Modelling of the location of vehicle recycling facilities: A case study in Poland

The technical progress causes that increasing number of used devices presents a threat for environment, particularly in the rural areas. It can be prevented by organizing a proper system of waste disposal. Currently, the most important problem to solve is recycling of vehicles. The key element for the improvement of the functioning of the recycling network in Poland is to redesign the system so that it will allow for a reduction of the total cost related to the vehicle recycling. This paper presents a modelling approach that could be used to establish one important part of the reverse logistics (RL) network for end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) by defining the optimum locations for dismantling facilities. The proposed modelling approach is illustrated using Mazovia province in Poland as an example. The optimization criteria for the location of the elements of the recycling network are the components of the total cost of the ELV's recycling. Due to high complexity of the model a genetic algorithm has been adapted for solving the model and getting a good solution in a reasonable run time. The criteria of optimization was cost of the following processes: transportation, storage, and dismantling of ELVs. The results of simulation proved that the transportation costs of parts and materials may amount to about 70%, and that the cost of dismantling may exceed 25% of the total cost of recycling. The obtained results confirmed that genetic algorithm method can be used effectively to location the ELV's dismantling facilities. The effect of changing the location of processing facilities on the location of dismantling stations was also studied. The developed model is universal and may be used to determine the locations of different kinds of facilities organized in a reverse recycling network.     

The economics of waste disposal in the UK

The author takes a simplified look at the structure of waste disposal costs in the UK. The immediate impression is that landfill costs are so significantly cheaper than other disposal options, on average, that considerable escalation in landfill costs, for whatever reason, would be needed to make it lose its predominance. The analysis also demonstrates that the more futuristic technologies may well have a role to play provided the initial estimates of per tonne costs are borne out by commercial ventures.     

Forest-based biomass supply potential and economics for the pellet production in Nepal

In the current study, the potential of forest-based biomass supply for the pellet production in Nepal is investigated. This study showed that about 2.76 million tonnes (Mt) biomass in the form of pellets are potentially available from forest-based biomass. Considering a processing capacity of 6 tonnes (t)/hr of a pellet plant, the production cost of the pellets was calculated to be $43.53/t. Pellets are generally used as fuel to produce thermal energy in industries, which helps to save the economy and the environment of the country.     

The economics of land application of fresh and composted broiler litter with an environmental constraint

Land application of broiler litter is a common disposal method due to its value as a fertiliser substitute, but presents potential environmental problems because of nutrient runoff. Composting has been suggested as an alternative due to the formation of more stable organic components. The land application of fresh and composted broiler litter are compared as alternative disposal methods. The costs of land application of broiler litter are dominated by spreading because of low nutrient densities relative to commercial fertilisers. Composting broiler litter before land application appears to be substantially less economically attractive than land application of fresh broiler litter because of high costs of production and higher spreading costs due to even lower nutrient density. However, when environmental constraints are placed on the phosphorus concentration from hayfield runoff, composting becomes a more attractive alternative. Composting becomes more viable as the land base for application becomes smaller relative to broiler production; as alternative disposal costs for litter become higher; and as environmental constraints become stricter.     

Impact of Animal Welfare on Costs and Viability of Pig Production in the UK

The European Union welfare standardsfor intensively kept pigs have steadilyincreased over the past few years and areproposed to continue in the future. It isimportant that the cost implications of thesechanges in welfare standards are assessed. Theaim of this study was to determine theprofitability of rearing pigs in a range ofhousing systems with different standards forpig welfare. Models were constructed tocalculate the cost of pig rearing (6–95 kg) in afully-slatted system (fulfilling minimum EUspace requirements, Directive 91630/EEC); apartly-slatted system; a high-welfare,straw-based system (complying with the UK-basedRoyal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty toAnimals, Freedom Food standards) and afree-range system. The models were also used toassess the consequences of potential increasesin space allowance, and to estimate the cost ofrearing pigs under organic standards.The cost of rearing pigs ranged from92.0 p/kg carcass weight (cw) and 94.6 p/kgcw forthe partly-slatted and fully-slatted systems,to 98.8 p/kgcw and 99.3 p/kgcw for the FreedomFood and free-range systems respectively. Whenspace allowance was increased by 60% to levelsin a recent proposal to revise pig welfareDirective (91/630/EEC), the rearing costs wereunchanged for the free-range system but rose by4.6 p/kgcw for the fully-slatted system. Rearingcosts under organic standards were 31% higherthan in the free-range system. These resultssuggest that improved pig welfare can beachieved with a modest increase in costAt present, price premiums received for meatproduced under high welfare systems in the UKoffset the higher costs of production in thesesystems. To ensure profitability in the longterm, it is important that these premiums aremaintained.     

