Green urbanization

Large cities are more productive and generate more output per person. Using data from the UK on energy demand and waste generation, we show that they are also more energy-efficient. Large cities are therefore greener than small towns. The amount of energy demanded and waste generated per person is decreasing in total output produced, that is, energy demand and waste generation scale sublinearly with output. Our research provides the first direct evidence of green urbanization by calculating the rate at which per capita electricity use and waste decrease with city population. The energy demand elasticity with respect to city output is 83%: as the total output of a city increases by one percent, energy demand increases less than one percent, and the Urban Energy Premium is therefore 17%. The energy premium by source of energy demand is from households (13%), transport (20%), and industry (16%). Similarly, we find that the elasticity of waste generation with respect to city output is 90%. For one percent increase in total city output, there is a less than one percent increase in waste, with an Urban Waste Premium of 10%. Because large cities are energy-efficient ways of generating output, energy efficiency can be improved by encouraging urbanization and thus green living. We perform a counterfactual analysis in a spatial equilibrium model that makes income taxes contingent on city population, which attracts more people to big cities. We find that this pro-urbanization counterfactual not only increases economic output but also lowers energy consumption and waste production in the aggregate.

Inedible Food Waste Linked to Diet Quality and Food Spending in the Seattle Obesity Study SOS III

Americans waste about a pound of food per day. Some of this is represented by inedible food waste at the household level. Our objective was to estimate inedible food waste in relation to diet quality and participant socio-economic status (SES). Seattle Obesity Study III participants (n = 747) completed the Fred Hutch Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and socio-demographic and food expenditure surveys. Education and geo-coded tax-parcel residential property values were measures of SES. Inedible food waste was calculated from diet records. Retail prices of FFQ component foods (n = 378) were used to estimate individual-level diet costs. The NOVA classification was used to identify ultra-processed foods. Multivariable linear regressions tested associations between inedible food waste, SES, food spending, Nutrient Rich Food (NRF_9.3) and Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015) scores. Inedible food waste was estimated at 78.7 g/d, mostly from unprocessed vegetables (32.8 g), fruit (30.5 g) and meat, poultry, and fish (15.4 g). Greater inedible food waste was associated with higher HEI-2015 and NRF_9.3 scores, higher food expenditures and lower percent energy from ultra-processed foods. In multivariable models, more inedible food waste was associated with higher food expenditures, education and residential property values. Higher consumption of unprocessed foods were associated with more inedible food waste and higher diet costs. Geo-located estimates of inedible food waste can provide a proxy index of neighborhood diet quality.

Preschool Healthy Food Policy Did Not Increase Percent of Food Wasted: Evidence from the Carolinas

This research evaluates the effects of a South Carolina (SC) policy, which changed the nutrition standards for foods served in early care and education (ECE) settings, on wasted food. A two-group pre-test/post-test evaluation was performed in ECE centers serving children age 3-5 from households with lower incomes in SC (n = 102 children from 34 centers, intervention) and North Carolina (NC; n = 99 children from 30 centers, comparison). Direct observation was performed to assess the quantity and kcal of food served and quantity and percent of food discarded, by food group and nutrient, enabling assessment of waste in the absence of intervention. Mixed-effects linear models were fit to estimate, by state, differences in change from baseline to post-implementation at the center level. Covariates were selected a priori, including center enrollment, racial composition, director educational attainment, years in operation, for-profit status, and Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) participation. Waste of food was high across states and time points. The policy was not associated with a change in percent of food discarded in SC compared to NC in adjusted analyses.

Food waste tendencies: Behavioral response to cosmetic deterioration of food

American households discard a significant amount of food that represent a sizable portion of their food expenditures. This study adds to our understanding of product attributes associated with food waste, with a focus on cosmetic deterioration during home storage. Specifically, we profile a sample of U.S. individuals by patterns of common food-related behaviors and determine the effects of product attributes on food waste tendencies at the point of consumption by distinct behavioral profiles. An interactive survey at the Minnesota State Fair (N = 333) was used to obtain measurements on food-related behavior and sociodemographic factors. The survey included a conjoint task to elicit food discard tendencies to construct the food waste proxy. The study considered cosmetic deterioration, date labels, implied shelf life, package size, and prices paid, in fresh, packaged spinach and ground beef products. Factor analysis and latent class modeling categorized the sample into two classes, revealing distinct food-related behavioral patterns. Planners, who constituted a slight majority in our sample, were likely to have established pre-shopping and in-store behavior and food management and cooking skills. Extemporaneous Consumers had inferior food handling routines and were less knowledgeable and skilled in the kitchen. Regression analysis using a random-effects tobit model showed Extemporaneous Consumers were prone to waste a greater portion of the spinach product than Planners. Otherwise, both classes showed similar increases in likelihood to discard the products, as their appearance deteriorated. Their tendency to waste increased with shorter remaining shelf life for spinach but not for ground beef, and was not affected by the date label type. Results suggest an intervention that targets a general audience designed to enhance people's skills to discern edibility of food in home storage by manipulating sensory expectations from cosmetic deterioration could be impactful in efforts to curtail food waste.

Evaluation of microplastics in beach sediments along the coast of Dubai, UAE

Microplastic contamination in beach sediments along coast of Dubai is un-documented. In this study, microplastic contamination in beach sediments collected from the wrack lines of 16 beaches in Dubai was evaluated. Five samples were collected from each beach along a 100 m stretch using a 0.5 m by 0.5 m, quadrant. The number, color, and shape of microplastics were documented. The polymer types of large fibers and strings were identified through FT-IR analysis. 480 microplastics from each of the 16 beaches were selected to detect heavy metals using XRF analysis. The results showed that the average weight of microplastic is 0.33 mg per gram of dry sediment (or 953 mg·m^-2) and the number of microplastic is 59.71 items per kg of dry sediment (or 165 items·m^-2). Blue and fibrous microplastics were dominant. Polyethylene strings and fibers were abundantly found. 13 heavy metals were identified of which five are priority pollutants.

Impact of a Pilot School-Based Nutrition Intervention on Fruit and Vegetable Waste at School Lunches

OBJECTIVE

To determine the preliminary impact of the Brighter Bites nutrition intervention on decreasing fruit and vegetable (F&V) waste at school lunches among fourth- and fifth-grade children.

METHOD

This was a nonrandomized pre-post-controlled study in Houston and Dallas, TX. Two schools received the Brighter Bites intervention (n = 76), and 1 comparison school (n = 39), during the 2017-2018 school year. Brighter Bites is a 16-week school-based nutrition intervention providing weekly distribution of fresh F&V plus nutrition education. Main outcome measures were direct observation and weights to measure the number of F&V dishes selected at school lunches, amount of F&V wasted (gm), and related nutrient waste (4 time points/child). Mixed-effects linear regression analysis was used to determine change in F&V selection and waste over time.

RESULTS

There was a significant decrease over time in proportion of F&V selected among those in the comparison school, but not the intervention schools (P < .001). Compared with children in the comparison group, those receiving Brighter Bites showed a significant decrease in the amount of F&V wasted at each meal (P < .001) and per item (P < .05) at the end of both 8 and 16 weeks of intervention. There were significant decreases in waste of energy (kcal); dietary fiber (gm); vitamins B₁, B₃, and B₆ (mg); total folate (µg); and B₁₂ (µg) among those receiving Brighter Bites (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Although absolute food or nutrient changes were small even when significant, programs such as Brighter Bites may contribute to a healthy intake. Future studies are warranted that include a larger sample size with a stringent, cluster-randomized control trial design and consideration for other covariates.

