Carlie LaughlinUK Recycling hosted their first Waste Reduction Week in April 2021 as an initiative meant to provide students with opportunities to learn more about how they can reduce their waste sent to landfill.
As part of Waste Reduction Week, I attended a lecture held by Dr. Beymer-Farris and Dr. Seay, Engineering Sustainable Solutions to the Plastic Waste Crisis in Africa, where they introduced us to their innovative sustainable and community-based solution for addressing the issue of mismanaged plastic waste – trash-to-tank technology!
What is trash-to-tank? Simple! It’s a process that converts waste plastic into clean fuel oil. In their research, they were mainly using this fuel to power cooking stoves for women.
As I listened to their lecture, my mind churned with ideas about how their research on this technology in Africa could be practically applied to zero waste initiatives here on campus. I approached Joanna Ashford, UK Recycling Coordinator, as well as Dr. Beymer-Farris and Dr. Seay post-lecture and asked, “What if we did that here, but we used the fuel to power grounds equipment instead of cooking stoves?”
We applied for a Sustainability Challenge Grant and were awarded the funds to begin our project! Our project aims to create a campus circular economy by building and installing a Trash-to-Tank (3T) Processor in UK Recycling’s area at Vaughan Warehouse to convert the plastic IV bag wrappers to fuel oil that will be used by UK Grounds for off-road equipment such as lawn mowers, bobcats, and skid steers.
Betsy Beymer-Farris
Assistant Professor of Geography
Director of Environmental and Sustainability Studies program
Dr. Beymer-Farris has over 20 years of experience working in Tanzania where she conducts research on gender, climate change, marine and coastal resource conservation, and human rights.
She will integrate this project into the curriculum of ENS 201 and ENS 300 to engage undergraduates in campus sustainability and waste-to-energy concepts.
Jeffrey Seay
Professor of Chemical Engineering
Dr. Jeffrey Seay is the President and Founder of Engineers for Sustainable Energy Solutions, a company whose goal is to make the Trash-to-Tank processor available around the world.
Jeffrey’s work has focused on process simulation and modeling, waste to energy processes, appropriate technology and sustainable development. He will be building the Trash-to-Tank processor.
Carlie Laughlin
AENS Graduate Student
Carlie is a graduate student in UK’s Applied Environmental and Sustainability Studies program and serves as the Office of Sustainability’s Faculty Programming Coordinator.
Carlie thought of the concept for this project after attending a Waste Reduction Week lecture by Dr. Beymer-Farris and Dr. Seay on their work with the 3T Processor!
She will also be responsible for communicating this project via WholeSum and social media.
Joanna Ashford
UK Recycling Coordinator
As UK’s Recycling Coordinator, Joanna will be working to collect single-use plastics from UK HealthCare to use in the Trash-to Tank (T3) processor. She is also working to hire a student worker that will be responsible for operating the processor at our Vaughan Warehouse. (Let her know if you are interested!) She will also be working to grow the single-use plastic recycling program at UK HealthCare to provide enough material for this project and reduce our waste impact.
Shelby Browning
AENS Graduate Student
Shelby is a graduate student in UK’s Applied Environmental and Sustainability Studies program and has followed this project through her undergraduate research experience. She is responsible for helping assemble the 3T processor as well as documenting the process. Shelby will also work on developing signage and other community engagement displays to spread information about this project.
Jason Scroggin
Associate Professor of Architecture
Jason will be conducting ARC 599/499 Topics in Architecture: Fabricating Play: Tectonics, Typology, and Distribution in Spring 2022 with a focus on interactive built forms, modeling, fabrication.
ARC 599/499 explores the use of the systematic processes of digital design and fabrication directed towards the development of an architectural installation that considers how the resulting artifact may activate user participation and call attention to the use of recycled plastic. Recycled plastics will also be incorporated into the design process.
Hannah Dewhirst
Visiting Assistant Professor, College of Design
Hannah is conducting ID 359 Spaceship Earth: A Materials Workshop this Fall 2021 semester!
ID 359 will explore the ways that materials carry meaning. Through the physical transformation (upcycling and reworking) of plastic waste materials from UK Healthcare and full-scale testing of new material processes, students will uncover sensory potential for future works, explore craft and circular design systems, and investigate ideas of regeneration, interconnectedness, and a shifting collective consciousness.
Kristin Six
UK HealthCare Nurse Clinician
I’m a Nurse Clinician in Wound Care at UK HealthCare and a student in the Online Masters in Applied Environmental and Sustainability Studies program. I’ll be working with Joanna to involve nursing staff in collecting plastic IV bag wrappers to become fuel in the Trash-to-Tank processor.
