SAVI: International Institute for Solid Waste Management Life-Cycle Modeling

1437498 (Barlaz)。在全球范围内，每年产生超过10亿吨的城市固体废物（MSW），预计到2025年，由于人口、城市化和经济发展的增加，这一数字将翻一番。2011年，美国固体废物系统处理了大约2.5亿吨废物。据估计，美国垃圾填埋、堆肥和燃烧产生的直接排放占美国温室气体排放量的2%，其中大部分是二氧化碳。城市生活垃圾含有大量可用于资源和能源回收的材料，使固体废物管理（SWM）系统成为提高环境可持续性的一个非常明显和潜在的高影响目标。SAVI（跨虚拟研究所的科学）努力的主要目标是建立一个自我支持的虚拟（基于互联网的）研究所，以加强与SWM系统生命周期评估（LCA）相关的研究、教育和推广。两个主要的固体废物LCA模型是北卡罗来纳州立大学开发的SWOLF和丹麦技术大学开发的EASETECH，这是主要的合作伙伴。预计在美国，虚拟学院的其他参与者将包括哥伦比亚大学、克拉克森大学、罗格斯大学和南卡罗莱纳大学等大学的教师。总体目标是成为将LCA应用于SWM的全球领先机构。具体的研究目标是：(1)共同审查、收集、分析和报告EASETECH和SWOLF的关键SWM LCA和成本模型数据、假设和实践，以确定最佳实践、数据和未来需求；(2)融合SWOLF和EASTECH框架中的模型，开发一套统一的固体废物处理模型和数据集，对固体废物收集、处理和处置过程进行一致的描述；(3)开发一个公共数据和模型管理库，以鼓励和促进未来的合作、知识交流和模型集成；(4)开发教学材料、文章和研讨会，从国际角度加强对生命周期固体废物资源管理的理解。生命周期分析对固体废物的研究具有广泛的影响，因为它被用来为需要在其使用寿命结束时进行管理的所有产品和包装的环境可持续性决策提供信息。先进过程模型的传播将为国际学生和从业者提供重要服务。项目目标将通过三大任务来实现；(1)开发一致和统一的数据和过程模型；(2)实施一系列国际联合研究会议和研讨会，以进行协作，公布结果，并为未来的研究所会议，培训课程和研讨会创建框架；(3)开发必要的数据和软件基础设施，以创建一个自我维持的SWM生命周期研究所，该研究所将继续提供资源，教学内容；以及来自世界各地的固体废物生命周期研究人员、教育工作者、从业人员和学生之间的合作机会。生命周期分析对固体废物的研究具有广泛的影响，因为它被用来为需要在其使用寿命结束时进行管理的所有产品和包装的环境可持续性决策提供信息。项目影响包括研究进展，以及对学生、研究人员和从业人员的国际教育和传播。融合过程模型和数据的工作将推动LCA应用于固体废物系统分析的最新技术。融合的模型将为研究人员、政策制定者和私营部门决策者提供改进的和可获得的工具。SAVI的这一努力将导致为教学和培训开发讲习班和联机工具。讲习班将被记录并免费提供，以促进学习、理解和无障碍。考虑到目前的实践状况，这一点尤其重要。全世界有许多从事固体废物LCA研究的研究生无法获得最先进的数据或信息，而这个SAVI将改变这种情况。此外，商业上可用的和开源的LCA模型在处理废物和材料管理方面都很简单，而本SAVI将解决这种简单性。该资助是跨虚拟研究所（SAVI）科学奖，由NSF的国际和综合活动办公室（OIIA）、工程助理主任办公室（OAD/ENG）和CBET/ENG的环境工程和环境可持续性项目共同资助。

1437498 (Barlaz). Globally, over one billion tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) are generated annually and this is predicted to double by 2025 due to increases in population, urbanization, and economic development. U.S. solid waste systems processed approximately 250 million tons of waste in 2011. The direct emissions from landfilling, composting, and combustion of U.S. waste resulted is an estimated 2% of U.S. GHG emissions, mostly CO2. MSW contains significant quantities of materials that can be utilized for resource and energy recovery, making the solid waste management (SWM) system a highly visible and potentially high-impact target for enhancing environmental sustainability. The primary goal of the SAVI (Science Across Virtual Institutes) effort is to establish a self-supporting virtual (internet-based) institute to enhance research, education, and outreach related to the life-cycle assessment (LCA) of SWM systems. Two leading solid waste LCA models are SWOLF developed at NC State University and EASETECH developed at the Technical University of Denmark, the principal collaborative partners. It is anticipated that in the U.S. additional participants in the virtual institute will include faculty at universities such as Columbia University, Clarkson University, Rutgers University, and the University of South Carolina, among others. The overall objective is to become the leading global institute for the application of LCA to SWM. Specific research objectives are to (1) collaboratively review, gather, analyze, and report key SWM LCA and cost model data, assumptions, and practices from EASETECH and SWOLF to identify best practices, data, and future needs, (2) fuse models in SWOLF and EASTECH frameworks to develop a consolidated set of solid waste process models and datasets that present consistent descriptions of solid waste collection, treatment, and disposal processes, (3) develop a public data and model management repository to encourage and facilitate future collaboration, knowledge exchange, and model integration, and (4) develop instructional materials, articles, and workshops that enhance understanding of life-cycle solid waste resource management from an international perspective. LCA research on solid waste has broad impacts since it is used to inform decisions on the environmental sustainability of all products and packaging that require management at the end of their useful life. The dissemination of advanced process models will provide a significant service to students and practitioners internationally.The project objectives will be achieved through three major tasks; (1) develop consistent and unified data and process models, (2) implement a series of international joint research meetings and workshops to collaborate, publicize results, and create a framework for future institute meetings, training sessions, and workshops, and (3) develop the necessary data and software infrastructure to create a self-sustaining SWM life-cycle institute that will continue to provide resources, instructional content, and opportunities for collaboration among solid waste life-cycle researchers, educators, practitioners, and students from around the world. LCA research on solid waste has broad impacts since it is used to inform decisions on the environmental sustainability of all products and packaging that require management at the end of their useful life. Project impacts include research advances, as well as international education and dissemination to students, researchers and practitioners. The work to fuse process models and data will advance the state-of-the-art of the application of LCA to solid waste systems analysis. The fused models will provide improved and accessible tools to researchers, policymakers and private sector decision makers. This SAVI effort will result in the development of workshops and on-line tools for instruction and training. Workshops will be recorded and made available for free to promote learning, understanding and accessibility. This is particularly significant in consideration of the current state-of-the-practice. There are numerous graduate students throughout the world working in solid waste LCA that do not have access to state-of-the-art data or information, and this SAVI will change that. Furthermore, both the commercially available and open source LCA models are simplistic in their treatment of waste and materials management, and this SAVI will address that simplicity.This grant is a Science Across Virtual Institutes (SAVI) award and is co-funded by NSF's Office of International and Integrative Activities (OIIA), the Office of the Assistant Director for Engineering (OAD/ENG), and CBET/ENG's Environmental Engineering and Environmental Sustainability programs.