Technical potential and geographic distribution of agricultural residues, co-products and by-products in the European Union

Value waste chain generates a significant amount of different agricultural wastes, co-products and by-products (AWCB) that occur during three major stages of a complex path, from farm to fork. This paper presents stages where and how waste occurs along the path from the ground to the table for a period of 7 years, from 2010 to 2016 in the 28 member countries of the European Union (EU28). Considering the specific conditions of the EU28 community, four different sectors with 26 commodities and waste types that occur in those sectors were analysed: 5 commodities in the Fruit sector, 10 commodities in the Vegetable sector, 7 commodities in the Cereal sector and 4 commodities in the Animal sector. The analysis consists of three stages of waste appearance: production (harvesting, farming), processing and consumption (raw, uncooked food). Production data were taken from Eurostat, import and export data were taken from FAOSTAT. Methodology and calculations consist of relations between specific values. Those specific values for every commodity are the production data, import and export data, and consumption of raw food by the inhabitants of a country. Total consumption of raw food by inhabitant is calculated from the specific consumption per capita and population. The results of the study showed that from 2010 to 2016 in the EU28 the estimated quantity of the AWCB appeared to be around 18.4 billion tonnes, with the sector percentages as follows: Animal ~31%, Vegetable ~44%, Cereal ~22% and Fruit ~2%. In the Animal sector, the most dominant were developed countries, with high population density and high level of industrialisation. The Cereal, Fruit and Vegetable sectors have shown to generate higher AWCB quantities in the countries with more available land area and appropriate climate conditions.

Socio-economic factors of high trash generation in the city of Los Angeles

Trash is one of major pollutants in urban runoff. Some studies have been conducted to verify the different impacts of land use on trash generation in a qualitative way and focused on the performance of trash control measures. Few studies have explored the human impacts on trash generation or developed a quantitative model to describe the phenomenon. This paper examined the impact of human activity on trash generation. Spatial regimes on high trash generation areas were identified using the selected variables from best subset model regression and validated with Moran's I scatter plot and spatial analysis of variance. Bidirectional spatial lag regression with regimes was performed to develop the final model to explain the spatial distribution of trash generation and identify its major causes. The result showed that economic status and occupation of the population were correlated with trash accumulation and the dominant land use type, and the distance to rivers most affected trash generation. The effects of these indicators were different within and outside the high trash generation areas.

Entanglement of northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) in marine debris on Tyuleniy Island (Sea of Okhotsk) in 1998-2013

The systematic annual observations of the northern fur seal rookery on Tyuleniy (= Robben) Island, Sea of Okhotsk, were started in 1958. Since 1975, all seals entangled in marine debris have been registered. Some of the data on this issue, collected on the island in the late 20th century, were published earlier. This report provides data for the period of completion of the commercial sealing (from 1998 to 2013). During this period, a total of 867 fur seals were observed entangled in marine debris, including 212 bulls, 97 half-bulls, 223 bachelors, and 335 females. The estimated mean annual number of entangled fur seals in 1998-2013 is 1113 individuals. Marine debris was found mainly on the neck and, less frequently, on the head and front flippers of the animals. This included pieces of fishing nets, packaging bands, ropes, fishing lines, and other items of anthropogenic origin.

Baseline and power analyses for the assessment of beach litter reductions in the European OSPAR region

Marine litter pollution is a global environmental problem. Beach litter is a part of this problem, and is widely monitored in Europe. The European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires a reduction of beach litter. A reduction of 30% has been proposed in the European Plastics Strategy. The aims of this study are to develop (a) a method to calculate sufficiently stable and precise baseline values for beach litter, and (b) to derive a method of power analysis to estimate the number of beach litter surveys, necessary to detect a given reduction, using these baseline values. Beach litter data from the OSPAR (Oslo Paris Convention) region were used, and tailor-made statistical methods were implemented in open source software, litteR. Descriptive statistics and Theil-Sen and Mann-Kendall trend analyses were calculated for the most abundant beach litter types, for 14 survey sites. The length of a baseline period necessary to obtain a specified precision of the mean baseline value, expressed as Coefficient of Variation (CV), was calculated. Power analyses were performed using Monte Carlo simulations combined with Wilcoxon tests to determine significant deviations of the simulated datasets from the baseline mean values. For most survey sites, the mean length of monitoring periods necessary to achieve a CV < 10% amounts to four to five years with four surveys a year. The mean number of surveys necessary to detect a statistically significant reduction of 30% with 80% power ranges from 14 to 20. Power analyses show that a reduction of 10% is difficult to detect, because more than 24 surveys are needed. In contrary, a reduction of 40-50% can be detected easily with a small (<12) number of surveys. The new methods could also be applied to other areas where similar beach litter surveys are performed.

A critical review of the issue of cigarette butt pollution in coastal environments

Beach anthropogenic litter is a worldwide problem and has been discussed in the specialized literature for decades. Cigarette butts (CB) are the most frequent form of personal item found on beaches. Yearly, 6 trillion cigarettes are smoked worldwide, and 4.5 trillion cigarettes are littered in the environment. The objective of our review was to assess the relevant literature on the issue of CB in costal environments, including urban areas. We compile and discuss studies (1998-2018) of CB sources for coastal environments, composition/degradability, quantification on beaches, toxicity to aquatic organisms and existing strategies to abate the problem. The literature shows that despite the growing interest in marine litter, this specific issue remains little studied and information is limited in time and space. Studies have been undertaken on islands, continental coasts, estuaries and coastal cities. There area wide variety of approaches to classification; for example, CB are considered plastic in 19% of studies and placed in an isolated category in another 16%. It was possible to identify the main sources of CB in coastal environments and access to the marine biota. In conclusion, we list and discuss proposals for reducing smoking, littering and marine pollution as a contribution to reduce the problems caused by CB in coastal and marine environments. CAPSULE: Cigarette butts are a pervasive, toxic and recalcitrant type of marine litter that requires urgent attention from manufacturers, users, authorities and the public to prevent the ingestion of cigarette butts by biota and water pollution from its leachate.

A systematic review on cigarette butt management as a hazardous waste and prevalent litter: control and recycling

Annually, over 5.5 trillion cigarettes are produced worldwide, and it is estimated that 4.5 trillion cigarette butts (CBs) are still being littered in the world. The dispersal of the CBs has caused this hazardous waste to be considered as one of the most important litters and environmental risks all over the world. This systematic study with the search protocol definition and keyword identification was developed to find the CBs control and recycling methods by searching in five scientific databases. Founded articles were monitored and finally, 35 related articles were selected and studied by the authors. The results of this study showed that CBs recycling methods have been tested in 10 specific categories all over the world. The CBs have been applied without any pre-processing methods in the bricks and asphalt production. However, other applications of the CBs such as the absorbent material production, vector control, and use as a biofilm carrier in wastewater treatment need various processing methods. The researchers also presented models and suggestions such as taxes, penalties, and public education for the control of CBs littering. Despite the innovative methods applied for the CBs recycling in previous studies, CBs have not received much attention in terms of pollutant control and environmental issues in recycling processes.

