Performance evaluation of reverse logistics enterprise – an agent-based simulation approach

Reverse logistics (RL) has been applied in many industries and sectors since its conception. Unlike forward logistics, retracing consumer goods from the point of consumption to the point of inception is not a well-studied process. It involves many uncertainties such as time, quality and quantity of returns. The returned products can be remanufactured, have parts harvested, or be disposed safely. It is important to implement these activities in a cost-effective manner. The aim of this research is to measure the performance of the RL enterprise with the help of an agent-based simulation model. The major entities in the RL network are considered as Agents that can act independently. There are several different agents: collector agent, sorting-cum-reuse agent, remanufacturing agent, recycler agent, supplier agent and distributor agent. The individual performances of the agents are measured and recommendations are given to improve their performance, leading to the enhancement of the total performance of the RL enterprise. The approach is applied to a case study involving cell phone remanufacturing.     

Effectiveness of conservation easements in agricultural regions

Conservation easements are a standard technique for preventing habitat loss, particularly in agricultural regions with extensive cropland cultivation, yet little is known about their effectiveness. I developed a spatial econometric approach to propensity‐score matching and used the approach to estimate the amount of habitat loss prevented by a grassland conservation easement program of the U.S. federal government. I used a spatial autoregressive probit model to predict tract enrollment in the easement program as of 2001 based on tract agricultural suitability, habitat quality, and spatial interactions among neighboring tracts. Using the predicted values from the model, I matched enrolled tracts with similar unenrolled tracts to form a treatment group and a control group. To measure the program's impact on subsequent grassland loss, I estimated cropland cultivation rates for both groups in 2014 with a second spatial probit model. Between 2001 and 2014, approximately 14.9% of control tracts were cultivated and 0.3% of treated tracts were cultivated. Therefore, approximately 14.6% of the protected land would have been cultivated in the absence of the program. My results demonstrate that conservation easements can significantly reduce habitat loss in agricultural regions; however, the enrollment of tracts with low cropland suitability may constrain the amount of habitat loss they prevent. My results also show that spatial econometric models can improve the validity of control groups and thereby strengthen causal inferences about program effectiveness in situations when spatial interactions influence conservation decisions.     

Recycling-oriented characterization of plastic frames and printed circuit boards from mobile phones by electronic and chemical imaging

This study characterizes the composition of plastic frames and printed circuit boards from end-of-life mobile phones. This knowledge may help define an optimal processing strategy for using these items as potential raw materials. Correct handling of such a waste is essential for its further “sustainable” recovery, especially to maximize the extraction of base, rare and precious metals, minimizing the environmental impact of the entire process chain. A combination of electronic and chemical imaging techniques was thus examined, applied and critically evaluated in order to optimize the processing, through the identification and the topological assessment of the materials of interest and their quantitative distribution. To reach this goal, end-of-life mobile phone derived wastes have been systematically characterized adopting both “traditional” (e.g. scanning electronic microscopy combined with microanalysis and Raman spectroscopy) and innovative (e.g. hyperspectral imaging in short wave infrared field) techniques, with reference to frames and printed circuit boards. Results showed as the combination of both the approaches (i.e. traditional and classical) could dramatically improve recycling strategies set up, as well as final products recovery.     

西安市建筑垃圾渣土资源再利用研究

建筑垃圾渣土作为"建筑副产品",已造成严重的城市环境问题。通过对西安市建筑垃圾渣土的现场调查及工程再利用,借鉴发达国家及国内省市建筑垃圾渣土的成功管理经验和资源再利用的成功范例,提出了西安建筑垃圾资源再利用的对策建议,对"十三五"期间减少已有建筑垃圾的存量并遏制增量和建设西安森林城市具有参考意义。     

构建中国快递行业包装废弃物产业链对环境影响重要性研究

互联网和电子商务的快速发展带动了快递行业的飞速发展,使社会对快递包装物的需求增加.庞大的快递废弃物给环境造成了严重的破坏.然而由于相关法律不健全、回收体系不完整、企业不积极以及回收渠道少等原因导致了中国的快递包装废弃物回收率非常低.构建快递包装废弃物回收产业链,并降低快递包装废弃物对环境造成的影响就成了社会经济发展的一个迫切需要.为此推广环保材料和环保产品以及提高消费者环保意识入手,构建快递包装废弃物回收产业链势在必行.     

