U r b a n M e t a b o li s m s
C I RC U L A R flows
Ky l e R e d z i n a k + M a x H a s s e Architec ture
A
C I RC U L A R flows M a x H a s s e + Ky l e R e d z i n a k
Throughout modern history humans have managed resources and waste in linear flows. In the beginning, we managed waste by simply dumping it where ever until it would eventually be buried or burned. From there on we moved the waste further and further away but never worked toward reducing it. By the 1920’s landfills became popular, putting waste out of sight, only making it easier to ignore the problem. It wasn’t until the late 1960’s that recycling initiatives began (see
Fig. B). Currently, the most ecologically productive societies recycle just over half the waste they produce, if that, but that is not enough. Only when we transition from linear flows to circular flows will we be able to maintain our lifestyle without destroying our environment. In a world of finite resources, our cities are the primary consumers of resources and producers of waste. Therefore, the city possesses an opportunity to greatly reduce our negative impact on the environment. Looking at flows of urban waste and resource metabolism we can move from a linear economy to a circular economy by employing interactive collection and distribution bins, and zoning symbiotic relationships.
6,000 BC WASTE DUMPED UNTIL EVENTUALLY BURRIED/BURNED
LINEAR FLOWS
500 BC GREEKS REQUIRE DUMPING A MILE FROM CITY LIMITS
IGNORING WASTE
RECYCLING INITIATIVES BEGIN 1960’s FIRST GARBAGE INCINERATOR 1885
1920’s LANDFILLS BECOME POPULAR 2015 NOW
REDUCING WASTE
CIRCULAR FLOWS
NO WASTE
B
4,235
127,965
ELECTRONICS
16,445
PLASTIC
PAPER
COMPOST
1,659
6,352
84,699
90,592
7,834
RUBBER
GLASS
HAZARDOUS
METALS
RECYCLED MATERIALS (TONS)
0.36% 31.40% 4.10% 0.40% 1.20%
ALUMINUM CANS FERROUS METALS NONFERROUS METALS STEEL CANS ELECTRONICS
2.41% 3.88% 14.35% 5.03%
0.48% 2.90% 1.25% 0.03%
FOOD SCRAPS WOOD WASTE YARD DEBRIS MIXED YARD DEBRIS & FOOD 11.26% 0.17% 1.21% 6.84% 4.52%
BATTERIES FATS & OILS USED OIL FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS
CARDBOARD CARTONS HIGH GRADE PAPER MIXED PAPER NEWSPAPER
0.34% 0.44% 0.18% 0.34% 0.50%
2.22%
HDPE PLASTICS LDPE PLASTICS MIXED PLASTIC OTHER PLASTICS PET PLASTIC BOTTLES
0.47%
CONTAINER GLASS
TIRES
4,235 of 15,580 Produced = 27%
7.1 MILLION TONS IN THE US
41.8 MILLION TONS GLOBALLY
6,352 of 44,344 Produced = 14%
10.5 MILLION TONS IN THE US
100 MILLION TONS GLOBALLY (200 Burj Khalifas in weight)
C
PLA ELECTRONIC WASTE = 84 BURJ KHALIFAS
PLASTIC WASTE = 200 BURJ KHALIFAS BURJ KHALIFA = 500,000 TONS
BURJ KHALIFA = 500,000 TONS
B U R J K H A L I FA =BURJ 1 B I KHALIFA LLION PO NDS =U500,000 TONS D
Spokane is currently one of the leaders in recycling with more than 50% of their waste being recycled. However, 50% is only solving half the problem. Looking at the recycling data of Spokane County and comparing it with the global data we have identified two of the more complex and difficult categories of waste to manage; electronic and plastic waste. Electronic waste is made up of complex configurations and various plastic and metals. Because of this, Spokane County only recycles about 27% of this waste and only 15% is recycled globally, accumulating to 41.8 million tons produced every year. Plastic waste is another problem area. Even though it is typically easier to break down compared to electronic waste, it is much more
abundant. Spokane County recycles about 14% of its plastic, while only 5% is recycled globally, accumulating to 100 million tons produced every year (see Fig. C). While Spokane may be recycling more overall compared to the rest of the world, a comparison on a global scale is necessary to understand the magnitude of the issue. By weight, the annual electronic waste amounts to that of 84 Burj Khalifa buildings. The annual weight of plastic waste amounts to that of 200 Burj Khalifa buildings (see Fig. D).
