Narrow Results

This study presents a comparative analysis of metaheuristic algorithms applied to the Asymmetric Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (ACVRP) within the context of municipal recycling waste management. The main goal is to optimize the collection routes for municipal waste collection vehicles to reduce operational costs, particularly in relation to the total distance traveled and the number of vehicles required. The problem was modeled as a graph in a case paradigm of a small municipality in Greece, namely Xanthi, where bins represent nodes and streets represent directed edges. A variety of initialization methods (Cheapest Arc, Most Constrained Arc, Savings Heuristic, etc.) and optimization algorithms (Greedy Descent, Guided Local Search, Simulated Annealing, and Tabu Search) were applied to the graph. Results show that by dynamically adjusting routes based on bin load data, the total distance traveled by waste vehicles was reduced by 65%, and the number of required vehicles was halved. Economic analysis demonstrated a 55% reduction in total costs when applying distance constraints, with further reductions possible under unconstrained scenarios. This research highlights the potential of advanced metaheuristic optimization to significantly improve the efficiency and sustainability of waste management operations.

In Romania, the communist planned economy system was in place for 42 years but ended due to a revolution in 1989. An environmental administration was started 1990. In order to assist with environment related activities, one of the authors worked in Bucharest for two years from March 2002 to March 2004 as a JICA (Japan International Cooperation Activity) member. One of the most important problems regarding environmental protection in Romania is waste management. In Japan, the regulations and penalties system of waste management have been used for a long time. However, there are many serious problems with the system, such as a decrease in waste disposal facilities and illegally disposed waste. The authors studied a new plan that uses a certification system in order to promote recycling industries. This system is both efficient and inexpensive so it is possible that this method of waste management could be transmitted to Romania.

Efficient Light-Harvesting of Plants: Conversation with Professor Alexander Ruban.

Takeda Pharmaceuticals in the Emerging Markets.

Burden of Thrombosis-related Diseases in Asia-Pacific.

GE Healthcare's Cell Culture Media Facility in Singapore.

Waste Management in Singapore: Where Does Our Rubbish Go?

This theoretical paper investigates a multi-market Cournot model where a particular firm may process its waste from the primary market to sell them as co-products on a secondary market. Unlike the usual models found in the jointness in production literature based on costs and economies of scope, our model introduces the technical relationship between both outputs as a physical output constraint. We show the conditions under which a co-producing strategy is optimal for the firm. We find that an optimal share of waste processing depends on the structural conditions of the two markets.

In recent studies, YOLOv3, a deep learning-based target detection algorithm, becomes extensively used in object recognition, especially guiding the visually disabled. Current YOLOv3-based assistive technology for the disabled person can now achieve high-precision, real-time object recognition. Even though this algorithm has several flaws, including the failure to estimate distances and the difficulty of accurately recognizing points in fog or haze, it can perform well in waste management. Therefore, this study proposes an Intelligent Garbage Monitoring Scheme based on an improved YOLOv3 Target Detection Algorithm (IGMS-iYTDA) to classify the IoT’sgarbages (IoT) enabled trash can. The performance of the proposed scheme has been evaluated and illustrated for various classification evaluation metrics. The evaluation results show the highest classification accuracy of 99.9% compared to existing models for the proposed scheme.

Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) technology has been in use for several decades to track and identify goods, assets, and even living things. Recently, however, RFID has generated widespread corporate interest as a means to waste management performance. In this paper, a vehicle routing model for waste collection is developed. The model not only uses precise data with respect to both quantity and location via RFID technology, but also includes single vehicle with a pre-determined capacity, multiple tours, and locations with deterministic waste quantities. Then a numerical example is solved via Dash Optimization XPress Solver to find an optimal route considering the locations of waste bins and the waste quantities. The impact of changing waste quantity on the operation cost is investigated considering the distance of the waste bins using variance analysis (ANOVA). With this method, municipality authorities can better manage itineraries and manpower, and have a monitoring system for the volume of the waste produced in the region of their responsibility.

This paper examines the incentives and disincentives for disputants in waste management conflicts to participate in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes such as negotiation, facilitation and mediation. Twenty-four cases in which ADR was applied to a waste management conflict in Ontario or Massachusetts are studied, using telephone interviews with 123 ADR participants as the principal source of data. The paper identifies and ranks the importance of incentives and disincentives that influence a disputant's decision whether to participate in ADR, compares these factors to those addressed in the literature, and identifies the sub-factors by which they are in turn influenced. It examines whether these key factors have different effects on different types of parties, and concludes with recommendations for strengthening the incentives of disputants to enter into ADR processes.

Despite increased legislative, political and social support for extended public engagement in environmental assessment, questions remain over the best means to integrate more analytic-deliberative processes within extended and fragmented decision-making frameworks. Using evidence from waste management decision-making in Britain this paper discusses institutional, cultural and technical barriers to effective integration of analysis and deliberation. The barriers are seen to limit effective participation intra decisions but particularly inter-decisions and hence to limit public impact on assessments and achievement of consensus on the optimum integrated waste management strategies. Institutional, technical and cultural barriers to effective process are discussed that compound the problems of enhancing public participation and promote maintenance of the status quo. Thus, environmental assessment still largely proceeds in advance of discussion with the public rather than through discussion with them.

A case study is presented of a waste management system for a construction project in Brisbane. The study incorporates the assessment of the current on-site waste management operations plan, a financial feasibility providing a comparison between traditional waste disposal methods, waste disposal methods as adopted on this site, and proposed environmental ideal waste management methods. The results indicate that the total cost of waste handling and disposal for the project was approximately the same as for traditional methods. For an idealized system of total waste management, there would have been an increase of cost of 66% over the traditional method. It is also shown that the waste separation system was not realized to its fullest potential, mainly due to difficult site conditions and the subcontractor's unfamiliarity with a Waste Management Scheme and that it is likely that improvement in these areas would require better control and planning of waste handling.

