Kuruvilla Mathew

The concept of integrated waste management (IWM) has been developed to provide a means towards sustainability. Population growth coupled with increasing consumption have increased the amount of waste generated across the world while also facilitating the use of IWM to divert waste from landfill toward more long-term sustainable options such as reuse and recycling programmes — programmes that also maintain the longevity of a products life and reduce pressure on natural resources (Figure 26.1) (Ami et al., 2002). The other major factor influencing the formation of IWM strategies is social pressure Huang et al., 2001), Social pressure has been found to cause authorities to implement IWM strategies even where landfill space is available Barth. 2000) and has originated with increased education levels among consumers about current unsustainable and sustainable waste practices (Clarke et al., l99; Huang et al., 2001). The success of IWM strategies is largely attributed to the degree of social acceptance, such that the landfill problem associated with high population density areas has been found to stem from a low social acceptance of reuse and recycling programmes, rather than their absence (Ami et al.. 2002; Bradshaw and Ozores-Hampton, 2002: Mohee, 2002: Poon et al., 2001). An assessment of the social acceptance of IWM strategies is now a precursor for most new programmes and the technologies chosen for 1W M may he dependent on social factors (Kwawe, 2002).

This chapter is designed to provide information on the types of standards enforced in developing and developed nations for effluent discharge, water quality control, technological choice and subsequent protection of public and environmental health. It will first describe the types of standards used for pollution control and the problems encountered when implementing these in developing nations, as well as discussing approaches that are applicable to developing nations.

This chapter discusses the contribution to renewable energy and sustainable development by environmental technology centers. Environmental Technology Centers (ETCs) have a key role to play in the development and the diffusion of renewable energy technology into the wider community. In the Metropolitan region of Perth, Western Australia, there are a number of community education centers that provide active demonstrations of renewable energy systems as well as energy efficient principles. The Murdoch University ETC is a regional leader in this area with a number of innovative integrated energy technologies on display. Environmental Technology Centers and community education centers can enable the diffusion of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies at a range of levels within the community. This can increase the awareness and the understanding of these issues as well as play a significant part in the innovation cycle, and demonstrating applications of environmental technologies to members of the public, schools, and community groups. Some of these systems also have valuable lessons for the members of the industry and the professional renewable energy community.

Western Australia is a very arid area and freshwater is a precious resource. The wise and efficient use of this resource is essential for the establishment of communities in this region. Wastewater reuse in Aboriginal communities is a very recent development. Initially leach drains disposed of wastewater. Due to their failure most of the major communities now have the effluent from the septic tanks collected by a small diameter reticulated sewerage system and directed to oxidation ponds for treatment. The overflow from the oxidation ponds is allowed to flow over land or to a creek without any specific use. This paper discusses available reuse options as well as the options specific to Aboriginal communities in Western Australia. It is intended to demonstrate that in arid regions reuse wastewater can act as a water conservation and pollution control measure.

The Murdoch University Environmental Technology Centre is an operational site where renewable energy systems are integrated into the overall functioning of the Centre within the broader context of Environmentally Sound Technologies (ESTs). Research and training programmes in renewable energies, energy efficiency strategies and energy conservation and how they integrate with ESTs have been developed. They have been applied through a range of low-cost short courses, undergraduate teaching, industry training initiatives, international and institutional programmes.