Helping cities plan for future waste management
Within the European Union, some Member States have risen to the challenge of waste management better than others. The recycling concept is gaining pace, but not quickly enough. A project funded by the Fifth Framework Programme can provide their city planners with the necessary software-based tools. Following extensive collection and analysis of data on waste generation, scientists with the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna (BOKU) put together a Waste Prognostic Tool. The Waste Prognostic Tool predicts the total amount of municipal waste a city will generate and can even provide information about the composition of the waste. It is expected that costs associated with incorrect waste forecasts will be greatly reduced. The tool requires minimum input and can provide forecasts out to ten years and beyond. Though not the first of its kind, the Waste Prognostic Tool is significantly more accurate than its predecessors. Furthermore, its forecasts can be modified to take into account the effects of various waste reduction measures implemented during the forecast period. Finally, the forecast can be integrated into a total lifecycle assessment of the waste management scheme. BOKU has been spreading the word about the Waste Prognostic Tool through scientific conferences and publications. The software manual has been translated into six different languages. BOKU is available to consult with city planners, particularly those in EU enlargement countries but also in Asia and the Americas.