One of the main challenges with food waste minimisation relates to measurement and traceability across the food system. Complete, comprehensive, and transparent data are required to track progress on reduction targets, explore environmental impacts, and suggest mitigation strategies. The present chapter focuses on the use of material flow analysis and its utility in end-to-end traceability powered by blockchain technology, which stores digitised records in a decentralised and immutable manner and promotes trust and transparency across the entire food chain. The authors develop a food loss and waste measurement framework based on a mixed approach. On the one hand, material flow analysis emerges as an essential tool to quantify and qualify food loss and waste streams in the food system; on the other side, blockchain technology enables the optimisation of partnership networks and implementation of circular economy paradigms, thereby reducing food loss and waste.

Green entrepreneurship aims at addressing environmental or social problems through the implementation of innovative entrepreneurial ideas. One such approach to green entrepreneurship is to explore and implement innovative practices for sustainable waste management. This chapter aims to carry out an in-depth study on the green entrepreneurship of converting wastes into renewable energy for sustainable development. The chapter follows a case study approach to explore rural management practices for the reuse of wastes through the adoption of improved technologies.

This chapter describes alternative innovative practices and approaches of sustainable waste management drawn from a case study conducted at Thikekarwadi Gram Panchayat at Pune District in Maharashtra and explores the inherent economic benefits on the adoption of such approaches by the rural populace. The study is beneficial for the green transformation of waste and sustaining the environment.

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the urgent need to address environmental challenges and embrace sustainable practices. Green organizations, also known as environmental or eco-friendly organizations, play a pivotal role in driving positive change toward a more sustainable future. India has experienced significant growth in recent years in terms of its green organizations and initiatives. This is because an organization’s sustainability has a big impact on the environment. Organizational environmental sustainability is a significant concern as the world concentrates on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) (UNDP, 2021) and corporate social responsibility. The United Nations advises that eco-friendly practices and knowledge reach all stakeholders in the present globalized market, not just one particular organization (UNDP, 2021). The country’s growing awareness about environmental issues, climate change, and sustainable development has led to the emergence of numerous organizations and initiatives dedicated to promoting eco-friendly practices, conservation, and environmental protection. This chapter explores the significance of green organizations, their various forms and functions, and the key initiatives they undertake to promote environmental conservation and protection.

Industry has become an essential part of modern society and waste production is an inevitable outcome of the developmental activities. A material becomes waste when it is discarded without expecting to be compensated for its inherent value. These wastes may pose a potential hazard to the human health or the environment (soil, air, and water) when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed off or managed. In this viewpoint, the management of hazardous wastes including their disposal in environment-friendly and economically viable way is very important and, therefore, suggestions are made for developing better strategies. Out of the various categories of the wastes; this chapter introduces different types of waste to be managed using different ways to be environment friendly as wastewater treatment, waste oil management, and finally recycling of waste plastics.

Fly ash had been a problem for many power stations. This study has focused on using an encapsulation technique to stabilize the fly ash by a geopolymer. The potential of a geopolymer to stabilize fly ash was explored through the use of four geopolymer formulations. The leach rates of untreated fly ash helped to target of seven elements that are arsenic, barium, beryllium, selenium, strontium, calcium, and potassium. The lowest leach rates were observed at the geopolymer formulation with Si/Al=2.

India has witnessed a substantial growth in the production of plastics and an increased consumption of plastic. In the absence of adequate waste collection and segregation process, the management of the waste created by discarded used plastics items, especially ones used for packaging applications has become a challenging task. This article provides an overview of the resource recovery from plastic waste with consideration of integrated waste management (IWM), to evaluate the best possible option for tackling waste in Indian circumstances.

Characterization and control of radioactive waste packages are important issues in the management of a radioactive waste repository. Therefore, Andra performs quality control inspection on radwaste package before disposal to ensure the compliance of the radwast characteristics with Andra waste disposal specifications and to check the consistency between Andra measurements results and producer declared properties. Objectives of this quality control are: assessment and improvement of producer radwaste packages quality mastery, guarantee of the radwaste disposal safety, maintain of the public confidence. To control radiological characteristics of radwaste package, non-destructive passive methods (gamma spectrometry and neutrons counting) are commonly used. These passive methods may not be sufficient, for instance to control the mass of fissile material contained inside radwaste package. This is particularly true for large concrete hull of heterogeneous radwaste containing several actinides mixed with fission products like 137Cs. Non-destructive active methods, like measurement of photofission delayed neutrons, allow to quantify the global mass of actinides and is a promising method to quantify mass of fissile material. Andra has performed different non-destructive measurements on concrete intermediate-level short lived nuclear waste (ILW-SL) package to control its nuclear material content. These tests have allowed Andra to have a first evaluation of the performance of photofission delayed neutron measurement and to identify development needed to have a reliable method, especially for fissile material mass control in intermediate-level long lived waste package.

This paper discusses a conceptual model for integrated waste management based on an improved ‘spatial’ understanding of Kathmandu's waste management system. The proposed system is based on a transfer of technology and waste management strategies between Regional Victoria, Australia, and Nepal, and aims to determine if the waste management strategies employed in Regional Victoria can be scaled up to address the waste management concerns of a large metropolitan city such as Kathmandu. The waste management challenges in Kathmandu and Regional Victoria are similar, local landfills nearing capacity and a rapidly expanding population, though the approaches to combating these challenges differ significantly. The proposed model could be implemented in a developing country such as Nepal, while still having direct relevance to a developed country such as Australia.