Photo courtesy of UVM
Transitioning to a more circular economy – in which waste products are systematically returned to the economy to become new products – will enable society to significantly reduce or even eliminate extraction of natural resources. This will alleviate significant environmental and social costs, but the transition presents several challenges that require innovative solutions.
The Casella Center for Circular Economy and Sustainability brings together leading scientists, engineers and waste management sector experts to address these challenges. It builds on three decades of collaboration between UVM and Casella on research to reduce the environmental impact of waste. The Center will focus on decreasing greenhouse gas emissions from waste, mitigating emerging contaminants that can pose obstacles to circularity, conducting life cycle assessments to clarify environmental costs and benefits, and more.
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“Sustainable materials management has been the foundation of our business for 50 years. Investing in research that results in economically and environmentally sustainable solutions to some of modern society's most pressing issues is critical to our future.” - John W. Casella, Chairman and CEO of Casella
Creating stronger partnerships between industry and academia, the Center is built on collaborative relationships. Its founders envision an opportunity to conduct meaningful research, with real world impacts on circular economy & sustainability, to serve as a vital link between innovative scholarship, industry practice, and policy.
Photo by Colleen Goodhue, UVM
As technology advances and consumer products evolve, so does the composition of municipal waste streams and the associated waste management needs. Addressing the urgent need for practical solutions that work for people and planet, the Center's focus is to create sustainable ways to manage the materials that support everyday life.
As an environmental service provider, Casella has built a business around helping customers meet their sustainability goals by finding new ways to put waste to its highest and best use. Research pushes the boundaries of what is possible and enables the next round of sustainable environmental solutions.
SVP, Sustainable Growth
Area Vice President
VP, Sustainability
The Center will focus initially on an array of pressing technical topics related to sustainable materials management and the circular economy. These include biosolids management strategies; leachate management systems; PFAS separation, treatment, and destruction; enhancing methane oxidation; and novel uses for processed glass aggregate. Future anticipated topics include extended producer responsibility, emerging recycling technologies, innovation in organics management, and other emerging subjects.
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