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Subject: search.filters.subject.Waste management

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    UrbanGreen - E-Waste Detection and Analysis using YOLOv5
    (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2025) Madusanka A.R.M.S; Nawaratne D.M.R.S.; Gamage, N; Attanayaka, B
    E-waste has become a global concern that challenges environmental sustain ability. The disposal of electronic devices is often poorly managed, especially in urban areas. This research aims to develop an innovative e-waste management system suitable for urban areas, focusing on accurately identifying electronic devices and their harmful components through advanced image processing techniques. (Y olov5) The system identifies various electronic devices, harmful components and materials and assesses their recyclability, improper disposal's environmental and health impacts, empowering users to make informed decisions about disposal and recycling. The system will integrate tools to identify E-waste, promote the reuse of electronic devices, educate the public through interactive educational platforms, and locate nearby e-waste collection centers. By addressing these critical aspects of e-waste management, the project aims to provide a useful platform to manage e-waste effectively in urban areas. This paper was developed to discuss E-waste detection and analysis using YOLOv5 object detection model.
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    Uniaxial compressive response of cement mortar with waste aluminium fibre sourced from electrical distribution cables
    (Springer Science and Business Media, 2025-01) Perera K.D.Y.G.; Ahamed Y.L.F; Somarathna H.M.C.C; Jayasekara D.A.B.P.M; Mohotti D; Raman S.N
    Electrical distribution and communication cables cease to function for transmission when their length is insufficient, and it is considered as it approaches the end of their useful lives. Further, the disposal techniques are not eco-friendly. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of cement mortar systems with the inclusion of aluminium fibre extracted from electrical distribution cables. Two diameters of 1.35 mm and 1.70 mm and two lengths of 10 mm and 15 mm fibres were used while incorporating four volume ratios, particularly 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% to evaluate the effect of the length, diameter and volume ratios. The compression test and density test were performed to study the behaviour of Metal Fibre Reinforced Mortar (MFRM) systems under both dry and wet states. Compared to conventional mortar, the ultimate compressive strength of MFRM systems was increased up to 39.4% in 1.5% of fibre addition under the 28-day dry state, where the 1.5% volume ratio showed the best performance under compressive loads. Strain at ultimate strength, modulus of elasticity and strain energy also showed improvements with the fibre inclusion up to 74.4%, 87.3%, and 106.6% respectively. Fibres with higher aspect ratios showed significant effectiveness among the aforementioned fibre variations. The overall results highlighted that the MFRM with 1.5% of fibres performed expertly with 15 mm length and 1.35 mm diameter under compression loads
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Sustainable food waste management: A cross-country study of Australian and Sri Lankan hotel sector
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2025-12) Jayasuriya, N; Wickramaarachchi, C; Wijesundara, H; Sriyananda, U; Rathnayake, V; Liyanage, T
    Food wastage constitutes a critical global issue, with an estimated one-third of the food produced worldwide being wasted annually. The hotel sector represents a key contributor to this problem; however, it has received limited attention in the existing body of research. Therefore, this study seeks to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the underlying drivers of food wastage, the challenges encountered, and the strategies implemented to mitigate this issue within the hotel industry. Addressing the different contexts in developed and developing countries, this study has selected hoteliers in Australia and Sri Lanka. Data was collected from 20 hotel employees from both countries who are responsible for food handling and were analyzed thematically. The findings identified transportation waste, kitchen waste, and consumer waste as critical points of food wastage. Additionally, the role of technological equipment, combined with food safety precautions and regulatory measures, emerged as pivotal in managing food waste. These aspects are examined in detail alongside proposed mitigation strategies. Even though hospitality sector is largely contributed to these issues, the studies conducted on this sector in relation to the food wastage is very limited. Thus, this study focuses on filling the void in the literature by conducting an in-depth investigation on this topic.
