An investigation into the optimisation of organic waste treatment at the University of Leeds

关于城市内有机废物的生产和利用以及相关的气候变化影响和改善可持续性所需的缓解战略，存在重大的知识差距。这对于产生各种废物流的大型组织（如大学）尤为重要，尽管产生的废物量通常不确定。更普遍的是，废物处理过程产生的排放量也存在不确定性，例如堆肥、厌氧消化和其他处理有机废物的废物处理途径。食物垃圾的处理与利兹大学等大型组织特别相关，并且产生于食堂和霍尔斯。目前，食物垃圾由垃圾处理公司（如Osterio）收集，通过厌氧消化进行处理。使用干燥等技术的食物垃圾的替代“源头”处理能够通过去除水分来减少废物的体积和气味，增加废物可以存储的时间长度（这减少了收集时间）并对废物进行消毒（这改善了sae处理）。尽管有这些优势，但与大规模使用这些技术相关的能源需求和排放以及它们将如何影响已经到位的废物合同方面存在不确定性。该项目将侧重于调查废物收集，处理和废物利用的生命周期分析（LCA），特别关注食物废物。利兹大学将被用作案例研究，以调查改善可持续性的各种选择。技术将包括干燥、堆肥、厌氧消化和焚烧，并将评估目前正在研究的综合废物处理途径。与领先的食品垃圾最终用户Ostio的工业联系将提供当前的工业重点。该项目将从实验室规模的AD、干燥和堆肥测试中产生实验证据，并结合工业合作伙伴提供的数据，为不同的加工方案制定LCA。一项敏感性研究将发展成为一个积极的预先设计工具，使生命周期评估与基本过程的物理模型联系起来，使其在更广泛的背景下（从大学到其他类似规模和性质的机构）的敏感性研究中更加有用。填补上述知识空白。iii）建立废物管理流程的模型iii）设计一个可应用于类似机构的主动预设计工具，以评估最佳废物管理方案。潜在应用和效益该项目填补了关键废物管理排放领域的知识空白，然后可应用于类似的LCA。除此之外，创建预设计工具可用于评估类似机构的温室气体排放，以提高废物管理评估的便利性和准确性。这将在可能的情况下适用于其他综合废物处理工艺。

Context of researchThere are major knowledge gaps regarding the production and utilisation of organic waste within Cities and the associated climate change impacts and mitigation strategies needed to improve sustainability. This is particularly important to large organisations such as Universities who produce a wide range of waste streams although the amounts of waste generated are often uncertain. There are also, more generally, uncertainties in the emissions generated from waste treatment processes such as composting, anaerobic digestion (AD) and other waste treatment routes for processing organic waste. The treatment of food waste is particularly relevant to large organisations such as the University of Leeds and is generated from refectories and halls of residences. Food waste is currently collected by waste treatment companies (e.g. Olleco) for treatment by anaerobic digestion. Alternative 'at source' treatment of food waste using technologies such as desiccation are capable of reducing the volume & odour of the waste by removing water, increasing the length of time the waste can be stored (which reduces the collection times) and sterilising the waste (which improves sae handling). Despite these advantages, there are uncertainties regarding the energy requirements and emissions associated with large scale use of these technologies and how they would influence waste contracts already in place. This project will focus on the investigating the life cycle analysis (LCA) of waste collection, processing and utilisation of waste, with a particular focus on food waste. The University of Leeds will be used as a case study to investigate the options for improving sustainability. Technologies will include desiccation, composting, anaerobic digestion and incineration and will assess integrated waste treatment pathways currently being investigated. Industrial links to Olleco, a leading food waste end user will provide current industrial focus. The project will generated experimental evidence from laboratory scale testing of AD, desiccation and composting in combination with data provided by industrial partners to develop an LCA for the different processing options. A sensitivity study will be developed into an active pre-design tool allowing the LCA to be linked with physical models of underlying processes to make it more useful for sensitivity studies in the wider context (from the University to other similar scale and nature institutions.Aims and objectivesThe main aims are i) To ascertain the best waste management option for the University of Leeds out of the aforementioned options. ii) To fill in the abovementioned knowledge gaps. iii) To model the waste management processes iiii) To design an active pre-design tool that could be applied to similar institutions for assessing optimal waste management options.Potential applications and benefitsThe project fills knowledge gaps for key waste management emission areas, which could then be applied for similar LCAs. Further to this, the creation of a pre-design tool can be used for assessing GHG emissions for similar institutions, to improve ease and accuracy for waste management assessments. This will be applied where possible to other integrated waste treatment processes.