This document is submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree: Master of Architecture [Professional] at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, in the year 2014. Supervised by Professor Diaan van der Westhuizen / High levels of unemployment are a reality in many of the urban areas of South Africa. Poverty and hardship compel many of the unemployed to venture into the urban informal economy in order to survive. The South African government have found new ways of creating employment opportunities, one of which is within the recycling industry. There is an increased demand for minimizing mankind’s environmental footprint. Glass is a material that has been used for centuries and has the ability to be recycled infinitely without losing its quality (Marson, n.d). This together with the need for glass amongst consumers and the endlessly recycling nature of glass makes glass recycling a significant sustainable measure in considering environmental impacts (2011, 2012 Annual Review: Glass Recycling Company). Despite these properties, glass continues to be an undervalued material that can utilize low technology in its recycling process. This study aimed at investigating the formal and informal recycling economy within the city of Johannesburg by providing the opportunity for the Waste Reclaimers (Trolley Pushers) to be an integral part of the recycling process, specifically with glass. A further aim was to explore the tectonics of a factory to create a space where the Waste Reclaimers could gather, connect and engage with the product of glass. Lastly it aimed to provide a space where the general public could also engage in the product of glass recycling thereby creating awareness and promotion of recycling. The project proposed a glass recycling factory where the process of glass recycling culminates with the production of glass. The site selected for this research is located within the industrial part of the Newtown precinct. This has become a central recycling hub for the Waste Reclaimers of Johannesburg as it links private recycling centres within the city. Newtown is an area of flux, marked by a history of industrial and political disruption. This area represents change and opportunity for growth and life. A space recycled and regenerated throughout the history of Johannesburg. The reason for the choice of topic is that the evolution of recycling in Johannesburg has reached a point where municipalities need to acknowledge the informal sector as a valuable part of the recycling economy. The majority of the literature on recycling and the organization of the recycling process predominantly focuses on the collection of waste as means of job creation. An opportunity therefore presented itself to highlight the production, and craftsmanship of recyclable material. To clarify and further place the Waste Reclaimers within the existing waste management system, the theory of Phenomenology has been explored. It will focus on the phenomenological term of “Lifeworld” which describes a way of life where the individual’s aspiration, perceptions, experiences, beliefs and behaviour forms a holistic unity towards a fulfilling, meaningful, existence (Seamon, 2012). This exploration will give insight to how this building will provide the Waste Reclaimer a sense of identification and orientation within this system of the recycling industry. In order to better understand the complexity of the existing waste management system, the theory of Systems has been explored focusing on the principal of an open system as a way of broadening the lifeworld of the Waste Reclaimers Precedent studies of PFG Building Glass windscreen recovery facility; Zama City Waste; the comparison of factory tectonics between the Crystal Palace, Toledo Museum of Art Glass and the Crucible Glassblowing studio; the Glass Chapel and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art were used to inform the design. The network of the Waste Reclaimers was also documented in order to understand their routes and network across the city and the surrounding suburbs. The impact of the design found that the proposed space created opportunities for pause and transformation using light, space and process. The idea of transformation is process. Process is represented by a linear path with adjacent spaces of function and support. These spaces will transform according to their activities and associated light qualities. These spaces will thus become the medium through which people and activities change.