Characterization of food waste from different sources in Hong Kong

Food waste from different sources or at different generation stages may have different compositional characteristics and is therefore suitable for recycling into different products. To have a better understanding of their chemical composition, five food waste types were collected, namely, household kitchen waste (HH), preconsumption and postconsumption food waste from a hotel (Hpr and Hpo), wet market food waste (WM) and kitchen waste from a Chinese restaurant (CR), and their compositions were assessed monthly for 1 year. They served as suitable feedstock for various conversion technologies according to their chemical profiles. HH and CR had higher crude protein content (26%) and considerable amounts of minerals, making them nutritionally suitable for feeding animals. Preconsumption food wastes Hpr and WM had more favorable C:N ratios (16.5-17.4) and crude fat contents (4.6-6.5%) as feedstock for composting. Postconsumption food wastes were potential feedstock for the production of biogas and biodiesel because of the higher dry matter (>26%) and fat content (>13%). The coefficients of variation (CV) in all nutrients analyzed except Ca for postconsumption food wastes ranged from 5% to 37%, which showed lower temporal variability than preconsumption food wastes (CVs 10-131%). This implies that the composition of postconsumption food waste was relatively less fluctuating and can be considered a more reliable feedstock for food waste conversion. Implications: Characterization of food waste composition from different sources and determination of their temporal variation were performed to understand their characteristics and facilitate sound food waste management. Separating food wastes according to their sources and types helps reduce their composition variability, and thus increases the consistence in food-waste-derived products and recycling success. Study on temporal variation indicates that postconsumption food wastes varied less with time and could serve as reliable feedstocks for food waste conversion.

Characteristics and management modes of domestic waste in rural areas of developing countries: a case study of China

A huge accumulation of domestic waste has caused serious environmental contamination in rural areas of developing countries (RADIC). The characteristics and management of domestic waste are carefully discussed, based on field surveys and a literature review. The results indicate that the generation in most of RADIC is less than the median of 0.521 kg day^-1 per capita in China, and much smaller than in rural areas of developed countries (RADEC). Organic waste and inert waste with an accumulative mass percentage of 72.31% are dominant components of domestic waste in the rural areas of China. There are trends of increasing amounts of kitchen waste, paper/cardboard, and plastic/rubber and a decreasing trend of ash waste. The RADIC composition of domestic waste had a high content of organic waste and a low content of recyclable waste compared to the RADEC. Domestic waste has good compressibility and a light bulk density ranging from 40 to 650 kg m^-3. The moisture, ash, combustible, and calorific values of domestic waste were 53.31%, 18.03%, 28.67%, and 5368 kJ kg^-1, respectively. The domestic waste has an abundance of nutrients including organic matter (39.05%), nitrogen (1.02%), phosphorus (0.50%), and potassium (1.42%). In RADIC, domestic waste can be used as an agricultural manure only after it has been collected and sorted for the potential risk of heavy metal accumulation. Based on these characteristics of domestic waste and the different situations of rural areas, four waste management modes including centralized treatment, decentralized treatment, group treatment, and mobile treatment are designed and discussed.

Legal Strategies to Cure the Plastic Planet: Corporate Marriage and Public Health Regulation of Single-Use Non-Biodegradeable Plastics

The 2018 export ban of recyclables to China provides an additional important reason for Australia in particular to act internationally and domestically to reduce its plastic waste. The problems Australia faces from single-use non-biodegradable plastics are replicated in every nation on Earth. Focusing on the Australian context, this article examines regulatory approaches to the problem of plastic production, consumption and disposal and its negative impact on public and ecosystem health. It scrutinises the current legal framework for managing plastic waste at Commonwealth, State and international levels, advocating greater regulation. Its regulatory recommendations include a Pigouvian tax in the form of an excise on plastic production to alter consumer behaviour and raise revenue for further investment in reusable alternatives. They also involve mandatory corporate responsibility obligations, a concept we term "corporate marriage". Other alternative and additional measures to combat single-use plastic waste as utilised in other jurisdictions are proposed for Australian implementation.

Composition and abundance of benthic marine litter in a coastal area of the central Mediterranean Sea

Abundance and qualitative composition of benthic marine litter were investigated in a coastal area of the central Mediterranean Sea. Almost 30 km of video footage, collected by a Remotely Operated Vehicle between 5 and 30 m depth, were analyzed. Litter density ranged from 0 to 0.64 items/m² with a mean of 0.11 (±0.16) items/m². General wastes, made up almost entirely of plastic objects, were the dominant sources of debris representing 68% of the overall litter. The remaining 32% consisted of lost or abandoned fishing gears. Synthetic polymers, considering both fishing gears and general waste, represented 73% of total debris items. Our results are comparable with litter amounts reported in other Mediterranean sites at similar depths. Overall, the results are discussed in terms of monitoring strategy, to support the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC) for descriptor 10 and the Mediterranean UN Environment (UNEP/MAP) regional Plan on Marine Litter.

Visualizing the shape of society: An analysis of public bads and burden allocation due to household consumption using an input-output approach

This study investigates how our lifestyles can cause societal issue including a reduction in social equity due to the consumption of natural resources. Based on a range of household environmental footprints and their application to a quantitative social equity evaluation framework, a methodology is proposed which identifies the creation and origin of public bads within society. This research builds on the methodologies of energy policy sustainability evaluation incorporated with environmentally extended input output analysis in order to critically assess lifestyle-based consumption impacts, and to quantify the allocation of subsequent burdens across generations. Further, the proposed methodology is applied to a case study in Japan, an aging, shrinking population. Analysis identifies the increasing burden originating with elderly generations, and due to the resolution offered by the methodology, specifically identifies commodities and services which underpin these future burdens, allowing for policy implications to be drawn. The public bads and consumption burden indicator established through the described methodology is proposed as a footprint harmonizing tool to assess sustainability and supplement the footprint family.

Type and quantity of coastal debris pollution in Taiwan: A 12-year nationwide assessment using citizen science data

Man-made coastal debris pollution is a growing concern for Taiwan. In 2004, Taiwanese environmental organizations led by the "Society of Wilderness" began gathering data on 19 categories of debris items collected during cleanup events. We present our analysis of the resulting 12-year dataset collated from 541 events held between October 2004 and December 2016. In total, 904,302 items weighing 131,358.3 kg were collected, and 63.6% and 27.2% of items were made of either plastic or plastic mixed with other materials, respectively. The five most commonly recorded debris categories were plastic shopping bags, plastic bottle caps, disposable tablewares, fishing equipment, and plastic drinking straws. We estimated that during the 12-year period on average between 3.7 and 7.9 million items weighing 560-1110 metric tons polluted Taiwan's coastline. We offer recommendations for improving the quality of data collected during Taiwan's cleanup events and report some policy changes due partly to previous reports of this dataset.

