| Title | Cornell university campus metabolism and circular economy using a living laboratory approach to study major resource and material flows |
|---|---|
| ID_Doc | 28072 |
| Authors | Kumdokrub, T; Carson, S; You, FQ |
| Title | Cornell university campus metabolism and circular economy using a living laboratory approach to study major resource and material flows |
| Year | 2023 |
| Published | |
| Abstract | Urban metabolism (UM) resembles the metabolism of living organisms in a community context by consuming necessities and excreting waste. Exercising UM with a circular economy concept enhances sustainable practices by circulating energy and materials, minimizing and closing waste loops to push a system for a net-zero goal. This research tracks energy and material flows in the energy, food waste, and construction materials sectors of Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, serving as a case study for campus metabolism. These three sectors are the top emitters and are interconnected at the food-water-energy nexus in terms of emissions. In addition to the flow analysis, the study includes environmental and economic evaluations of the proposed digestate composting and estimation of embodied emissions for construction material building stocks. The results suggest that Cornell needs to transition from natural gas to geothermal for a rapid shift towards renewable energy and to increase circularity within the sector. Regarding food waste, the proposed digestate composting reduces emissions by 16-39 metric tons of CO2e with a financial gain of US$90 k to US$400 k per fiscal year compared to the traditional food waste composting practice. Lastly, the proportional evaluation between operational emissions from the energy sector and embodied emissions from stored building materials shows a decreasing trend in the contribution of operational emissions from 46.42% to 26.86% in 2008 and 2021, respectively. This result highlights the immediate need for Cornell's construction waste management to prevent future emissions of embodied carbon into the environment. The campus metabolism study advances our understanding of potential energy and material flows, along with emissions offsets, among the three sectors to achieve the goal of decarbonization. This study can unlock sustainability pathways and accelerate Cornell's progress toward carbon neutrality by 2035. |
Similar Articles
| ID | Score | Article |
|---|---|---|
21554
|
Jakimiuk, A; Matsui, Y; Podlasek, A; Koda, E; Goli, VSNS; Voberková, S; Singh, DN; Vaverková, MD Closing the loop: A case study on pathways for promoting sustainable waste management on university campuses(2023) | |
| 67834
|
Thyberg, KL; Tonjes, DJ The environmental impacts of alternative food waste treatment technologies in the US(2017) | |
| 17640
|
Tunali, M; Coban, V; Baban, A; Ciliz, NK Life cycle assessment of food waste management options: a case study at campus level to foster sustainable campus(2023)Energy Sources Part A-Recovery Utilization And Environmental Effects, 45, 2 | |
| 16373
|
Maçin, KE; Arikan, OA; Altinbas, M; Damgaard, A Decarbonizing university campuses: A business model for food waste management at Istanbul Technical University (ITU) Ayazaga Campus, Turkey(2024)Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, 43, 2 | |
| 28913
|
Slorach, PC; Jeswani, HK; Cuéllar-Franca, R; Azapagic, A Environmental and economic implications of recovering resources from food waste in a circular economy(2019) | |
| 4673
|
Slorach, PC; Jeswani, HK; Cuéllar-Franca, R; Azapagic, A Environmental sustainability in the food-energy-water-health nexus: A new methodology and an application to food waste in a circular economy(2020) | |
| 21134
|
Grossi, G; Bernini, R; Lacetera, N; Vona, T; Papaleo, F; Vitali, A Carbon footprint associated with two organic waste management: tunnel composting system versus landfill(2024)International Journal Of Environmental Science And Technology, 21.0, 6 | |
| 12583
|
Badgett, A; Milbrandt, A Food waste disposal and utilization in the United States: A spatial cost benefit analysis(2021) | |
| 22159
|
Zeller, V; Lavigne, C; D'Ans, P; Towa, E; Achten, WMJ Assessing the environmental performance for more local and more circular biowaste management options at city-region level(2020) | |
| 21707
|
de Sadeleer, I; Brattebo, H; Callewaert, P Waste prevention, energy recovery or recycling - Directions for household food waste management in light of circular economy policy(2020) |