RAW MATERIALS
MATERIALS MANUFACURER
PRODUCT MANUFACURER
SERVICE PROVIDER
CONSUMER
ENERGY RECOVERY
LANDFILL
E
TECHNICAL MATERIALS BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
COMPANY A
CONSUMER EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY
RAW MATERIAL
PRODUCT A
BY PRODUCT
COMPANY B RAW MATERIAL
X
STANDARD BIN
MAINTANENCE
X
RECYCLE
X
LANDFILL
E-WASTE BIN
DISPOSAL
WASTEBIZ APP
USE
PRODUCT B
RECYCLE
X
LANDFILL
F
CONSUMER
BIOLOGICAL PRODUCT
USE
COMPOST BIN
COMMUNITY GARDEN BARR-TECH COMPOST
X
LANDFILL
G
As we analyze urban metabolism we can use ideas from the circular economy model (see Fig. E) to facilitate our approach in reusing waste as another resource. The circular economy can be defined as “an industrial economy that is restorative by intention. It aims to enable effective flows of materials, energy, labor and information so that natural and social capital can be rebuilt” (Pulman, Paul). While the traditional economy focuses primarily on growth, the circular economy favors environmentally regenerative ideas while considering opportunities for savings and efficiency. One of the first considerations when organizing an urban metabolism is to separate the biological flows from the technical flows (see Fig. F and G).
This is because biological waste is much easier to break down and reuse versus technical waste which typically must go through several processes to break down into new raw material. Once these are separated, products may be reused at multiple scales, the smallest being the maintenance of your own products. The next would be businesses taking back their own product for reuse (Extended Producer Responsibility). Then businesses can begin sharing waste and resources between one another based on similar material processes and needs. Finally, the largest loop and last resort would be going through recycling facilities. The smaller the loop the more time, money, and energy will be saved.
LOOPER COMPOST UNIT LOOPER COMPOST UNIT
LOOPER STANDARD UNIT LOOPER STANDARD UNIT
LOOPER ELECTRONICS UNIT
LOOPER ELECTRONICS UNIT
LOOPER COMPOST UNIT
LOOPER STANDARD UNIT
LOOPER COMPOST UNIT
LOOPER STANDARD UNIT
LOOPER STANDARD UNIT
LOOPER ELECTRONICS UNIT
LOOPER STANDARD UNIT
LOOPER ELECTRONICS UNIT
H
A series of collection and distribution bins, called Looper bins (see Fig. H), have been designed to help separate the biological from technical flows, collect a variety of wastes, and redistribute some of those directly back to the user. These would be tested at public events, such as Hoopfest, in order to get the community involved and interacting with the bins before they are implemented throughout the city. These bins include a compost unit, electronic distribution unit, and a trash and recycling unit, all designed to encourage recycling and reuse of materials. These three bins are equipped with sensors that provide a real time data stream to the city, and also provide benefits to the users and local community. This real time data collection can assist with more efficient emptying services and creates a transparency of
waste and recycling streams in the public realm. With this transparency the city and community can begin to identify more specific urban metabolism flows, and expose the more problematic flows so that more specific solutions can be made. To encourage proper use of these bins, a point system is established where rewards, coupons, and free Wi-Fi are offered. With each use of the bin, the user will rack up points that can be accumulated to acquire small rewards and coupons in the local community. Aside from the points, a Wi-Fi signal will be released from the unit, where the signal strength and reach will increase with an increase in recycling.