Towards zero waste production in the paint industry wastewater using an agro-based material in the treatment train

An attempt has been made to evaluate the use of natural, agro-based material, Moringa oleifera as a coagulant in the treatment of recreated water-based paint effluent. The treatment train sequence comprising coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, sand filtration, and membrane filtration was used. The efficiency was evaluated in terms of color and turbidity. The influence of experimental parameters such as eluent type, eluent concentration, coagulant dose, coagulant-eluate volume, initial effluent pH, and initial effluent concentration was examined. The recommended conditions to yield maximum removal efficiency are 80 mL of eluate prepared using 3 g of M. oleifera seed powder and 1 N NaCl, under actual pH, to treat a liter of effluent. The treated supernatant from coagulation unit was passed through a sand filtration setup and a membrane filtration, with a maximum removal of color above 95%. The results affirmed the positive coagulation properties of M. oleifera, which could serve as a better alternative for chemical coagulant. The optimized treatment conditions derived for the recreated paint effluent were applied in the real paint effluent treatment. An opportunity was identified for re-using treated wastewater, as a cooling fluid and a diluting agent for lower quality paints.The results affirmed the positive coagulation properties of M. oleifera, which could serve as a better alternative for chemical coagulant. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Bioindicators for monitoring marine litter ingestion and its impacts on Mediterranean biodiversity

The Mediterranean Sea has been described as one of the most affected areas by marine litter in the world. Although effects on organisms from marine plastic litter ingestion have been investigated in several oceanic areas, there is still a lack of information from the Mediterranean Sea. The main objectives of this paper are to review current knowledge on the impact of marine litter on Mediterranean biodiversity, to define selection criteria for choosing marine organisms suitable for use as bioindicator species, and to propose a methodological approach to assessing the harm related to marine litter ingestion in several Mediterranean habitats and sub-regions. A new integrated monitoring tool that would provide the information necessary to design and implement future mitigation actions in the Mediterranean basin is proposed. According to bibliographic research and statistical analysis on current knowledge of marine litter ingestion, the area of the Mediterranean most studied, in terms of number of species and papers in the Mediterranean Sea is the western sub-area as well as demersal (32.9%) and pelagic (27.7%) amongst habitats. Applying ecological and biological criteria to the most threatened species obtained by statistical analysis, bioindicator species for different habitats and monitoring scale were selected. A threefold approach, simultaneously measuring the presence and effects of plastic, can provide the actual harm and sub-lethal effects to organisms caused by marine litter ingestion. The research revealed gaps in knowledge, and this paper suggests measures to close the gap. This and the selection of appropriate bioindicator species would represent a step forward for marine litter risk assessment, and the implementation of future actions and mitigation measures for specific Mediterranean areas, habitats and species affected by marine litter ingestion.

Salad Bars Increased Selection and Decreased Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables 1 Month After Installation in Title I Elementary Schools: A Plate Waste Study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the 1-month impact of salad bars on fruit and vegetable (FV) selection, intake, and waste.

DESIGN

Pre-post quasi-experimental design.

SETTING

Title I elementary schools in a large, urban district in central Virginia.

PARTICIPANTS

Students (grades 1-5; >95% African American) from 2 elementary schools participated in plate waste assessments (282 plates were rated at baseline, 443 at post-assessment); fourth- and fifth-grade students from 15 (of 18 eligible) schools (n = 1,193) responded to surveys.

INTERVENTION

Digital imagery plate waste assessments were conducted before salad bars were installed (baseline) and 1 month afterward (post). Post-surveys examined student perceptions of salad bars.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Fruit and vegetable selection, consumption, and waste.

ANALYSIS

General linear models (without considering clustering) examined changes in outcomes, controlling for school. Frequencies and qualitative analyses were applied to survey data.

RESULTS

At post, students selected more types of FVs (1.81-2.58; P < .001), although FV consumption decreased by 0.65 cups (P < .001). Given the smaller portions selected, there was less FV waste (0.27 cups; P < .001) at post. Students liked the ability to choose FV from salad bars.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Short-term exposure to salad bars increased the number of FV students chose but decreased FV consumption. Additional strategies are needed to increase FV consumption.

Marine debris on beaches of Arraial do Cabo, RJ, Brazil: An important coastal tourist destination

Arraial do Cabo, RJ, Brazil, is known as the diving capital due to its clear waters and great biodiversity, a consequence of the upwelling phenomenon. This feature attracts tourists tripling their population during holidays, causing increase in the amount of debris on beaches and waters endangering marine biodiversity. To evaluate the amount of solid waste found on beaches in two different holiday period, eight people in each beach collected macrodebris (≥2 cm) in a transect covering an 20 m wide area, during 20 min, in winter/2015 and summer/2017. The materials were weighed, quantified and characterized. In the summer, when the number of tourists is greater, a larger total amount of waste in units were found. Plastic and cigarette butts were the most abundant. The results show that the city does not have adequate planning to receive a large amount of tourists, being vulnerable to socioeconomic and environmental damages.

Spatial distribution of marine litter along italian coastal areas in the Pelagos sanctuary (Ligurian Sea - NW Mediterranean Sea): A focus on natural and urban beaches

Our paper will show data on quantity, typology, distribution of beach litter (Anthropogenic Marine Debris - AMD) within a coastal macroarea surrounding the Pelagos Sanctuary, an International Protected Area in the NW Mediterranean Sea. AMD Monitoring and characterisation have been performed by using SEACleaner Protocol: an adapted version of UNEP/IOC, OSPAR and EU guidelines. 11 beaches located in 5 different areas, have been monitored with a total amount of thirty three surveys, from January 2014 to December 2015, during different seasons. Three kinds of beaches have been considered: Natural (belonging to MPAs), Urbanized and Urban. A total of 34,027 items on a total area of 32,154 m² have been removed and classified. Spatial difference in abundance and composition of AMDs - as well as beach environmental quality - has been detected. Natural sites, and particularly protected areas close to river mouths show a major density compared to other areas.

Macroplastic and microplastic contamination assessment of a tropical river (Saigon River, Vietnam) transversed by a developing megacity

Both macroplastic and microplastic contamination levels were assessed for the first time in a tropical river estuary system, i.e. the Saigon River, that traverses a developing South East Asian megacity, i.e. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The analysis of floating debris collected daily on the Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe canal by the municipal waste management service shows that the plastic mass percentage represents 11-43%, and the land-based plastic debris entering the river was estimated from 0.96 to 19.91 g inhabitant^-1 d^-1, namely 350 to 7270 g inhabitant^-1 yr^-1. Microplastics were assessed in the Saigon River and in four urban canals by sampling bulk water for anthropogenic fiber analysis and 300 μm mesh size plankton net exposition for fragment analysis. Fibers and fragments are highly concentrated in this system, respectively 172,000 to 519,000 items m^-3 and 10 to 223 items m^-3. They were found in various colors and shapes with smallest size and surface classes being predominant. The macroplastics and fragments were mainly made of polyethylene and polypropylene while the anthropogenic fibers were mainly made of polyester. The relation between macroplastic and microplastic concentrations, waste management, population density and water treatment are further discussed.

Is the microplastic selective according to the habitat? Records in amphioxus sands, Mäerl bed habitats and Cymodocea nodosa habitats

This study estimated for the first time the total loads of plastic litter (macro- meso- and micro-plastics) in sediments of different habitat types from the Northern Adriatic Sea. Samples were collected in March 2016. The sampling sites were settled in shoreline, on the C. nodosa bottoms, Amphioxus sands, and Mäerl bed habitats. Microplastics items were present in all sampling site and ranging within 137-703 items/kg d.w. from Mäerl bed habitat to the shoreline. In C. nodosa bottoms 170 items/kg d.w. were found, while in Amphioxus sands were recorded on average 194 items/kg d.w. Due to the absence of statistical associations among litter levels and abundance of B. lanceolatum in the study area, this research present the needs to develop a new method and more research to for the evaluation of how much the interrelation between sensible habitats and microplastic exist.