The economics of tire remanufacturing

The world market for tires is described to identify the current material flow from raw materials to tires and the used tire disposal problem. Then, I describe the value-adding operations in the tire production process and in the tire retreading process. Once retreading is identified as the only recovery alternative that maximizes tire utilization, I explain why heat generation is the only recovery alternative, when retreading is not technically feasible. The economic values of heat generation in electric plants and in cement kilns are discussed. The paper culminates with the case of retreading, the tire remanufacturing process and the recommendation of a simple decision rule for selecting the number of times a tire should be retreaded to maximize its utilization.     

Examining the technology acceptance for dismantling of waste printed circuit boards in light of recycling and environmental concerns

The dismantling of printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) and the recovery of their useful materials can lead to serious environmental impacts mainly due to their complicated physical structure and the variety of toxic elements contained in their material composition. So far, less attention has been paid to their responsible recycling compared to that of bare printed circuit boards. Combined with other materials recovery process, proper dismantling of PCBAs is beneficial to conserve scarce resources, reuse the components, and eliminate or safely dispose of hazardous materials. In analyzing the generation, resources potential and hazardous risk of scrap PCBAs, technologies used for the dismantling of waste PCBAs have been widely investigated and reviewed from the aspects of both industrial application and laboratory-scale studies. In addition, the feasibility of PCBA dismantling has been discussed, the determinants of which, including the heating conditions and mechanical properties have been identified. Moreover, this paper evaluates the environmental consequences caused by the dismantling of PCBAs.     

汽车原材料、零部件、整车自然暴露试验

本文介绍了现行汽车行业上使用的自然老化试验方法-原材料、零部件、整车自然暴露试验方法:同时阐述了这些老化试验方法的特点及它们之间的互补性;最后提醒汽车行业的试验客户在做这些老化试验时应注意的问题.     

道路车辆电气和电子设备样品在振动冲击等动力学试验中的安装

在试验方法和要求标准化后,振动冲击等动力学试验中的安装问题是决定试验是否合理和试验成败的关键要素。道路车辆电子元件和设备型样品的动力学试验是考核样品安装在车辆上使用条件下的适用性。振动试验还叠加了温度和温度变化环境,条件尤为复杂严酷。文内介绍了动力学试验中的安装需要考虑的技术要素,为试验实施中妥善合理地进行样品安装提供支持.     

Demolish it and They Will Come: Estimating the Economic Impacts of Restoring a Recreational Fishery1

Abstract: This paper presents the results of an ex post survey of recreational anglers for the lower Kennebec River, post‐Edwards Dam removal. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents one of the first ex post analyses of fisheries restoration from dam removal. We find significant benefits have accrued to anglers using the restored fishery. Specifically, anglers are spending more to visit the fishery, a direct indication of the increased value anglers place on the improved fishery. Anglers are also willing to pay for increased angling opportunities on the river. These findings have policy implications for other privately owned dams that are currently undergoing relicensing and/or dam removal considerations. Our findings may also hold implications for fisheries that have deteriorated due to historic dam construction.     

Dynamic material flow analysis of steel resources in Korea

Material flow analysis (MFA) is an evaluation technique that systematically identifies the flows and stocks of materials within predefined spatial and temporal boundaries. In this paper, the steel resources in Korea are investigated using dynamic MFA. Iron ore and steel scrap are added as raw material components during the production processes of steel, which is then used in a variety of product groups such as construction products, transportation equipment, machinery/metal products, electrical/electronic devices, and other products through fabrication and manufacturing processes. When such product groups are discarded, they are either recycled or landfilled. With consideration for the lifetimes of various product groups in conjunction with steel resource flows in Korea, dynamic MFA is conducted on the flows of steel stock change and annual scrap generation. By 2020, these two flows are expected to increase by as much as 40% and 30%, respectively, compared to 2008, with transportation equipment, in particular, envisaged to experience high growth. At the current recycling rate, however, it will be hard to meet future scrap demand. According to the scenario analysis, 100% of this future scrap demand can be supplied domestically if the recycling rate is increased to over 70% for all product groups, except construction products and transportation equipment, which already have high recycling rates. By 2020, the reduction in scrap importation costs is projected to offer a financial gain of 2.3 billion dollars.     