METHANE POWERED HYDROLYSIS
METHANE PRODUCTION
COMPOSTING
PUBLIC WIFI
+15 +15
I
The standard unit is intended for common recyclables such as plastics, paper, and glass (see Fig. I). This unit is the most common Looper unit that would be placed throughout the city. The unit features its own composting slot to create as many opportunities for separation of biological material as possible. With the use of compost, the bin can be methane powered in order to use the full potential of the biological material. The unit also contains a compactor to allow for less pick-ups and aid in more efficient emptying service. When users place recyclables or compost in the bin they are rewarded with points that they may then use to acquire coupons and rewards using the Looper app (see Fig. M).
METHANE POWE
METHANE POWERED HYDROLYSIS
HYDROLYSIS
PUBLIC WIFI METHANE PRODUCTION
PUBLIC WIFI
+10
METHANE PRODU
COMPOSTING
+10
COMPOSTING
J
The compost unit (see Fig. J) is intended to separate biological waste from technical waste in an effort to help ease the process of recycling. Once the biological waste is separated from the more complex technical waste, contamination of the different types of waste can be mitigated, where recycling of both sides can be more easily managed. The biological waste thrown into the unit can be broken down in as little as 24 hours and used as fertilizer for local gardens and parks. This unit can use the methane produced by the fermenting of the waste as a source of energy to power the unit. This energy will power the compactor that is used to reduce the volume inside to limit the emptying services and the energy will be used to power the sensors and interactive screens for the users to rack up points to obtain rewards.
PUBLIC WIFI
+25
-50
+25
PUBLIC WIFI
-50
-50
K
The electronic distribution unit (see Fig. K) is intended to pass on electronics from user to user, in the hopes to reduce the amount of electronics that go directly to the landfill. This unit acts like a RedBox for electronics, where users drop in their old, broken, or unused electronics and earn points for rewards. With used electronics in the bin, other users can browse the unit and use their points to take out items that they would like to own and/or repair. After a certain time period or if the unit gets too full, electronic businesses can collect these items to reuse and resell. Or the city recycling companies can empty the unit so that electronics can be separated and recycled as the last option before they would be sent to a landfill.
-50
25% FULL
11.4 LBS
2.4
LBS/DAY
L
While the Looper bins are great at tracking the flows in the public realm, they do not track flows in the home or other private realms. A Looper sensor placed in personal bins can be one way to help track flows of data in the more private realm. With this Looper sensor in the home, anyone can add their own waste and recycle information to the overall data stream. You simply buy and place the sensor in your personal bin which will then track the volume and weight of the bin’s content. It really helps a personal user to understand their own personal home metabolism to aid in making better recycling and waste decisions. As an incentive, the user gets rewarded for purchasing a sensor with special
rewards accessed in the Looper app. This way the city can begin to track more flows in the private realm as well as the public realm and also further the involvement of the community at a more personal scale.
LL
PER PER
LOOPER LOOPER LOCATION LOCATION
LOOPE LO
LEVEL: LEVEL: 03 03
+15 +15
000850 000850
130 130 ptspts TOTAL TOTAL
WHERE WHERE DO I DO ST
REPORT REPORT OPEN OP L
LEADERBOARDS LEADERBOARDS
ORGANIZE ORGANIZE A GR
GET GET SUPPLIES SUPPL
GoGreenGuy97 GoGreenGuy97 1,010 1,010 HugsTreesDude HugsTreesDude 530 530
Cleaning Cleaning and wa an located located at any at a
STARBUCKS STARBUCKS COUPON COUPON - $5.00 - $5.00
50 50 pts pts
5 FREE 5 FREE TACOS! TACOS! - $10.00 - $10.00
70 70 pts pts
NORDSTROM NORDSTROM GIFTCARD GIFTCARD - $20.00 - $20.00
140140 pts pts
ODESZA ODESZA TICKETS TICKETS - $50.00 - $50.00
900900 pts pts
PROFILE PROFILE FRIENDS FRIENDS MAP MAPREWARDS REWARDS DIY INFO DIY INFO
MENU MENU
M
To help monitor and track the material, progress, and points from these units, apps are designed inconjunction with the bins. The first one is the Looper app (see Fig. M), which is the main app for the Looper system. It allows users of the bins to track their points, coupons, and rewards. Users can find valuable information, see their profile develop, use points to redeem coupons, and see how their friends stack up to them. The app also allows users to see a map of all the units and their respective Wi-Fi signals, creating more interactive hot spots.
