An inexact reverse logistics model for municipal solid waste management systems

This paper proposed an inexact reverse logistics model for municipal solid waste management systems (IRWM). Waste managers, suppliers, industries and distributors were involved in strategic planning and operational execution through reverse logistics management. All the parameters were assumed to be intervals to quantify the uncertainties in the optimization process and solutions in IRWM. To solve this model, a piecewise interval programming was developed to deal with Min-Min functions in both objectives and constraints. The application of the model was illustrated through a classical municipal solid waste management case. With different cost parameters for landfill and the WTE, two scenarios were analyzed. The IRWM could reflect the dynamic and uncertain characteristics of MSW management systems, and could facilitate the generation of desired management plans. The model could be further advanced through incorporating methods of stochastic or fuzzy parameters into its framework. Design of multi-waste, multi-echelon, multi-uncertainty reverse logistics model for waste management network would also be preferred.     

PET containers in Brazil: Opportunities and challenges of a logistics model for post-consumer waste recycling

The use of post-consumer materials is directly related to reducing the cost of production and extraction of natural resources. Non-recyclable materials are randomly disposed in the environment. Brazil is one of the largest consumers of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles. The purpose of this paper is to describe the opportunities and challenges of the logistics model for post-consumer PET bottle recycling in Brazil, while providing knowledge of its practices along the recycling chain. The results describe the need to educate those directly and indirectly involved in the process; to reduce consumption in order to reduce the amount of waste generated; to structure the post-consumer reverse chain and engage industrial sectors and government, through public policies, to support cleaner technologies along the PET bottle production chain.     

A hybrid approach using ISM and fuzzy TOPSIS for the selection of reverse logistics provider

Return of used products is becoming an important logistics activity due to government legislation and increasing awareness among the people to protect the environment and reduce waste. For industries, the management of return flow usually requires a specialized infrastructure with special information systems for tracking and dedicated equipment for the processing of returns. Therefore, industries are turning to third-party reverse logistics providers (3PRLPs). In this study, a multi-criteria group decision-making (MCGDM) model in fuzzy environment is developed to guide the selection process of best 3PRLP. The interactions among the criteria are also analyzed before arriving at a decision for the selection of 3PRLP from among 15 alternatives. The analysis is done through Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). Finally the effectiveness of the model is illustrated using a case study on battery manufacturing industry in India.     

Determining advanced recycling fees and subsidies in "E-scrap" reverse supply chains

Primarily due to environmental concerns and legislative mandates, the disposition of end-of-life (EOL) electronics products has attracted much attention. Advanced recycling fees (ARFs) and government subsidies may play important roles in encouraging or curtailing the flows of recycled items. We present a Stackelberg-type model to determine ARFs and socially optimal subsidy fees in decentralized reverse supply chains where each entity independently acts according to its own interests. The model consists of one leader (the government) and two followers (a group of manufacturers, importers, and sellers (MISs) and a group of recyclers). To maximize social welfare, the government determines the ARFs paid by MIS and the subsidy fees for recyclers when MIS sells new products and recyclers process EOL products. We find that MIS and recyclers behave at the equilibrium status by choosing optimal selling quantity in the market and optimal reward money for customers bringing EOL products to recyclers. Under this approach the two fees achieve the maximum of social welfare at the equilibrium status, while both MIS and recyclers gain the maximum of profits. For comparative purposes, we also develop a conceptual model describing the current practice by which ARFs and the subsidy fees are determined on the basis of fund balance between revenues and costs along with recycling operations. We conclude that our results outperform current practice.     