För att uppnå en hållbar utveckling krävs en omställning från den linjära ekonomin med sin avfallsgenerering till en mer cirkulär sådan där resurser inte utarmas utan används i en takt där de hinner förnyas och återskapas. En konsekvens av den ohållbara resursförbrukningen är att avfallsmängderna i världen ökar vilket bidrar till den ohållbara utvecklingen och bör således undvikas. För att lösa detta problem kan man arbeta avfallsförebyggande, det vill säga minska avfallsmängderna och dess negativamiljöeffekter innan avfallet uppkommer. Enligt avfallshierarkin som anger en prioriteringsordning utifrån vad som är bäst sett ur ett miljöperspektiv ska avfall i första hand förebyggas, därefter återanvändas, återvinnas, energiutvinnas och om inget av ovanstående alternativ är möjliga, deponeras. Rapporten har som syfte att sammanställa incitament, hinder, avfallsförebyggande metoder och utvärderande mätmetoder kopplade till avfallsförebyggande åtgärder och är en förstudie till ett större projekt som genomförs av IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet. För att uppnå syftet har en litteraturstudie gjorts för insamling av material. Utöver litteraturstudien har intervjuer som IVL genomfört med aktörer som redan påbörjat ett avfallsförebyggande arbete använts som material. De intervjuade aktörerna är Ikea, JM, Avfall Sverige, Kretslopp och vatten samt Uppsala kommun. Resultatet sammanställer fyra olika typer av incitament: institutionella, ekonomiska, uppsatta mål och övriga incitament. Identifierade hinder grupperas också in i fyra olika typer: mål- och intressekonflikter, ekonomiska hinder, organisatoriska hinder och informativa hinder. Mätmetoder som lyfts för att utvärdera avfallsförebyggande åtgärder är direkt kvantifiering, kostnadsanalys, användande av indikatorer samt resursproduktivitetsförhållanden. Avfallsförebyggande metoder inkluderar i denna rapport product-service system (PSS), återanvändning, ekodesign och beteendeförändringar. Olika aktörer som arbetar avfallsförebyggande lyfts i ett exempelkapitel. I analysen kopplas metoderna samman med de utvalda aktörernas avfallsförebyggande arbete. Direkt kvantifiering visade sig vara en vanligt förekommande mätmetod och en vanligt förekommande avfallsförebyggande metod är beteendeförändringar. Ekonomiska incitament lyfts som särskilt viktiga och behovet av uppskalning och spridning av det avfallsförebyggande arbetet bedöms vara ett viktigt hinder att överbrygga. / To reach a sustainable development there is a need to convert from the linear economy with its waste generation to a more circular economy where natural resources are not depleted but are consumed in a sustainable rate so that the resources are given time to be renewed. One of the consequences of the unsustainable consumption of natural resources is that the amounts of waste is increasing in the world which contributes to the unsustainable development and should therefore be avoided. A solution to this problem is to work with waste prevention, which means to reduce the amounts of waste and its negative environmental effects before the waste is generated. According to the waste hierarchy, which is an order of priority decided by what is best in an environmental point of view, waste should primary be prevented, thereafter it should be reused, recycled, used for energy recovery and, if none of the other options are possible, be disposed. The objective of this report is to compile incentives, obstacles, methods and measuring methods for waste prevention. The report is a pilot study/pre-study for a bigger project by the Swedish environment institution (IVL). To reach the aim material has been collected from a literature study. Besides the literature study, the report also uses material from interviews held by IVL. The interviewees are actors who have already started preventing their waste and these are Ikea, JM, Avfall Sverige, Kretslopp och vatten and Uppsala kommun. In the result the incentives have been divided into four parts: institutional incentives, economic incentives, goals and other incentives. The obstacles are also divided into four parts: conflicts of interests and aims, economic obstacles, organisatory obstacles and informative obstacles. The measuring methods found in the material are direct quantification, cost analysis, indicators and resource productivity ratios. Waste prevention methods in this report includes PSS, reuse, ecodesign and behavioural changes. Also, some examples of actors who are preventing waste are presented. In the analysis the methods are connected to the chosen actors’ waste prevention. The most common method to prevent waste is, according to the result of the report, behavioural changes. The most common method for measuring waste prevention in the result is direct quantification. Economic incentives seem to be of significant importance and the need of spreading and upscaling of waste prevention is an important obstacle to tackle.

Peeled or whole-pack tomatoes, herring roe and oysters are processed at a Virginia Cannery. Wastewater from each food processing effluent was characterized. Treatment alternatives were investigated for tomato and herring roe wastewaters. For herring roe processing wastewater, the discharge requirement for BOD was nearly met through plain settling, while the TSS limitation was easily achieved by settling out the roe particles" Oyster processing wastewater was found to meet effluent guidelines without treatment. Bench-scale treatability studies were performed using sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) to treat the segregated wastewater from the caustic tomato peeling operation. This isolated 98% of sodium present in the wastewater. Previously, all wastewater was land applied and the high sodium content damaged soil structure. Sodium levels in monitoring wells below the irrigation field have risen, approaching regulated values. Results indicated that SBRs can be effective in reducing BOD and TSS to discharge requirements. BOD and TSS removals were well in excess of 90%. Initial values for BOD and TSS were 21,400 mg/l and 14,000 mg/l, respectively. Although conventional food to microorganism ratios were used, relatively long hydraulic retention times of 8 to 20 days were required to accomplish adequate BOD removal. Screening was found to be an effective form of pretreatment to remove large quantities of TSS. It appears practical to treat the tomato peeling wastewater by means of sludge drying beds. Approximately 0.5 acre of land would be required for bed construction. Final disposal costs associated with landfilling the dried sludge may govern whether sludge drying beds or an SBR should be used. In an effort to eliminate wastewater problems associated with the caustic peeling operation, an enzyme peeling study was performed using pectinase. Peeling ability of the enzyme was not as good as that of caustic, however, further investigation into alternative peeling operations is warranted due to the adverse effects of caustic materials on wastewater treatment alternatives. / Master of Science

No / A predictive modelling technique was employed to estimate wastewater temperatures in sewer pipes. The simplicity of abductive predictive models attracts large numbers of users due to their minimal computation time and limited number of measurable input parameters. Data measured from five sewer pipes over a period of 12 months provide 33,900 training entries and 39,000 evaluation entries to support the models' development. Two simple predictive models for urban upstream combined sewers and large downstream collector sewers were developed. They delivered good correlation between measured and predicted wastewater temperatures proven by their R(2) values of up to 0.98 and root mean square error (RMSE) of the temperature change along the sewer pipe ranging from 0.15 degrees C to 0.33 degrees C. Analysis of a number of potential input parameters indicated that upstream wastewater temperature and downstream in-sewer air temperature were the only input parameters that are needed in the developed models to deliver this level of accuracy.