PROFILE PROFILE FRIENDS FRIENDS MAP MAPREWARDS REWARDS DIY INFO DIY INFO
MENU MENU
PROFILE PROFILE FRIENDS FRIE
Total Trip
4.7 Miles
Total Bins
8
1
4226 3rd Ave
2
4861 Main Ave
3
4975 Division St
4
4816 Ruby St
5
7842 Sinto Ave
6
4397 Abby St
7
4832 Johnson St
8
6421 PaciďŹ c Ave
.2 Miles Away 1.1 Miles Away 1.9 Miles Away 2.4 Miles Away 2.8 Miles Away 3.5 Miles Away 4.1 Miles Away 4.4 Miles Away
Total Collected
453 lbs
92%
94%
91%
92%
95%
92%
92%
96%
N
The second app (see Fig. N), which is primarily used by the city to aid in the most efficient emptying service. The data collection from the units around the city allows the city to see which bins need to be emptied, how full the bins are, and even calculate the most efficient route to empty the bins. This would in turn reduce fuel emissions from trucks and provide the city with valuable information regarding the status of each unit and sensor. If one needs maintenance, the city would know before anyone else and can send out workers to fix the problems.
T
4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
I BEAM I BEAM ORGANIC ORGANIC
STEEL STORE STEEL STORE
ANNE’S TOY DEPOT ANNE’S TOY DEPOT 5482 EMERSON 5482 EMERSON RD RD SPOKANE, 99208 SPOKANE, WAWA 99208
TYPE: PLASTIC (PETE) TYPE: PLASTIC (PETE) CONTACT AMOUNT: 625LBS/MO CONTACT AMOUNT: 625LBS/MO 206-451-8642 METAL METAL
206-451-8642
1357 MAPLE ST 1357 MAPLE ST SPOKANE, WA 99208 SPOKANE, WA 99208
METAL WORKS METAL WORKS
8942 E TRIPE AVE 8942 E TRIPE AVE SPOKANE, WA 99208 SPOKANE, WA 99208
CONSTRUCT CONSTRUCT LLCLLC
1492 W SPRAGUE ST 1492 W SPRAGUE ST SPOKANE, WA 99208 SPOKANE, WA 99208
GLASS GLASS
PLASTIC PLASTIC
MISCELLANEOUS MISCELLANEOUS
O
The third app, WasteBiz (see Fig. O), is primarily used by businesses to search for other business’s by-products that can be used as a primary resource. This app allows businesses to post where they are, what type of waste they produce, and how much of this waste they produce. Little icons on a map appear that can be clicked on to see what type of waste the business has and how much. Individual items can also be search if a business is searching for something specific. WasteBiz is really intended to improve and create more symbiotic relationships in the community and decrease the reliance on raw materials and squandered usable waste.
1960 - 1980
1980 - 1990
1990 - 2000
FLY ASH
FLY ASH
GYPSUM
GYPSUM
GAS/STEAM
GAS/STEAM
BIOMASS
BIOMASS
HEAT ENERGY
HEAT ENERGY
WATER
WATER
CONDENSATE
CONDENSATE
WASTE/SLUDGE
WASTE/SLUDGE
2015
FLY ASH GYPSUM GAS/STEAM BIOMASS HEAT ENERGY WATER CONDENSATE
P
WASTE/SLUDGE
Using the principles of our apps and bins, we began looking for case studies where businesses shared resources and waste. A great example of this is known as industrial symbiosis in the city of Kalundborg, Denmark (see Fig. P). Industrial symbiosis involves the reuse and reallocation of waste from one industry to another. While this is a more recent idea in the United States, this process began in Kalundborg during the early 1960’s. The Asnaes power station resides at the heart of the network, initially sharing water with local lakes and fly ash with the cement industry. Over time, more and more industries joined this ever growing network sharing more types of resources, like heat, biomass, gas, gypsum, and even sludge.