Factors Influencing Fluid Milk Waste in a Breakfast in the Classroom School Breakfast Program

OBJECTIVE

To determine predictors of fluid milk waste in a Breakfast in the Classroom School Breakfast Program.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional with 3 repeated measures/classroom.

SETTING

Elementary schools in a medium-sized, low-income, urban school district.

PARTICIPANTS

Twenty third- through fourth-grade classrooms across 6 schools.

MAIN OUTCOMES

Dependent variables include percentage of total and served milk wasted. Independent variables included observed daily menu offerings, program factors, and teacher and student behavior.

ANALYSIS

Descriptive statistics were used to characterize variables across classrooms and schools. Multilevel mixed-effects models were used to test associations between predictors and outcomes of interest. P ≤ .05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Total milk waste increased 12% when juice was offered and 3% for each additional carton of unserved milk. Teacher encouragement to take and/or consume breakfast was associated with a 5% and 9% increase in total and served milk waste, respectively. When students were engaged in other activities in addition to eating breakfast, total milk waste decreased 10%.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Beverage offerings were predictive of greater total milk waste. Teacher and student behavior also appeared to influence milk consumption. Findings suggest that specific changes to School Breakfast Program implementation policies and practices could have an important role in waste mitigation.

Cigarette Waste in Popular Beaches in Thailand: High Densities that Demand Environmental Action

Thailand, like all nations, has a responsibility to initiate environmental actions to preserve marine environments. Low- and middle-income countries face difficulties implementing feasible strategies to fulfill this ambitious goal. To contribute to the revitalization of Thailand's marine ecosystems, we investigated the level of tobacco product waste (TPW) on Thailand's public beaches. We conducted a cross-sectional observational survey at two popular public beaches. Research staff collected cigarette butts over two eight-hour days walking over a one-kilometer stretch of beach. We also compiled and analyzed data on butts collected from sieved sand at 11 popular beaches throughout Thailand's coast, with 10 samples of sieved sand collected per beach. Our survey at two beaches yielded 3067 butts in lounge areas, resulting in a mean butt density of 0.44/m². At the 11 beaches, sieved sand samples yielded butt densities ranging from 0.25 to 13.3/m², with a mean butt density of 2.26/m² (SD = 3.78). These densities show that TPW has become a serious problem along Thailand's coastline. Our findings are comparable with those in other countries. We report on government and civil society initiatives in Thailand that are beginning to address marine TPW. The solution will only happen when responsible parties, especially and primarily tobacco companies, undertake actions to eliminate TPW.

Tracing the source of marine debris on the beaches of northern New South Wales, Australia: The Bottles on Beaches program

Identifying the source of marine plastic pollution accumulating on ocean beaches is often difficult as unidentifiable fragments of plastic usually predominate. In this study, we surveyed plastic bottles as a relatively identifiable subset of plastics on 30km of beach along a 200-km section of the north coast of New South Wales, Australia. Source and product type (contents) were determined using barcodes, inscriptions/embossing, or bottle shape and characteristics. Country of origin and product type could be determined for two-thirds of the 694 bottles found. Just over half (51%) of these were of domestic origin with the remainder dominated by bottles from China (24%) and south-east Asian countries (21%). As most of the foreign bottles lacked marine growth, and are unavailable for purchase in the region, passing ships are hypothesised as the primary source.

Reducing single-use plastic shopping bags in the USA

In the USA, local governments have the primary responsibility to manage MSW. However, local governments lack the authority to explicitly shift costs or responsibility back onto the producer for specific problem wastes. A particularly problematic waste for local governments is the single-use plastic bag. In 2014, in the USA, 103.465 billion single-use plastic shopping bags were consumed. Because of their extremely low recyclability rate, plastic bags remain a significant source of land-based litter and marine debris and impair stormwater management systems. They also reduce the effectiveness of automated recycling systems. In response, local governments increasingly have adopted a variety of measures specifically intended to reduce the store-level consumption of single-use shopping bags in 5 major categories: bans, imposition of fees and taxes, establishing minimum product design of bags, requiring consumer education, and mandating retailer take-back programs. As of September 2017, there were 271 local governments in the USA with plastic bag ordinances covering 9.7% of the nation's population. The majority (95%) of the ordinances is a ban on single-use plastic bags; 56.9% of these bans also include a mandatory fee on paper and/or reusable bags. For the fee-based ordinances, the mode is $0.10 per bag; every tax/fee ordinance allows retailers to retain some or all the collected fee. As local governments continue to increase their actions on plastic bags, 11 states have enacted laws to prohibit local governments from regulating single-use plastic bags. Because of the success with single-use bags, local governments are also enacting similar ordinances on single-use expanded polystyrene consumer products and other single-use plastic products.

Validity and Interrater Reliability of the Visual Quarter-Waste Method for Assessing Food Waste in Middle School and High School Cafeteria Settings

BACKGROUND

Measuring food waste (ie, plate waste) in school cafeterias is an important tool to evaluate the effectiveness of school nutrition policies and interventions aimed at increasing consumption of healthier meals. Visual assessment methods are frequently applied in plate waste studies because they are more convenient than weighing. The visual quarter-waste method has become a common tool in studies of school meal waste and consumption, but previous studies of its validity and reliability have used correlation coefficients, which measure association but not necessarily agreement.

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this study were to determine, using a statistic measuring interrater agreement, whether the visual quarter-waste method is valid and reliable for assessing food waste in a school cafeteria setting when compared with the gold standard of weighed plate waste.

METHODS

To evaluate validity, researchers used the visual quarter-waste method and weighed food waste from 748 trays at four middle schools and five high schools in one school district in Washington State during May 2014. To assess interrater reliability, researcher pairs independently assessed 59 of the same trays using the visual quarter-waste method. Both validity and reliability were assessed using a weighted κ coefficient.

RESULTS

For validity, as compared with the measured weight, 45% of foods assessed using the visual quarter-waste method were in almost perfect agreement, 42% of foods were in substantial agreement, 10% were in moderate agreement, and 3% were in slight agreement. For interrater reliability between pairs of visual assessors, 46% of foods were in perfect agreement, 31% were in almost perfect agreement, 15% were in substantial agreement, and 8% were in moderate agreement.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that the visual quarter-waste method is a valid and reliable tool for measuring plate waste in school cafeteria settings.

Environmental performance of household waste management in Europe - An example of 7 countries

An attributional life cycle assessment (LCA) of the management of 1ton of household waste was conducted in accordance with ISO 14044:2006 and the ILCD Handbook for seven European countries, namely Germany, Denmark, France, UK, Italy, Poland and Greece, representing different household waste compositions, waste management practices, technologies, and energy systems. National data were collected from a range of sources regarding household waste composition, household sorting efficiency, collection, waste treatments, recycling, electricity and heat composition, and technological efficiencies. The objective was to quantify the environmental performance in the different countries, in order to analyze the sources of the main environmental impacts and national differences which affect the results. In most of the seven countries, household waste management provides environmental benefits when considering the benefits of recycling of materials and recovering and utilization of energy. Environmental benefits come from paper recycling and, to a lesser extent, the recycling of metals and glass. Waste-to-energy plants can lead to an environmental load (as in France) or a saving (Germany and Denmark), depending mainly on the composition of the energy being substituted. Sensitivity analysis and a data quality assessment identified a range of critical parameters, suggesting from where better data should be obtained. The study concluded that household waste management is environmentally the best in European countries with a minimum reliance on landfilling, also induced by the implementation of the Waste Hierarchy, though environmental performance does not correlate clearly with the rate of material recycling. From an environmental point of view, this calls for a change in the waste management paradigm, with less focus on where the waste is routed and more of a focus on the quality and utilization of recovered materials and energy.