城郊农业区小流域土地利用结构对氮素输出的影响

以位于湖南省长沙市城郊农业区的金脱河流域为研究区域,通过解译2009年的Spot-5卫星遥感图获取了小流域的土地利用图;结合流域的DEM图,利用ArcGIS 9.3的水文、空间分析模块将流域划分为若干个子流域,分析各子流域的土地利用结构.从2009年12月～2010年11月在各子流域出口处采取水样,分析其TN、NH4+-N、NO3--N输出浓度、输出量的时空变化特征以及与土地利用结构、施肥等因素之间的关系.结果表明,流域径流氮素污染严重,其TN、NH4+-N输出浓度呈明显的季节变化特征,为冬季>春季>夏、秋季,而NO3--N的输出浓度的季节差异较小.流域内的土地利用结构对NO3--N的输出浓度起着重要的控制作用,林地、水面表现为源作用,水田、旱地、居民地为汇作用;不同的时间尺度上土地利用结构对其影响不同,年度尺度上对NO3--N输出影响最大的为旱地,春夏季为林地,秋冬季为旱地.TN、NH4+-N的输出浓度与土地利用结构的相关性较差,各形态氮素的输出量与纯氮施用量、人口数、养猪量表现为极显著正相关.     

再生水灌溉土壤人工合成麝香累积模型模拟

人工合成麝香(HHCB/AHTN)是近几年来受关注较多的药品与个人护理品(PPCPs)类新型污染物之一,再生水灌溉是HHCB/AHTN输入土壤的主要途径.本研究结合再生水灌溉土壤的实地检测结果,采用HYDRUS-1D模型,模拟了长期灌溉再生水条件下土壤中HHCB和AHTN的迁移转化和累积趋势.结果表明,尽管土壤中这两种麝香的含量极低,但是再生水灌溉土壤中的含量是自来水灌溉土壤的5倍;再生水灌溉下HHCB/AHTN累积趋势从lgKoc较低为3.44时的指数型增加,到lgKoc较高为4.12和4.86时的线性增加;半衰期的变化对再生水灌溉途径输入土壤的HHCB/AHTN的表层累积影响并不明显;再生水灌溉下土壤中HHCB/AHTN的垂直迁移能力较小,灌溉40 a以后最大迁移距离只有53 cm,且受Koc变化的影响较大;通过灌溉水途径进入土壤的HHCB和AHTN通过生物降解与植物吸收途径消解的比例较低,最高只占输入总量的7.69%,但是随着lgKoc的减小和灌溉时间增加,通过生物降解和根系吸收的消解率增加.本研究结果能够为准确评估再生水灌溉途径引起的土壤中人工合成麝香HHCB/AHTN的生态风险提供依据.     

日本交通部门碳排放与低碳交通相关因素研究

本文就日本向低碳社会体系转型的过程中,交通部门碳排放现状、都市交通体系构成、实施对策等方面进行了分析,探讨其交通运输领域低碳交通的相关因素及发展模式,为中国低碳交通体系的构建提供参考。     

天津市农业循环经济产业体系构建研究

阐述了农业循环经济的现状及发展前景,对天津市构建农业循环经济产业体系的发展思路和发展重点开展研究,并提出了天津市构建农业循环经济产业体系的对策建议。     

平板显示器回收的新挑战

显示屏（监视器和电视机）经历了从阴极射线管到平板显示器技术的快速变化。截至目前为止,只有少量的平板显示器已记录在废物收集点。平板显示器的数量越来越多,在未来需要足够的用于回收的基础设施。本文旨在通过液晶显示屏幕的回收对经济影响的案例研究来提供数量、成分、回收利用技术和经验的基本数据。对于组件和材料也适用于其他类型的电子产品,如黑色金属和有色金属,印刷电路板或电缆,回收途径和技术是众所周知的和可用的。目前,液晶显示器（LCD）在欧洲不回收。处置时,例如,通过焚烧,有价值的材料,其成分是不再可用。例如：铟具有重要战略意义的应用,如,太阳能光伏作为一种稀缺资源。液晶显示器在欧洲具有回收基础设施,因此是有用的。