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    PublicationOpen Access
    Rice Husk Derived Biomass Briquettes for Boilers: Ingredient-Based Product Quality Study
    (SLIIT, Faculty of Engineering, 2025-02) Lakshika, H.N.M.; Arachchige, U. S.P.R; Koliyabandara, P.A
    This research investigates the feasibility of repurposing rice husk waste into sustainable biomass briquettes, addressing environmental and economic challenges associated with conventional biomass sources in Sri Lanka. The study involves a comprehensive analysis of rice husk utilization, focusing on three size fractions: original size, particles less than 5mm, and powder form. Rice husks less than 5mm was observed to have a composition of optimal fixed carbon content (11.63% ± 0.215), moisture content (10.53% ± 0.013), volatile matter (80.72% ± 0.005), and ash content (7.65% ± 0.004). The binding agents, namely starch, dummala tree resin, and wastepaper pulp, were used for briquette production. The optimal compositions for briquettes made with rice husk particles less than 5mm were determined as follows: rice husk with starch (1:6), rice husk with tree resin (1:7), and rice husk with wastepaper pulp (1:5). The calorific values of these optimum briquettes were found to be 15.446 MJ/kg for starch-based briquettes, 15.278 MJ/kg for paper pulp-based briquettes, and 15.323 MJ/kg for tree resin-based briquettes. In addition, briquettes made with an equal ratio (1:1) of binders showed calorific values of 14.175 MJ/kg for starch, 14.227 MJ/kg for paper pulp, and 15.275 MJ/kg for tree resin, with tree resinbased briquettes exhibiting the highest calorific value. In the product quality evaluation study carried out with these results, the proximate and ultimate analyses were conducted to characterize the briquettes and the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was conducted to characterize the rice husk and to examine the physical properties of the produced briquettes. The findings indicate that repurposing rice husk waste with various binding agents offers a sustainable solution for biomass fuel production. Accordingly, natural tree resin briquettes exhibited the highest density, compression ratio, and shatter resistance. These results suggest that utilizing natural tree resin can effectively address waste management challenges and create an environmentally friendly and economically viable industrial sector in Sri Lanka.
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    ChemicalOxygen Demand Reduction of The Spent Wash Condensate by Applying Sugar Cane Bagasse Ash
    (SLIIT, Faculty of Engineering, 2024-10) Lankathilake, L.J.M.U.; Wijesekara, E.R.J.M.D.D.P.; Amarasinghe, A.M.P.
    Distillery spent wash is a highly acidic waste generated during ethanol production in sugar industries. It makes a challenging industrial wastewater, due to its high organic content and complexity and it needs to treat before being released into the environment. The spent wash can evaporate, creating a thick slurry and vaporized liquid. The slurry can be used for different applications such as a fertilizer production. This vaporized fraction can be condensed, and this research study focuses on applying a sustainable waste management approach to reduce the COD of spent wash condensate by using ash generated from bagasse combustion. Four experiments were included in the study. First, H2O2-treated and untreated fly ash and bottom ash from the bagasse combusted boiler were mixed with the spent wash condensate and filtered out to determine the most suitable ash type for COD reduction. Then, the chosen ash type was used in various ratios and retention times to determine the optimum operation conditions. Finally, the COD reduction capacity of the boiler ash was determined by treating condensate multiple times. The results indicated that the optimum COD reduction spent wash condensate to treated bagasse fly ash ratio is 1: 50 (W/V), and the optimum retention time is 02 hours. Furthermore, the treated bagasse fly ash can be used twice to treat the condensate of distillery spent wash, and if it wants to be reused more, it should retreat with H2O2. The average COD value of raw spent wash was around 130,000 – 160,000 mg/L range, and it has reduced to approximately 70,000 mg/L in the spent wash condensate. After ash treatments the COD of spent wash condensate can be reduced to approximately 30,000 mg/L. This method can reduce the spent wash COD by about 75%; additional treatment is required to reduce it to an environmentally disposable level.