SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY SYSTEMS: THE ROLE OF INTEGRATED SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

摘要

An approach to the design of sustainable systems for meeting the basic urban services, as well as the food and energy requirements, of communities of different sizes is discussed, using integrated systems as a common design feature. The presentation begins with a definition of a sustainable system and includes discussions on integrated solid waste management and defining the system boundary. Some components of the overall system (solid waste, wastewater treatment, food production, energy production, and others) are described, along with the characteristics that are common among two or more of the components, thus enabling their meshing into integrated systems. Examples of integrated and sustainable systems are presented in the form of material and energy balances, including one integrated system composed of solid waste management, wastewater treatment, energy production, and food production facilities. In this example, nutrient and energy requirements are used as the common bases of design and integration.