Student capstone and applied projects from ASU's School of Sustainability.

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The City of Phoenix is interested in bringing a plastic processing facility to the Phoenix metro area. A facility could potentially to increase the diversion rates of recyclables, allow for more efficient use of locally reclaimed material and bring new jobs to the Phoenix metropolitan economy. Contrary to the classic

The City of Phoenix is interested in bringing a plastic processing facility to the Phoenix metro area. A facility could potentially to increase the diversion rates of recyclables, allow for more efficient use of locally reclaimed material and bring new jobs to the Phoenix metropolitan economy. Contrary to the classic “put it in the bin, we’ll take care of it” attitude presented by large recyclers such as Waste Management and Republic Services, recycling economics are complex; often both a beacon of technological advancement and a lagger with regard to spot-market capabilities. Based on interviews with elite stakeholders and industry research, this mixed method paper will examine the current PET plastic recycling market and the potential for Phoenix to increase its circular manufacturing of plastic. The final analysis will culminate in a proposed set of recommendations that could help Phoenix achieve its long-term waste diversion goals.
ContributorsPunnett, Garr (Author)
Created2018
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Description
Day-to-day decision makers on agricultural operations play a key role in maintaining both a sustainable and food secure agricultural society. This population, also defined as Principal Producers by the 2017 USDA Agricultural Census Report, has witnessed a significant decline in recent years, raising many questions surrounding why farmers are retiring

Day-to-day decision makers on agricultural operations play a key role in maintaining both a sustainable and food secure agricultural society. This population, also defined as Principal Producers by the 2017 USDA Agricultural Census Report, has witnessed a significant decline in recent years, raising many questions surrounding why farmers are retiring faster than they can be replaced. To look closely at this phenomenon, this study focuses on the State of Ohio to hear first-hand from producers what they need to be successful through a series of semi-structured interviews. This study also maps recent changes in variables that define this issue from 2007-2017 using QGIS and USDA Agricultural Census data. The findings from this study show the recent decline of mid-sized agricultural operations and provide evidence linking declining rates of principal producer populations with specific features consistent with industrial agriculture. These findings are specific to the State of Ohio, but also raise much larger questions about which populations are experiencing more rapid rates of farm exit, and what implications these trends have for food security on a broader scale.
ContributorsMoore, Phillip (Author) / Chhetri, Nalini (Contributor) / Leonard, Bryan (Contributor) / Shrestha, Milan (Contributor)
Created2020