integrity, and can pose the threat of reduced tourist visitation rates and consequent downturns in the local economy. The degradation and worries for the local economy can generate awareness about the implications of increased waste production and can thus be a driver to develop waste reduction and diversion strategies. As part of developing this thesis, I implemented a case study of the waste management system in Barra de Valizas, Uruguay. The condition of interest in this study is communities that are economically dependent on tourism, have a small permanent resident population, experience peak periods of tourist visitation, and have difficulty managing their fluctuating waste system. This case study, founded in Participatory Action Research, identified waste system components and processes and determined some feasible improvements by way of iterative processes of research and action. Seven semi-structured interviews, 54 household structured interviews, four focus groups and community mapping were applied with diverse stakeholders to collaboratively develop and implement waste system improvement strategies. The implementation of these strategies elucidated upon waste system components, processes, linkages and general state. This research demonstrated that permanent residents of Barra de Valizas consume more packaged goods during the tourist season and as such produce, on average, four times more waste during the peak tourist season as compared to the off season. Peak periods of waste production, associated with the peak tourist visitation period, were found to saturate the local waste management system and weaken local social and ecological integrity. Research participants highlighted awareness building, improved waste containment, and waste diversion as key strategies for reducing this saturation. / Graduate / 0366 / rhianna@uvic.ca