Evaluating Sustainable Disposal Options for Compostable Biopolymers

1066658（兰迪斯）。拟议研究的目的是根据可持续发展的三大支柱中的每一个，确定可堆肥生物基聚合物的最佳处置方案和基础设施。为此，研究小组将量化不同处置方案的生命周期环境影响（环境），评估组织（社会）和经济障碍（经济），量化利益相关者？愿意为基础设施（经济）买单，评估消费者？处置习惯（环境）和评估改变处置习惯的方法（社会）。这些因素将用于量化生物聚合物的环境寿命曲线，并有助于可堆肥生物聚合物基础设施的发展。 该研究的结果将有助于从最佳管理实践、基础设施变革的障碍以及可堆肥生物聚合物的最佳处置的角度对生物聚合物的基础设施发展进行科学理解。此外，该研究还将对食品服务行业的消费者处置习惯进行全面分析，并将确定最佳处置方案，从而最大限度地减少对环境的影响，同时通过基于利益相关者的生命周期评估（SBLCA）最大限度地简化实施。这项研究将大大有助于在方法学发展方面取得进展，开发新的综合方法，以评估一套替代品的权衡和可持续性。该项目的结果旨在帮助基本开发和理解将人类行为和调查结果纳入生命周期评估的模型。 该项目将有助于从拟议的与可持续匹兹堡和当地企业的合作，以PI更广泛的影响多种途径？将研究纳入课程和本科生研究的计划。此外，PI正在与谢勒高中和卡内基科学中心合作，创建解决环境中堆肥和生物聚合物的模块。与可持续匹兹堡的合作将使当地公司与拟议的研究联系起来。编写教育材料，供当地餐馆进行废物审计时使用（例如，文献和分享堆肥信息的创造性方法），以及编写最佳做法报告和可持续匹兹堡研讨会，将为研究提供一个独特的机会，使广大消费者和企业主了解研究情况

1066658 (Landis). The aim of the proposed research is to identify the optimal disposal options and infrastructure for compostable bio-based polymers based on each of the three pillars of sustainability. To this end, the research team will quantify the life cycle environmental impacts of different disposal options (environment), evaluate organizational (society) and economic barriers (economy), quantify stakeholders? willingness to pay for infrastructure (economy), assess consumers? disposal habits (environment) and evaluate methods to alter disposal habits (society). These factors will be used to quantify the environmental end of life profile for biopolymers and to contribute to the development of compostable biopolymer infrastructure. The results of the study will contribute to the scientific understanding of infrastructure development for biopolymers, both from the perspective of best management practices, barriers to infrastructure change, and optimal disposal for compostable biopolymers. In addition, the study will result in a comprehensive analysis of consumer disposal habits in the food services industry and will identify optimum disposal scenarios that result in minimum environmental impact while maximizing ease of implementation through stakeholder based life cycle assessment (SBLCA). The research will contribute significantly to advances in methodological development of novel, integrated approaches to assess the tradeoffs and sustainability of a set of alternatives. The results of the project are targeted to aid in the fundamental development and understanding of models that incorporate aspects of human behavior and survey results into life cycle assessment. The project will contribute to multiple avenues of broader impacts from the proposed collaboration with Sustainable Pittsburgh and local businesses to the PIs? plan for incorporation of the research into curriculum and undergraduate research. Additionally, the PIs are collaborating with Shaler High School and the Carnegie Science Center to create modules that address composting and biopolymers in the environment. The collaboration with Sustainable Pittsburgh will connect local companies to the proposed research. The development of educational materials to be employed during waste audits at local restaurants (e.g. literature and creative methods of sharing information on composting) as well as the development of a Best Practices report and workshop for Sustainable Pittsburgh will provide a unique opportunity for the research to reach a broad range of consumers and business owners