Environmental comparison of alternative treatments for sewage sludge: An Italian case study

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was applied to compare different alternatives for sewage sludge treatment: such as land spreading, composting, incineration, landfill and wet oxidation. The LCA system boundaries include mechanical dewatering, the alternative treatment, transport, and final disposal/recovery of residues. Cases of recovered materials produced as outputs from the systems, were resolved by expanding the system boundaries to include avoided primary productions. The impact assessment was calculated using the CML-IA baseline method. Results showed that the incineration of sewage sludge with electricity production and solid residues recovery collects the lowest impact indicator values in the categories human toxicity, fresh water aquatic ecotoxicity, acidification and eutrophication, while it has the highest values for the categories global warming and ozone layer depletion. Land spreading has the lowest values for the categories abiotic depletion, fossil fuel depletion, global warming, ozone layer depletion and photochemical oxidation, while it collects the highest values for terrestrial ecotoxicity and eutrophication. Wet oxidation has just one of the best indicators (terrestrial ecotoxicity) and three of the worst ones (abiotic depletion, human toxicity and fresh water aquatic ecotoxicity). Composting process shows intermediate results. Landfill has the worst performances in global warming, photochemical oxidation and acidification. Results indicate that if the aim is to reduce the effect of the common practice of sludge land spreading on human and ecosystem toxicity, on acidification and on eutrophication, incineration with energy recovery would clearly improve the environmental performance of those indicators, but an increase in resource depletion and global warming is unavoidable. However, these conclusions are strictly linked to the effective recovery of solid residues from incineration, as the results are shown to be very sensitive with respect to this assumption. Similarly, the quality of the wet oxidation process residues plays an important role in defining the impact of this treatment.

An exploration into municipal waste charges for environmental management at local level: The case of Spain

Municipal waste charges have been widely acknowledged as a crucial tool for waste management at the local level. This is because they contribute to financing the costly provision of waste collection and treatment services and they can be designed to provide an economic stimulus to encourage citizens and local businesses to improve separate collection and recycling. This work presents a methodology to evaluate a sample of 125 municipal waste charges in Spain for the year 2015, covering 33.91% of the Spanish population. The qualitative benchmarking of municipal waste charges shows that flat fees are frequent, whereas variable fees are set according to criteria that are weakly related to waste generation. The average fee per household is €82.2 per year, which does not provide full cost recovery. The current configuration of municipal waste charges penalises taxpayers contributing to source separation of waste, while subsidising less environmentally friendly behaviours. In this sense, municipal waste charges in Spain are far from applying the polluter pays principle. Furthermore, it is argued that municipal waste charges are ineffective for promoting the proper application of the so-called 'waste hierarchy'.

Through the sands of time: Beach litter trends from nine cleaned north cornish beaches

Marine litter and its accumulation on beaches is an issue of major current concern due to its significant environmental and economic impacts. Yet our understanding of spatio-temporal trends in beach litter and the drivers of these trends are currently limited by the availability of robust long term data sets. Here we present a unique data set collected systematically once a month, every month over a six year period for nine beaches along the North Coast of Cornwall, U.K. to investigate the key drivers of beach litter in the Bude, Padstow and Porthcothan areas. Overall, an average of 0.02 litter items m^-2 per month were collected during the six year study, with Bude beaches (Summerleaze, Crooklets and Widemouth) the most impacted (0.03 ± 0.004 litter items m^-2 per month). The amount of litter collected each month decreased by 18% and 71% respectively for Padstow (Polzeath, Trevone and Harlyn) and Bude areas over the 6 years, possibly related to the regular cleaning, however litter increased by 120% despite this monthly cleaning effort on the Padstow area beaches. Importantly, at all nine beaches the litter was dominated by small, fragmented plastic pieces and rope fibres, which account for 32% and 17% of all litter items collected, respectively. The weathered nature of these plastics indicates they have been in the marine environment for an extended period of time. So, whilst classifying the original source of these plastics is not possible, it can be concluded they are not the result of recent public littering. This data highlights both the extent of the marine litter problem and that current efforts to reduce littering by beach users will only tackle a fraction of this litter. Such information is vital for developing effective management strategies for beach and marine litter at both regional and global levels.

Sludge quantification at water treatment plant and its management scenario

Large volume of sludge is generated at the water treatment plants during the purification of surface water for potable supplies. Handling and disposal of sludge require careful attention from civic bodies, plant operators, and environmentalists. Quantification of the sludge produced at the treatment plants is important to develop suitable management strategies for its economical and environment friendly disposal. Present study deals with the quantification of sludge using empirical relation between turbidity, suspended solids, and coagulant dosing. Seasonal variation has significant effect on the raw water quality received at the water treatment plants so forth sludge generation also varies. Yearly production of the sludge in a water treatment plant at Ghaziabad, India, is estimated to be 29,700 ton. Sustainable disposal of such a quantity of sludge is a challenging task under stringent environmental legislation. Several beneficial reuses of sludge in civil engineering and constructional work have been identified globally such as raw material in manufacturing cement, bricks, and artificial aggregates, as cementitious material, and sand substitute in preparing concrete and mortar. About 54 to 60% sand, 24 to 28% silt, and 16% clay constitute the sludge generated at the water treatment plant under investigation. Characteristics of the sludge are found suitable for its potential utilization as locally available construction material for safe disposal. An overview of the sustainable management scenario involving beneficial reuses of the sludge has also been presented.

Food Waste in the National School Lunch Program 1978-2015: A Systematic Review

Background

Food waste studies have been used for more than 40 years to assess nutrient intake, dietary quality, menu performance, food acceptability, cost, and effectiveness of nutrition education in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).

Objective

Describe methods used to measure food waste and respective results in the NSLP across time.

Methods

A systematic review using PubMed, Science Direct, Informaworld, and Institute of Scientific Information Web of Knowledge was conducted using the following search terms: waste, school lunch, plate waste, food waste, kitchen, half method, quarter method, weight, and photography. Studies published through June 2015 were included. The systematic review followed preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses recommendations.

Results

The final review included 53 articles. Food waste methodologies included in-person visual estimation (n=11), digital photography (n=11), direct weighing (n=23), and a combination of in-person visual estimation, digital photography, and/or direct weighing (n=8). A majority of studies used a pre–post intervention or cross-sectional design. Fruits and vegetables were the most researched dietary component on the lunch tray and yielded the greatest amount of waste across studies.

Conclusions

Food waste is commonly assessed in the NSLP, but the methods are diverse and reporting metrics are variable. Future research should focus on establishing more uniform metrics to measure and report on food waste in the NSLP. Consistent food waste measurement methods will allow for better comparisons between studies. Such measures may facilitate better decision making about NSLP practices, programs, and policies that influence student consumption patterns across settings and interventions.