Urbanization alters the natural soil structure of landscapes. This has a negative impact on the environment. This degradation of the soil in the urban environment needs management practices that protect and restore the nutrient value in the soil. Soil is one of the most essential elements of landscapes. High quality soils make a major contribution to cleaning water, acting as a filtration system that purifies the water it absorbs. Soil also sustains microorganisms that promote vegetation growth and consequently food production, one of the most important human activities that allows us to thrive as a society. The poor soil conditions in the urban environment make it very difficult to sustain healthy trees and vegetation. Urban soil is "modified through the regrading, compaction, cutting and filling, and, sometimes, contamination that comes with creating buildings, roads and associated land uses", changing the physical, chemical and biological structure of soil. (Trowbridge and Bassuk 3) In general, urban areas require better waste management methods that could use an abundant resource of food and yard waste to make compost. This thesis focuses on composting organic waste in the McNair neighborhood of Fairfax County in order to produce a resource to improve the soil conditions. This improvement would support the vegetation in this urban environment, and, in addition, sequester carbon and divert materials that otherwise would go to landfills. This thesis demonstrates a sustainable method for composting food and yard waste in a mixed-use community in northern Virginia turning waste material into a resource. / Master of Landscape Architecture / The growth of cities has a negative impact on the native soil and vegetation. The expansion of urban areas weakens the microorganisms that live in the soils through soil compaction for the construction of roads and buildings, runoff pollution and the use of chemicals in lawns and gardens. These urban conditions challenge the growth of trees and vegetation in general. Using sustainable waste management practices in cities we can turn organic waste material and turn it into an organic fertilizer to sustain the microorganisms in the soil and promote the growth of vegetation in urban areas. This thesis focuses in composting food waste and yard waste in the McNair neighborhood in Fairfax in order to turn a waste material into a local resource that benefits the community by sustaining green areas and diverting organic waste from going to landfills.

The feasibility of the excess lime process for color removal from textile dye wastes was evaluated. The lime dosages were optimized by using anionic, cationic, and nonionic polyelectrolytes as coagulant aids. The effect of the process on the removal of organic pollutants was determined. The time interval between coagulant additions was analyzed. Color reductions of at least 94 per cent were obtained by the lime and lime-polyelectrolyte processes. The lime dosage of 980 to 1,060 ppm was decreased by at least 30 per cent using 5 ppm polyelectrolyte dosages. The processes reduced the Total Organic Carbon concentration by 73 per cent approximately, the Chemical Oxygen Demand by 50 per cent, and suspended solids by about 85 to 90 per cent. The excess lime process was more efficient in removing organic matter than the lime-polyelectrolyte processes, and also incurred the least chemical coagulant cost. The excess lime process was most effective at 30 minutes flocculation and 30 minutes settling. The lime-polyelectrolyte processes were more effective when the polyelectrolyte was added after about 30 minutes lime flocculation and settled for 5 minutes. The lime-polyelectrolyte processes produced a floe which settled rapidly. The volume of sludge produced was about 8.1 to 12.8 per cent, resulting in a sludge to supernatant ratio range of 1:7 to 1:11. The lime-polyelectrolyte sludge volumes were usually higher than the lime sludge volumes. / Master of Science

Yes / Purpose This study aims to understand pumpkin waste awareness among people by converting unstructured quantitative data into insightful information to understand the public's awareness of pumpkin waste during Halloween. Design/methodology/approach To fulfil the study's purpose, we extracted Halloween-related tweets by employing #halloween and #pumpkin hashtags and then investigated Halloween-related tweets via a topic modelling approach, specifically Latent Dirichlet Allocation. The tweets were collected from the UK between October 25th and November 7th, 2020. The analysis was completed with 11,744 tweets. Findings The topic modelling results revealed that people are aware of the pumpkin waste during Halloween. Furthermore, people tweet to reduce pumpkin waste by sharing recipes for using leftover pumpkins. Originality/value The study offers a novel approach to convert social media data into meaningful knowledge about public perception of food waste. This paper contributes to food waste literature by revealing people's awareness of pumpkin waste during Halloween using social media analytics. Norm activation model and communicative ecology theory are used for the theoretical underpinning of topic modelling.

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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)”. Thus, all scientific work of the IRE belongs to the research field “Energy” of the HGF. The research objective is 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 ensued by radioactive and non-radioactive 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.