Long-term engineering properties of recycled plastic lumber used in pier construction

Plastic lumber manufactured using post consumer waste plastic has been proposed as an acceptable material for use in the construction of docks, piers and bulkheads and is touted to outlast conventional wood products due to its strength, durability and resistance to rot. This study examines the long-term engineering properties of plastic lumber manufactured using post consumer waste plastic (TRIMAX, Ronkonkoma, NY). Plastic lumber profiles were used in the decking of a pier built in West Meadow Creek, Old Field, NY during December 1995. Samples of plastic lumber were removed from the deck of the pier periodically over a two-year period and returned to the laboratory for testing. Results of engineering tests showed the in-plane compression modulus (260±30 MPa), dimensional stability and the Shore D surface hardness (60±2) of plastic lumber removed from the pier remained similar to or greater than their pre-placement values. In contrast, significant changes in the modulus of elasticity of plastic lumber were measured with prolonged weathering. The modulus of elasticity of plastic lumber initially decreased from 1370 Pa to 750 Pa following 12 months weathering, a decrease equal to 45% of its pre-placement value and then increased during the second year to close to its initial value. The high variability in the modulus of elasticity should restrict the use of plastic lumber profiles to non-load bearing structural applications.     

B2C服饰类电商企业逆向物流网络联建研究

在电子商务环境下,由于网络购物的兴起,导致大量退货逆向物流和回收逆向物流.鉴于国内多数电商企业没有完善的逆向物流系统,相关学术研究和出版物较少,网购产品中81.8％是服装鞋帽类产品,故提出一种基于电商环境下服饰类行业联合构建逆向物流网络.该网络模型旨在降低两大逆向物流的回收成本,形成规模效应和溢出效应.因此,构建了0-1MILP数学模型和模拟数据,借助Lingo9.0计算软件找出模型的最佳运营状态,为服饰类电商企业高效完成逆向物流活动、提高服务质量、增强行业竞争力提供思路.     

我国城市周边规划建设用地利用探讨

随着我国城市面积的不断扩大，大量的郊区耕地成为或即将成为城市的建设用地，同时与城市建设相伴相随的建筑渣土的堆放已成为城市的一大问题，本文按照循环经济原则，提出利用规划期内即将建设的城市周边耕地资源建立供应城市建筑的制砖企业，同时利用取土坑填埋建筑渣土，建立城市物质的有效循环，实现城市建筑的循环经济。并对此物质循环方式做了生态经济的分析，也对此物质循环中存在的障碍提出了解决的方法。     

The effects on waste reduction and recycling rates when different components of the waste stream are counted

States differ in the components or solid waste management activities which they include when determining solid waste reduction and recycling rates. Thus, when attempting to draw comparisons among states, confusion arises in two ways: (1) use of two types of rates; and (2) use of different components or activities when calculating a given rate. This paper presents a mathematical basis for understanding the impacts on rate calculations when variations occur in the components and activities included in those calculations. Estimates of the incremental changes occurring in the rate calculations when incineration or selected components such as yard waste, construction and demolition wastes, and junked automobiles, are added to a base of municipal solid waste constituents are found using national data. Finally, the achieved rates reported by states counting different combinations are compared.     

Use of waste materials in the construction industry

The authors summarize the results of an International Symposium by Correspondence on the use of waste and by-product materials in the construction industry which was recently organized by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) on behalf of the Réunion Internationale des Laboratoires d'Essais et de Recherches sur les Matériaux et les Constructions (RILEM). Information on the production and use of the more important wastes is tabulated and the main findings and national trends are discussed.     

Development of key performance measures for the automobile green supply chain

The main purpose of this study was to develop a set of measures for evaluating the performance of the automobile green supply chain. This study reviewed various literatures on green supply chain performance measurement, environmental management, traditional supply chain performance measurement, and automobile supply chain management. In order to comprehensively and effectively establish the relevant measures, a suitable framework which considered the automobile green supply chain as a two-in-one chain was adopted. This two-in-one chain comprised a forward and backward chain for the automobile industry. Consequently, 10 measures with 49 metrics and 6 measures with 23 metrics were identified and developed for the forward and backward chains, respectively. Sequel to the development of these measures, a survey was conducted using a four-page questionnaire distributed to experts (including academics and practitioners) to establish their importance and applicability. The findings of this study suggested that the importance and applicability of all the developed measures have been substantiated. For the forward chain, the most crucial measure was customer perspective while the most applicable one was traditional supply chain cost. The reverse chain measures were topped by management commitment in terms of both importance and applicability. This study contributed to the advancement of knowledge by pioneering the development of a set of holistic measures for evaluating the performance of the automobile green supply chain. The study was wrapped up with the proposition of directions for further studies.     