Microplastics in the context of regulation of commercial shellfish aquaculture operations

Shellfish aquaculture in the Salish Sea (encompassing the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound, and the Georgia Strait) is a major source of clams, oysters, and mussels in the United States and Canada. Plastic gear is necessary for the viability of many of these operations. During the past few years, shellfish farm permits issued in Washington State have been challenged on various bases that have included allegations that the plastic gear is releasing microplastics, commonly defined as particles less than 5 mm in diameter. Published survey data on sources of marine plastic debris demonstrate the very limited contribution of aquaculture gear. Both permits and industry codes of practice provide procedures to minimize loss of gear to the marine environment. Plastic gear is also designed specifically to maintain its integrity and not degrade in the marine environment. Plastic degradation is greatest on beaches with high UV exposure, whereas aquaculture gear is mostly underwater and/or covered by biofoulants. Available data for microplastics in water, sediment, and biota of the Salish Sea do not suggest significant release of microplastics from shellfish aquaculture operations. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:522-527. © 2017 SETAC.

Marine anthropogenic litter on British beaches: A 10-year nationwide assessment using citizen science data

Growing evidence suggests that anthropogenic litter, particularly plastic, represents a highly pervasive and persistent threat to global marine ecosystems. Multinational research is progressing to characterise its sources, distribution and abundance so that interventions aimed at reducing future inputs and clearing extant litter can be developed. Citizen science projects, whereby members of the public gather information, offer a low-cost method of collecting large volumes of data with considerable temporal and spatial coverage. Furthermore, such projects raise awareness of environmental issues and can lead to positive changes in behaviours and attitudes. We present data collected over a decade (2005-2014 inclusive) by Marine Conservation Society (MCS) volunteers during beach litter surveys carried along the British coastline, with the aim of increasing knowledge on the composition, spatial distribution and temporal trends of coastal debris. Unlike many citizen science projects, the MCS beach litter survey programme gathers information on the number of volunteers, duration of surveys and distances covered. This comprehensive information provides an opportunity to standardise data for variation in sampling effort among surveys, enhancing the value of outputs and robustness of findings. We found that plastic is the main constituent of anthropogenic litter on British beaches and the majority of traceable items originate from land-based sources, such as public littering. We identify the coast of the Western English Channel and Celtic Sea as experiencing the highest relative litter levels. Increasing trends over the 10-year time period were detected for a number of individual item categories, yet no statistically significant change in total (effort-corrected) litter was detected. We discuss the limitations of the dataset and make recommendations for future work. The study demonstrates the value of citizen science data in providing insights that would otherwise not be possible due to logistical and financial constraints of running government-funded sampling programmes on such large scales.

[Ecological-hygienic evaluation of the environment of territories being adjacent to decultivated uranium mines]

On the territory of Kazakhstan there are uranium deposits, many ofwhich are in mothballed since times of perestroika. Often, the mines are flooded and represent a “time-delay bomb”. Inside of mines various there are accumulated gases of both organic and inorganic nature, periodically thrown out and adversely affecting on the health of local populations. The aim of the study was the investigation of the state of the environment of Esilsky district of the Akmola region by common pollutants and chemicals. As the basic variable for the investigation of ambient air there was accepted the maximum one-time concentration of suspended substances, phenol, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide. The results were evaluated in relation to the MPC for the analyzed substance in the air according to maximal single MPC (MPCms) and daily average MPC (MPCda). The content of metals in the water was determined with the use of spectrophotometer PD-303S. Evaluation of the results was executed in relation of the MPC of substances in water, by means of the comparison with the requirements of Federal standards for drinking water, samples from drinking water sources. There were executed calculations of the overall index of water pollution (IWVgen), the index of water pollution by heavy metals (IWVhm). Chemical analysis of soil was carried out with the use of spectrophotometer PD- 303S (Japan), the photometer expert-003 “Ekoniks”. Evaluation of the results was carried out with the respect to the MPC in the soil, the toxicity of all components. Summarizing soil pollution index was evaluated for metals contained in the soil at the level of more than or equal to 1 MAC. The settlement Krasnogorskiy and the village of Kalachi were found to be characterized by a low level of air pollution, increased rigidity of drinking water exceeded the maximum permissible concentrations of copper by 3.45 times and chloride by 1.17 times in the soil cover.

Sources and sinks of plastic debris in estuaries: A conceptual model integrating biological, physical and chemical distribution mechanisms

Micro- and macroplastic accumulation threatens estuaries worldwide because of the often dense human populations, diverse plastic inputs and high potential for plastic degradation and storage in these ecosystems. Nonetheless, our understanding of plastic sources and sinks remains limited. We designed conceptual models of the local and estuary-wide transport of plastics. We identify processes affecting the position of plastics in the water column; processes related to the mixing of fresh and salt water; and processes resulting from the influences of wind, topography, and organism-plastic interactions. The models identify gaps in the spatial context of plastic-organisms interactions, the chemical behavior of plastics in estuaries, effects of wind on plastic suspension-deposition cycles, and the relative importance of processes affecting the position in the water column. When interpreted in the context of current understanding, sinks with high management potential can be identified. However, source-sink patterns vary among estuary types and with local scale processes.

Construction and demolition waste generation rates for high-rise buildings in Malaysia

Construction and demolition waste continues to sharply increase in step with the economic growth of less developed countries. Though the construction industry is large, it is composed of small firms with individual waste management practices, often leading to the deleterious environmental outcomes. Quantifying construction and demolition waste generation allows policy makers and stakeholders to understand the true internal and external costs of construction, providing a necessary foundation for waste management planning that may overcome deleterious environmental outcomes and may be both economically and environmentally optimal. This study offers a theoretical method for estimating the construction and demolition project waste generation rate by utilising available data, including waste disposal truck size and number, and waste volume and composition. This method is proposed as a less burdensome and more broadly applicable alternative, in contrast to waste estimation by on-site hand sorting and weighing. The developed method is applied to 11 projects across Malaysia as the case study. This study quantifies waste generation rate and illustrates the construction method in influencing the waste generation rate, estimating that the conventional construction method has a waste generation rate of 9.88 t 100 m^-2, the mixed-construction method has a waste generation rate of 3.29 t 100 m^-2, and demolition projects have a waste generation rate of 104.28 t 100 m^-2.

Waste production and regional growth of marine activities an econometric model

Coastal regions are characterized by intense human activity and climatic pressures, often intensified by competing interests in the use of marine waters. To assess the effect of public spending on the regional economy, an econometric model is here proposed. Not only are the regional investment and the climatic risks included in the model, but also variables related to the anthropogenic pressure, such as population, economic activities and waste production. Feedback effects of economic and demographic expansion on the pollution of coastal areas are also considered. It is found that dangerous waste increases with growing shipping and transportation activities and with growing population density in non-touristic coastal areas. On the other hand, the amount of non-dangerous wastes increases with marine mining, defense and offshore energy production activities. However, lower waste production occurs in areas where aquaculture and touristic industry are more exploited, and accompanied by increasing regional investment in waste disposal.

Mixing and Transport

This section covers research published during the calendar year 2015 on mixing and transport processes. The review covers mixing of anaerobic digesters, mixing of heat transfer, and environmental fate and transport.

Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in beach sediments: Insights into microplastic accumulation in northern Gulf of Mexico estuaries

Microplastics (plastic debris smaller than 5mm) represent a growing concern worldwide due to increasing amounts of discarded trash. We investigated microplastic debris on sandy shorelines at seven locations in a northern Gulf of Mexico estuary (Mobile Bay, AL) during the summer of 2014. Microplastics were ubiquitous throughout the area studied at concentrations 66-253× larger than reported for the open ocean. The polymers polypropylene and polyethylene were most abundant, with polystyrene, polyester and aliphatic polyamide also present but in lower quantities. There was a gradient in microplastic abundance, with locations more directly exposed to marine currents and tides having higher microplastic abundance and diversity, as well as a higher contribution by denser polymers (e.g. polyester). These results indicate that microplastic accumulation on shorelines in the northern Gulf of Mexico may be a serious concern, and suggest that exposure to inputs from the Gulf is an important determinant of microplastic abundance.

