The REMADE Institute, a public/private partnership founded by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2017, has granted $1 million to an interdisciplinary team of researchers at UCI for a project to improve California’s economy and environment through better recycling practices. With an additional $1 million in matching funds from the University of California, researchers in The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and UCI’s Institute of Transportation Studies will conduct a two-year investigation into the enhancement of a circular economy in the Golden State in which manufactured goods are not simply discarded but reused. The goal is to minimize landfill clutter and runaway greenhouse gas emissions.

“We need to build a better understanding of the flows of recyclable items to create a stable market for them, and we must become more knowledgeable about the energy implications of expanded recycling,” said principal investigator Jean-Daniel Saphores, UCI professor of civil and environmental engineering.

Saphores said his team’s approach to achieving these goals will center on developing a new computational model to track the flow of recycled metals, fibers, plastics and electronic waste. In addition, the tool will provide an analysis of energy and greenhouse gas emissions related to recycling and reuse of materials.

To read the full story, visit https://news.uci.edu/2023/01/26/uci-receives-funding-for-recycling-research-project/.
Author: Brian Bell, UCI 
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Image: UCI News

 

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