SUS 7700B Solid Waste Reuse and Recycling

Spring 2017. Subject to refinement/updating.

 

Instructor: Vasil Diyamandoglu
Schedule: Wednesday 2:00 p.m. to 4:40 p.m.
Location: SH-S205
3 credits 3 hours/week

Instructor

Vasil Diyamandoglu, PhD; Civil Engineering Department
Contact:   vdiyamandoglu@ccny.cuny.edu
Office: 184 Steinman Hall, Grove School of Engineering, City College of  NY

Description

Characterization and generation of solid waste streams in municipal, commercial, and industrial sectors. Waste minimization by way of pollution prevention, reuse and recycling. Analysis of state-of-the-art reuse and recycling technologies and their implementation in major commercial and industrial sectors such as paper, glass, plastics, metals, wood, tires, electronics, and construction/demolition (concrete recycling). Local, state and national legislative trends and regulatory requirements. Environmental impact of reuse and recycling as reduction in CO2 emissions, conservation of energy, and global warming. Circular economy and implementation of zero waste strategies in urban systems.  Examples of public and private reuse and recycling programs in New York City, the United States and Europe.

Objectives

The goals of the course are to familiarize the students with:

(1) Generation, characterization, and disposal methods for domestic, commercial, and industrial solid wastes.

(2) Environmental, societal, and economic considerations in handling of solid wastes.

(3) Current state-of-the-art technologies for processing of solid wastes for recycling, including their implementation in selected industries.

(4) Laws and local ordinances regulating recycling and reuse of solid wastes.

(5) The impact of materials reuse on CO2 emissions, urban sustainability, and energy consumption with specific examples from local and national reuse industries.

(6) Factors affecting the success or failure of reuse and recycling in urban systems.

(7) Zero Waste strategies and challenges facing their implementation.

Prerequisites

CE 37200 or equivalent or graduate standing in the Masters in Urban Sustainability Program at CCNY, and consent of instructor.

Reading Assignments

Textbook: The McGrawHill Recycling Handbook – 2nd Edition. Author: Herbert F. Lund,

ISBN 0-07-039156-4.

Reference Book:

1. Tchobanoglous, G., Theisen H., Vigil, S. (1993) “Integrated Solid Waste Management – Engineering Principles and Management Issues”, McGraw Hill, Inc., ISBN: 0-07-063237-5.

2. Porter, R. C. (2002)

Course Requirements

  • Attendance is mandatory and will be taken each meeting.
  • There will be no field trips planned due to the high number of students as a result of co-teaching.
  • Make-up quizzes will not be given. 
  • Each student is allowed to miss one quiz without having to provide an excuse.  Any further absences from quizzes will result in receiving the grade of zero for that quiz.
  • All papers will be individual.  No “group papers” will be allowed.
  • The papers must be submitted “in print”.  The full references will be uploaded on blackboard.  The full list of requirements for the papers will be provided on Blackboard.

Written Assignments

The Term paper for the course will involve the topic of “Implementation and Effectiveness of Recycling and Zero Waste strategies in Private K-12 Schools in NYC”.  Each student will carry the same topic and will examine the trends in two elementary, one middle school and two high schools, to collect data for their report.  A detailed description of the project will be provided by the end of February 2017.

Grading

Assignment

Group

No

Topic

 

Total

Percent

A

3

Three individual 5-page term papers on topics proposed

by the instructor or the student @ 6% - requirements to be given out

18%

B

5

Five in-class quizzes @ 3% each (closed book and closed notes)

15%

C

1

One class term paper (20 pages – due Friday May 26 at 5:00 pm)

20%

D

1

Midterm Examination

20%

E

1

Final Examination

27%

 

Course Outline

The students completing this course will be expected to have acquired a broad understanding of implementing reuse and recycling in the municipal, commercial and industrial sectors in urban areas. The technologies used to process materials for reuse and recycling will be examined with examples from major sectors. The environmental impact of such applications will be covered. Specialized reuse and recycling programs in New York City and other Cities in the US will be examined. Guest speakers will be invited to present programs of particular interest.

Week

No.

Date

Topic

Assign

Due

1

1/31

Introduction and material flow analysis in municipal solid waste (MSW) management. Environmental benefits in implementing reuse and recycling of MSW) and economic justification of implementing such programs.

Reading: To be uploaded on Blackboard

 

2

2/07

Functional elements of an Integrated Waste Management System.

Reading: Textbook – Chapters 1 and 2

CLASS  CANCELLED  BY  INSTRUCTOR  DUE  TO  ILLNESS

To be made up on Tuesday, April 18.

 

3

2/14

Physical and chemical characteristics of MSW.

Reading: Textbook - Chapter 3, Chapters 10-12

 

4

2/21

Biological characteristics of MSW.

Reading:  Textbook – Chapters 4, 13, 14.

Quiz1

5

2/28

Processing of organic component of MSW.

EPA’s four basic MSW Management Options (Source Reduction, Recycling & Composting, Waste to Energy, Landfilling)

Reading: Textbook - Chapter 5, Chapters 15-18

 

Paper1

6

3/07

Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs)

Reading: Chapters 5, 6, 23, 24, and 25

Quiz2

7

3/14

MRF – Continued :  Materials Flow, and Unit Operations

Waste to Energy Facilities

Reading: Chapters 7, 8, 9, 26 and 27

 

8

3/21

Food Wastes: Principles and application of COMPOSTING to food wastes.

Reading: To be uploaded on Blackboard

Quiz3

9

3/28

Food Wastes: Principles and application of ANAEROBIC DIGESTION to food wastes.

Reading: To be uploaded on Blackboard

 

Paper2

10

4/04

MIDTERM EXAMINATION (closed book and closed notes)

 

 

4/11

SPRING BREAK

Reading:  Textbook – Section IV (Chapters 20 through 33)

 

 

4/18

SPRING BREAK     (make up class for 2/07)

 

11

4/25

Zero Waste – Principles and Applications

Reading: To be uploaded on Blackboard

Paper3

Quiz4

12

5/02

Concrete Recycling – Prof. Ardavan Yazdanbaksh, Civil Engineering Dept.

Reading:Textbook – Chapter 20 – To be provided by visiting lecturer

 

13

5/09

Principles and applications of Waste Prevention and Product Reuse in Municipal Solid Waste Systems

Reading: To be uploaded on Blackboard

Quiz5

14

5/16

Landfilling  and Review of course.

 

15

5/23

FINAL EXAMINATION (same time a place as the lecture hour).

 

 

5/26

Term Paper Submission Deadline

Term

Paper

 

Last Updated: 01/29/2024 10:43