Physico-chemical characterisation of material fractions in residual and source-segregated household waste in Denmark

Physico-chemical waste composition data are paramount for the assessment and planning of waste management systems. However, the applicability of data is limited by the regional, temporal and technical scope of waste characterisation studies. As Danish and European legislation aims for higher recycling rates evaluation of source-segregation and recycling chains gain importance. This paper provides a consistent up-to-date dataset for 74 physico-chemical parameters in 49 material fractions from residual and 24 material fractions from source-segregated Danish household waste. Significant differences in the physico-chemical properties of residual and source-segregated waste fractions were found for many parameters related to organic matter, but also for elements of environmental concern. Considerable differences in potentially toxic metal concentrations between the individual recyclable fractions within one material type were observed. This indicates that careful planning and performance evaluation of recycling schemes are important to ensure a high quality of collected recyclables. Rare earth elements (REE) were quantified in all waste fractions analysed, with the highest concentrations of REE found in fractions with high content of mineral raw materials, soil materials and dust. The observed REE concentrations represent the background concentration level in non-hazardous waste materials that may serve as a reference point for future investigations related to hazardous waste management. The detailed dataset provided here can be used for assessments of waste management solutions in Denmark and for the evaluation of the quality of recyclable materials in waste.

The determination of waste generation and composition as an essential tool to improve the waste management plan of a university

When many people work in organized institutions or enterprises, those institutions or enterprises become big meeting places that also have energy, water and resources necessities. One of these necessities is the correct management of the waste that is daily produced by these communities. Universities are a good example of institution where every day a great amount of people go to work or to study. But independently of their task, they use the different services at the University such as cafeterias, canteens, and photocopy and as a result of their activity a cleaning service is also needed. All these activities generate an environmental impact. Nowadays, many Universities have accepted the challenge to minimize this impact applying several measures. One of the impacts to be reduced is the waste generation. The first step to implement measures to implement a waste management plan at a University is to know the composition, the amount and the distribution of the waste generated in its facilities. As the waste composition and generation depend among other things on the climate, these variables should be analysed over one year. This research work estimates the waste generation and composition of a Spanish University, the Universitat Jaume I, during a school year. To achieve this challenge, all the waste streams generated at the University have been identified and quantified emphasizing on those which are not controlled. Furthermore, several statistical analyses have been carried out to know if the season of the year or the day of the week affect waste generation and composition. All this information will allow the University authorities to propose a set of minimization measures to enhance the current management.

Life cycle assessment of waste prevention in the delivery of pasta, breakfast cereals, and rice

Waste prevention is the top priority of the European waste management strategy. In fact, as indicated in the latest Waste Framework Directive, the best option to deal with waste is not to generate it at all. In this framework, the distribution of loose dry food products through self-dispensing systems (so-called "loose distribution") is being considered worldwide as a practice to reduce the generation of packaging waste. This life cycle assessment (LCA) evaluates the environmental convenience of the loose distribution of dry pasta, breakfast cereals, and rice, in comparison with the traditional method of distribution. For each product, several baseline scenarios based on single-use packaging were compared with different waste prevention scenarios in which the product is distributed loose. The comparison addressed waste generation, 13 impact categories on the environment and human health, and the Cumulative Energy Demand (CED) indicator. The results are significantly different for the 3 products. The loose distribution of pasta allows a 50% waste reduction and a decrease in the potential impacts only when compared with single-use cartonboard boxes. Conversely, when the comparison is made with single-use polypropylene bags, the loose distribution can even cause an increase in waste generation (up to 15%) and in the potential life cycle impacts. For breakfast cereals, the loose distribution allows a significant reduction in both the amount of waste (up to 84%) and the potential impacts, compared to the sale of traditional single-use bag-in-box packages. Finally, the loose distribution of rice permits a reduction in both waste generation (up to 86%) and most of the potential impacts. In particular, the impact reduction is higher when the reference single-use packaging that is replaced includes a cartonboard box. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:445-458. © 2016 SETAC.

Risk of food losses and potential of food recovery for social purposes

All entities of the food supply chain should be responsible for counteracting food waste, therefore a need arises for joint initiatives in this area. To reduce food waste, businesses should be supported with a number of procedures for the efficient use of food for social purposes that shall be consistent with the law in force. Although they can bring about some losses, the following factors neither pose a threat to human health nor affect the donation of food for social purposes: wrong labelling of packages, food product wrong weight, close-to-end expiration date as well as mechanical damage to bulk packages. The purpose of this study is to identify such points at each of the four stages of the food supply chain (primary production, processing, distribution, sale) where food losses can be prevented by donating food to those who need it. A total of 15 Recovery Points were identified at the above mentioned four stages of the food supply chain. Food recovered there is safe to human health, so it can be donated for social purposes.

A novel method for material characterization of reusable products

Product reuse contributes favorably to waste management and resource recovery by diverting products from terminal disposal to second-hand urban markets. Many organizations with social mission incorporate in their activities the process of reuse, thus making valuable products available to second-hand customers through their thrift stores. Data management and product classification are an important aspect of quantitative analysis of second-hand products circulating through reuse organizations. The New York City Center for Materials Reuse has, for the last 10years, organized the reuse activities of most not for profit organizations, and collected valuable information on the strengths and weaknesses of their operations. One such finding is the casual, and inconsistent approach used by these organizations to keep a record of the level and value of the reuse efforts they undertake. This paper describes a novel methodology developed to standardize record keeping and characterize commonly reused post-consumer products by assessing the outgoing product flow from reuse organizations. The approach groups material composition of individual products into main product categories, creating a simplified method to characterize products. Furthermore, by linking product categories and material composition, the method creates a matrix to help identify the material composition of products handled by reuse organizations. As part of the methodology, whenever adequate data are not available about certain types of products, a process identified as "field characterization study" is proposed and incorporated in the implementation to develop meaningful and useful data on the weight and material composition. Finally, the method incorporates the estimation of the environmental impact of reuse using standard models available through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other worldwide entities. The diversified weight and size of products poses a challenge to the statistical significance of the estimated weights. A case study is presented, illustrating how the proposed methodology can be applied to estimate environmental benefits from the sale of second-hand products in reuse organizations.

A performative definition of waste prevention

The increasing importance being placed on waste prevention in European waste governance raises the question of how waste prevention is defined in practice. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of a sample of fifty-one Swedish waste prevention initiatives with the purpose of identifying which kind of actions are imagined, promoted, and set into motion under the label of waste prevention. The analysis shows that despite their apparent variety, the initiatives in the sample boil down to three main types of actions: raising awareness about the need to prevent waste, increasing material efficiency, and developing sustainable consumption. In contradistinction to the formal definition of waste prevention in the European Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC), what emerges from analyzing the initiatives in the sample is a performative definition of waste prevention as something heterogeneous, contradictory, and evolving. Such a definition of waste prevention in practice provides an understanding of the organizational dynamics of waste prevention.