我国工业固体废物污染治理行业2006年发展报告

本文介绍了2006年我国工业固体废物的产生、排放以及治理状况;概述了近年来国内工业固体废物处理利用技术取得的进展及重点发展领域,并对固体废物处理利用行业的发展提出了建议。     

Social-environmental certification: Sustainable development and competitiveness in the mineral industry of the Brazilian Amazon

This article examines the relationship between increased metal mining and sustainable development in the eastern section of the Amazonian state of Pará in Brazil. Since the early 1980s, mining has grown rapidly in Pará and local mining operations have become global leaders in the production of iron, manganese, bauxite, aluminum, gold, copper and — in the near future — nickel. To stay in tune with global standards, these companies have committed themselves to the principles of sustainability and have obtained certification for both social and environmental aspects of their activities. The article looks into whether such certification is linked to sustainable development of the relatively poor regions where these companies operate. The main findings are that: (1) there is a visible association between certification and improved performance by the companies, but not with the development of nearby areas; and (2) social‐environmental certification processes place more emphasis on ecological variables than on social ones.     

Location set covering for waste resource recycling centers in Taiwan

The efficiency of Taiwan's waste management and resource recycling systems has been well recognized in recent years, but the present model used to locate recycling centers and to assign collection depots to those centers continues to show low efficiency. To address this issue, the study herein suggests implementing a new location-planning and assignment model to reduce the number of existing recycling centers. Such a reduction would reduce the use of land resources. Moreover, the total transportation distance would decrease through the efficient assignment of collection depots to recycling centers. On the basis of results from previous studies, this study proposes a 2-stage location set covering problem-P-median integrated model that obtains exact solutions using heuristic algorithms on the basis of set operations. The results of numerical analyses show that the model introduced in this study is effective in solving the problems stated above as well as in improving the layout of Taiwan's existing recycling centers.     

典型进口废物循环利用技术园区投资建设模式研究

随着社会经济的快速发展、资源及原材料需求量的不断增加,以进口废物为原料进行加工利用的循环经济园区也随之蓬勃发展。循环经济产业园区建设过程中有投资巨大、资本回收周期长、投资主体众多的特点。在考虑经济效益的同时,也要统筹考虑社会效益和环境效益,因此选择何种投资建设模式来指导园区建设具有十分重大的意义。本文通过对国内三省的四个园区投资建设模式的调查研究,分析对比了不同投资建设模式的典型特征,总结概括了不同模式之间的优缺点,为同类园区的开发建设提供了有益参考。     

Economic and policy instrument analyses in support of the scrap tire recycling program in Taiwan

Understanding the cost-effectiveness and the role of economic and policy instruments, such as the combined product tax-recycling subsidy scheme or a tradable permit, for scrap tire recycling has been of crucial importance in a market-oriented environmental management system. Promoting product (tire) stewardship on one hand and improving incentive-based recycling policy on the other hand requires a comprehensive analysis of the interfaces and interactions in the nexus of economic impacts, environmental management, environmental valuation, and cost-benefit analysis. This paper presents an assessment of the interfaces and interactions between the implementation of policy instruments and its associated economic evaluation for sustaining a scrap tire recycling program in Taiwan during the era of the strong economic growth of the late 1990s. It begins with an introduction of the management of the co-evolution between technology metrics of scrap tire recycling and organizational changes for meeting the managerial goals island-wide during the 1990s. The database collected and used for such analysis covers 17 major tire recycling firms and 10 major tire manufacturers at that time. With estimates of scrap tire generation and possible scale of subsidy with respect to differing tire recycling technologies applied, economic analysis eventually leads to identify the associated levels of product tax with respect to various sizes of new tires. It particularly demonstrates a broad perspective of how an integrated econometric and engineering economic analysis can be conducted to assist in implementing policy instruments for scrap tire management. Research findings indicate that different subsidy settings for collection, processing, and end use of scrap tires should be configured to ameliorate the overall managerial effectiveness. Removing the existing boundaries between designated service districts could strengthen the competitiveness of scrap tires recycling industry, helping to reduce the required levels of product tax and subsidy. With such initial breakthroughs at hand to handle the complexity of scrap tire recycling technologies, there remains unique management and policy avenues left to explore if a multi-dimensional solution is to be successful in the long run.     