The key to the success of Kalundborg is the local tight-knit business relations between the various industries. All the contracts and agreements have had little or no institutional intervention. While this creates a level of trust between owners needed to move forward with these contracts, it also creates a transparency of resource and waste flows between industries, making it easier for more industries to participate. Ideas such as the WasteBiz and Looper app can help make flows more transparent in the United States where traditionally company privacy is of high importance.
MAIL/PACKAGES METRO
RESOURCES/PRODUCTS
METRO
Q
Another great case study demonstrating a form of resource sharing is the PostBus system in Switzerland. The public transportation network also doubles as a mail and package delivery system (see Fig. Q), saving time and fuel. We are proposing not to transport packages in public transportation, but using existing transportation routes to transport waste and resources back and forth between businesses. Some form of this system could be heavily used, where commercial businesses are located within a more public realm and industrial buildings are located further away from the more welcoming shopping and service areas. This would help create and strengthen more symbiotic relationships that can thrive on waste and resource sharing.
LOOPER WI-FI CREATING A MESH NETWORK
R
INDUSTRIAL SYMBIOSIS AT THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE WI-FI HOT SPOTS
S
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION CARRYING WASTE AND RESOURCES BETWEEN INDUSTRIAL SYMBIOSIS
90
45 94
T
So how can these ideas impact the urban fabric of a city? As the Looper bins begin to emerge around the university district, so will Wi-Fi hot spots whereever the community is the most productive in recycling (see Fig. R). As hot spots grow, more people will be likely to congregate around these areas which could lead to developers choosing these locations for new businesses and industries (see Fig. S). This way, development emerges based on a community’s good recycling habits. In areas where the compost Looper is heavily used, public amenities like community gardens and public parks may begin to emerge (see Fig. S).
As businesses move in, they can begin to locate based on resource and waste flows. Using something like the WasteBiz app, owners can see a range of resources being sold as by-products from other businesses. As a result, businesses and industries that share resources could cluster together. However, the manufacturing side of business may not be suitable for a popular urban atmosphere. In this case, manufacturers could locate in more industrial zones, further from these popular urban areas. To reduce the energy needed for more distant transportation, public transportation could also transport resources and waste (see Fig. T). This could start to influence the location of businesses based on public transportation or vice versa, creating a more adaptive and symbiosis among businesses.
U
We can imagine how these bins can start creating hot spots and influencing the built environment of Spokane (see Fig. U). Coffee shops, community gardens, and parks start popping up around these bins. These spots can become very vibrant places with people gathering to socialize, play, relax, and make their community a better place. Spokane is one the more responsible locations for recycling. However, there is a long way to go to achieve the goals of the circular economy. Being rooted in good recycling habits, Spokane and any city for that matter, harnesses a great opportunity to support circular economy ideas. With the Looper bins and sensors providing a data stream, urban metabolism flows can become more transparent making it easier to identify problems in the various systems of flows. From there, the Wi-Fi from the bins can begin to shape new
development, where the community is recycling more responsibly. Using the WasteBiz app, businesses and industries can locate based on resource and waste flows, using public transportation to reduce vehicles used in the transportation process. With these ideas working together, we can begin a movement where individuals, businesses, and city council alike can work together to close waste loops at multiple scales acting as a layered defense to reduce and ultimately eliminate waste. Waste management is one of the greatest challenges of our generation. Even in our most ecologically productive cultures we see only about half our waste being recycled. We see the city as an opportunity to build a foundation that would foster a circular economy with more integrated waste management systems and symbiotic relationships among businesses.
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TEXTS
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