甘孜州非物质文化遗产旅游开发对策

以国内外学者对非物质文化遗产的研究理论为依据,结合甘孜州非物质文化遗产实情、旅游现状,提出非物质文化遗产旅游开发的观念、“YON”评价指标、原则、基础设施建设、传承人利益保障体制和产品开发对策,为地区文化旅游事业的发展提供参考依据,对同质旅游区域具有一定的借鉴意义。     

Dynamic material flow analysis of zinc resources in China

Zinc is one of the most widely applied nonferrous metals in China. Study on the applications and recurrent situation of zinc resources is of great strategic importance for the sustainable development of China's economy. In this paper, a dynamic material flow analysis (MFA) method has been adopted to analyze quantificationally zinc resources in China, as well as to analyze and predict the quantity of zinc product scrap and their recycling situation. The weighted average method was applied to calculate average lifetimes of six major zinc products in China. The average lifetimes of battery, zinc oxide, zinc die-casting alloys, zinc material products, galvanized zinc and brass are 0.17, 5.3, 11.1, 12, 21 and 30 years, respectively. Assuming the lifetime of zinc product group obeys the Weibull distribution and the consumption of zinc products varies linearly with time, the future consumption and scrap generation of zinc products will increase continuously. It is expected that they would increase from 49% to 76% during 2004–2020, respectively. Assuming the recycling rate remains unchanged with time, the zinc old scrap index, both the theoretical and actual values, would continue increasing in China. The values are expected to reach 0.402 and 0.076 by 2020, respectively. Therefore, the regeneration resource of depreciated zinc is actually insufficient in China. According to the scenario analysis, the actual value of old scrap indexes is positively correlated with the recycling rate of zinc products. Because galvanized products are the largest consumption area of zinc products in China, the influence of their recycling rate on old scrap index is obviously larger than other zinc products. Through the analysis, this paper suggests that the increase of the recycling rate of zinc products could not only improve to a certain degree China's relative shortage of zinc resources, but greatly relive the supply pressure of zinc in the world.     

Assessing Potential Removal of Low-Head Dams in Urban Settings: An Example from the Ottawa River,NW Ohio

This is a study of the scientific component of an effort to restore an urban river by removing a low-head dam. The Secor Dam is owned by a local government entity near Toledo, Ohio. The proposed removal of the last structure impeding flow on the Ottawa River has broad appeal, but the owner is concerned about liability issues, particularly potential changes to the flood regime, the presence of contaminated sediments behind the dam, and possible downstream transport of reservoir sediments. Assessing sediment contamination involved sediment sampling and analysis of trace metals and organic contaminants. Forecasting sediment transport involved field methods to determine the volume and textural properties of reservoir and upstream sediment and calculations to determine the fate of reservoir sediments. Forecasting changes in the flood regime involved HEC-RAS hydrological models to determine before and after dam removal flood scenarios using LiDAR data imported into an ArcGIS database. The resulting assessment found potential sediment contamination to be minor, and modeling showed that the removal of the dam would have minimal impacts on sediment transport and flood hazards. Based on the assessment, the removal of the dam has been approved by its owners.     

滤料级配过滤含聚污水数值模拟研究

以磁铁矿滤料与石英砂滤料为填设滤料层的级配模式一直广泛应用于油田含聚污水处理过程中,但这种滤料级配与污水过滤性能之间的影响关系及规律认识却较为缺乏,本文以悬浮粒子吸附与截留形成的聚集特征为切入,定量分析出水水质特性,对含聚污水过滤过程中滤料级配的影响效果展开数值模拟研究。研究认为：磁铁矿滤料层厚度较大的级配模式过滤具有更好的悬浮粒子吸附与截留效果,对更小粒径悬浮粒子过滤能力更优,但滤料填充高度比与过滤效果存在一定适配性;以1.28以上磁铁矿滤料厚度较大的级配模式过滤较低含聚浓度污水、以1.67以上磁铁矿滤料厚度较小的级配模式过滤较高含聚浓度污水,均可以使出水悬浮固体颗粒与油滴含量均低于5mg/L,满足过滤出水水质指标要求。     

The use of material flow analysis and the ecological footprint in regional policy-making: application and insights from Northern Ireland

This paper aims to contribute to the ongoing debate on the use of resource accounting tools in regional policy-making. The Northern Limits project applied material flow analysis (MFA) and ecological footprinting (EF) to regional policy-making in Northern Ireland over a number of years. The early phase of the research informed the regions first sustainable development strategy which was published in 2006 with key targets relating to the EF and improving the resource efficiency of the economy. Phase II identified the next steps required to address data availability and quality and the use of MFA and EF in providing a measurement and monitoring framework for the strategy and the development of the strategy implementation plan. The use of MFA and EF in sustainable regional policy-making and the monitoring of its implementation is an ongoing process which has raised a number of research issues which can inform the ongoing application and development of these and other resource accounting tools to within Northern Ireland, provide insights for their use in other regions, and help set out the priorities for research to support this important policy area.     