建筑垃圾资源化利用项目中特许经营模式的适用和争议——基于江苏省的实践启示

特许经营模式能够较好地发挥市场化、效率化、竞争化导向作用,充分发挥市场机制在资源配置中的决定性作用,在建筑垃圾资源化利用项目中得到了一定的应用。本文在分析江苏省建筑垃圾资源化利用项目中特许经营模式的实践经验和面临问题的基础上,总结了特许经营模式典型的交易结构,从物品属性、市场逻辑、风险分担和垄断之争四个方面对存在的争议问题和观点进行辨析,提出了国家层面制定规则、科学选择运作方式、确保采购充分竞争、合理确定项目补贴、加强政府规制作用和持续优化营商环境等政策建议,以期为未来建筑垃圾资源利用推广采用特许经营模式提供参考和启示。     

Cultural shift towards sustainability in the construction industry of Hong Kong

Sustainable development is forward-looking; it is a continuous mission for future developments of human society. A genuinely sustainable society is one that initiates developments in sustainable ways. The development of a genuinely sustainable society is supported by its citizens who think and act according to a recognized code of conduct - the sustainable culture. Similar to other forms of culture, sustainable culture of a society is not static, but changes over time. The changes found in a sustainable culture are reflections of the status of sustainability in a society and these changes should be measured from time to time. The resulting measurement gives very important information for decision-makers, in the government and in the private sector, to examine the magnitude of changes that have taken place in a given period of time. The results will also enable them to review and adjust policies in order to better accommodate changes according to the trends of society.This paper provides a method – the T-model, to investigate and measure the extent of change of sustainable culture through two extensive surveys among participants of the construction industry of Hong Kong. The change in sustainable culture is reflected by the change in attitude and practice among construction participants, this can be found in their performance in project development, design and construction operations. The data of these changes are collected and converted to numerical scores. The T-model synthesized these scores and revealed the change of sustainable culture within the specific study time frame.     

Formulation of criteria for pollution control on cement products produced from solid wastes in China

The process of producing cement products from solid waste can increase the level of pollutants in the cement products. Therefore, it is very important to establish a pollution control standard for cement products to protect the environment and human health. This paper presents acceptance limits for the availability of heavy metals in cement products which have been produced from solid wastes and explains how the limits have been calculated. The approach and method used to formulate these criteria were based on EN 12920. The typical exposure scenarios used in this paper involve concrete being used for drinking water supply pipelines and concrete pavements and are based on an analysis of typical applications of cement in China, and the potential for contact with water. The parameters of a tank test which was based on NEN 7375 were set in accordance with the environmental conditions of typical scenarios in China. Mechanisms controlling the release of heavy metals in concrete and a model for that release were obtained using the leaching test. Finally, based on acceptance criteria for drinking water and groundwater quality in China, limit values for the availability of heavy metals in concrete were calculated.     

基于轴—辐理论的皖江城市带物流网络空间构建

大力发展现代物流业和皖江城市带承接产业转移示范区建设是两大重要国家级战略.首先对轴—辐理论的国内外研究现状进行了总结和归纳,分析了轴—辐网络的结构及其优劣势.其次,设计了物流中心性指数的评价指标体系,运用主成分分析法对皖江城市带的9个地级城市进行物流节点等级划分,根据分析结果的总得分和区位特征确定合肥、芜湖、安庆3个一级物流节点,形成轴三角.分析了各级物流节点间的干线及支线物流通道,构建了皖江城市带轴—辐物流网络空间.