Allocation solutions for secondary material production and end of life recovery: Proposals for product policy initiatives

This paper aims at analysing how secondary materials production and end of life recovery processes are modelled in life cycle-based environmental assessment methods in order to discuss their suitability in product policy-support contexts, with a focus on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) policies. The equations prescribed in three published, widely recognised standards are evaluated. In addition, more recent modelling approaches that have been adopted in the context of two EU product policy initiatives (the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and the Resource Efficiency Assessment of Products (REAPro)) are similarly analysed. All of the methods are scrutinised against eight criteria which we deem to be important in product policy-support contexts, including comprehensiveness, accommodation of open-loop and closed-loop product systems, and consideration of recyclability/recoverability rates, to name a few. Based on this analysis, it is suggested that the PEF and REAPro modelling approaches appear to be better suited for use in product policy-support contexts than do the currently widely endorsed methods that we considered.     

Assessment of physical economy through economy-wide material flow analysis in developing Uzbekistan

In this paper, we assess the physical dimensions of Uzbekistan's economy during 1992–2011 by using the economy-wide material flow analysis (EW-MFA) method, which is an internationally recognized tool for such assessments. There have been a number of studies using methodological standardization of EW-MFA, but to the best of our knowledge, it has never been used to assess the metabolism of Central Asian economies, especially, in this case, the Republic of Uzbekistan.Our analysis strives to empirically evaluate macroscopic economic activities by considering the accounting of material flows. The material flows data-set comprises of consistent data for domestic extraction, imports, and exports, as well as other derived MFA-based indicators.The derived indicators are internationally compared for further evaluation of national economic development performance in a given period. The indicators of direct material input (DMI) and total material requirements (TMR) showed a slight increase in 1992–2011 with an average annual increase of 2.79% and 2.34%. The trends of TMR, DMI, domestic material consumption (DMC) and material efficiency, which is indicated by GDP/DMI, displayed lower values than other industrialized countries referenced in the international comparison. Although national economic performance data showed particularly remarkable success, indicators measuring material inputs and DMC reveal an insignificant increase during the period of study. During the second decade of study period, relative decoupling has occurred which indicated that the economic indicator (GDP) grows faster than DMC and other macro indicators grow.     

Incidence of the level of deconstruction on material reuse,recycling and recovery from end-of life vehicles: an industrial-scale experimental study

The European Union has set ambitious objectives for the recovery rates of end-of life vehicles (ELVs). The directive 2000/53/CE (DIR, 2000) states that by 1st January 2015 at least 95% of the mass of an ELV must be reused and recovered, of which a maximum of 10% should be in the form of energy.In order to identify the key factors for improving the rate of material reuse, recycling and recovery of ELVs, ACYCLEA (PRAXY group) launched the “OPTIVAL VHU (ELV)” research program in collaboration with INSA Lyon in 2009. Three experimental campaigns were conducted on the industrial site of ACYCLEA to compare different scenarios of deconstruction. The campaigns were done on samples of 90 ELVs. The average mass (M_ELV) and age were estimated at 989 kg/ELV and 14 years, respectively. This article presents the results concerning the material balances of the successive operations. The contribution of each stage of the treatment (namely (i) depollution, (ii) deconstruction, and (iii) shredding and sorting operations) to the rate of recycling, reuse and recovery was calculated.Results showed firstly that the contribution of the operations of depollution was low (3.6 ± 0.1% of the mass of vehicles). The contribution of the operations of deconstruction was higher and increased logically with the degree of deconstruction. It ranged from 5% of M_ELV for the minimal level of deconstruction (campaign 1) to almost 10% with the highest level of deconstruction (campaign 3). The specific contribution of the operations of deconstruction to the rate of metal recycling was found to be quite low however, in the range of 2.6–2.8% of M_ELV, Shredding and post-shredding sorting operations enabled the recovery of the largest amounts of recyclable materials but no significant differences were observed between the overall recovery rates in the three campaigns (results ranged from 67 to 70% of M_ELV). Differences were observed however, for specific fractions such as the automotive shredder residues whose recovery rate was 16.3 ± 0.7%, 13.0 ± 0.5%, and 12.8 ± 0.2% for campaigns 1, 2 and 3, respectively. A larger production of non-ferromagnetic fraction was also observed in campaign 3, probably due to the extraction of the textiles during the dismantling operations which improved the efficiency of post-shredding sorting operations.The highest overall rate of reuse, recycling and energy recovery obtained in this study with the most rigorous approach was 81.5 ± 0.6% of the average mass of the ELV even with the highest level of deconstruction. It therefore appears that the European regulatory target of 95% would be difficult to achieve in 2015, except with a much greater optimization of the sorting technologies and the development of recycling processes.