Self Evaluation Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering

2. Research collaboration with business and public sector and research impact

Collaboration with business and public sector

The Solid waste engineering and recycling group has started specific collaboration with business and the public sector. The best example of this is the written agreement we have signed with Norwegian Association of Solid Waste Management (Norsk renholdsverks-forening, NRF), as a basis for long-term collaboration on solid waste policy and technology, in teaching and research. At present we discuss the possibilities for NRF to fund PhD-projects in our group.

Collaboration with business and public sector has been focused towards: i) Municipality of Trondheim on EE-modelling as basis for evaluating source separation technologies, ii) Tomra Systems ASA on EE-modelling as basis for R&D priorities in their future systems for beverage and other packaging recycling, and iii) Plastretur AS on the organizational design and EE performance in our national plastic packaging take-back systems. All of this research is carried out under the framework of IndEcol, and with our PhD-students heavily involved as part of their empirical work.

As part of this collaboration, Kjetil Røine has worked for about 3 months in the Norwegian Ministry for the Environment and about 2 months in Plastretur, and Arne Eik has worked for 10 months in Tomra.

We have not had anyone from business and public sector working in the group, except the fact that the adjunct professors Heie and Øren have their main occupation in business. This contributes to a smooth exchange of ideas and strategies with practitioners in our field.

Since our strategy has been to work on issues that need a solid empirical grounding in companies, both in order to have access to data and to anchor our research strategies and methodologies in the sector, we have several publications that include input from industry, yet not many with persons from outside as co-authors. Since 1999 we have 14 publications based on active input of data from business and public sector, and 15 publications with persons from industry and society outside NTNU as co-authors.

Collaboration with research institutions

The group has not been much involved in collaboration with national research institutions, as this is limited to individuals in Oestfold Research Foundation (STØ), various branches of the Sintef Group, Norwegian Geological Surveying (NGU) and Fritjof Nansen Institute (FNI). Such collaboration is on project basis, on issues related to LCA and EE modelling, as well as on policy and policy instruments in relation to waste recycling systems, mainly implemented through our PhD-projects. During the period 1998-2003 prof. Brattebø was appointed leader of the Productivity 2004 Industrial Ecology project, an industry oriented research project funded by the Norwegian Research Council.

The role of the group in dissemination of own research

The members of the Solid waste engineering and recycling group has been active towards external users, in disseminating new perspectives, methodologies and results from our research, as a joint effort of the Industrial Ecology Programme and our group. National arenas for such dialogue have been the Birkebeinerlaugets Miljøutvalg (BBU), Emballasjeforeningen, the annual VARP-dagene organized by the Norwegian Research Council, and a national LCA-Forum organized by NTNU and STØ. In 2003 we also had a exhibition stand at the national Solid Waste Conference, informing about teaching and research activities in solid waste engineering, recycling and industrial ecology at NTNU.

3. Strategy, organization and national cooperation

The group has had only moderate research ambitions for the period from 1998 until the summer 2003, due to the fact that our faculty members have only worked on a part time basis at the department (Brattebø 50% and Heie 20%). Hence, our research strategies during this period were focus mainly towards working closely together with the PhD-students, since this was clearly an obligation and manageable under the constraints given.

Adjunct prof. Heie was only to a little extent part of research in the group, as his adjunct position has been restricted to teaching and tutoring, however with contributions towards student research work in the final year project courses and diploma theses.

The specific research strategies during have been oriented towards carrying out:

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  theoretical and empirical related research in order to examine the structure and the material flows of waste packaging take-back systems in Norway, as a basis for understanding incentives, barriers and opportunities for making changes, with an emphasis to plastic wastes
  
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  the same type of research on systems for construction and demolition (C&D) wastes, with an emphasis to the role of heavy waste fractions and transportation
  
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  theoretical and methodological oriented research on indicators and models for eco-efficiency (EE) evaluations
  
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  emphasize a working mode that maximizes interdisciplinary input to our research
  
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  have 4 PhD-students defending their thesis, with time progress as expected in the start of their work
  

These strategies have all been implemented, only with some time delay in the progress of PhD-student work, due to their decisions to engage actively with partners in business, industry and government during their work.

As mentioned above our research is an integrated part of the Industrial Ecology Programme, and we have deliberately chosen a wide approach to our research, in an interdisciplinary setting. All the PhD-students have carried out their research with daily workplace at IndEcol, as part of the IndEcol-Forum that include 17 doctoral students and about 20 faculty members from different parts of the university. In particular our projects have been closely linked with activities at the LCA-laboratory at the Department of Product Design Engineering, as well as with the Productivity 2005 programme (including Case04 – Evaluation of EE in waste recycling systems, Case05 – Principles of good practice in waste recycling, and Case07 – LCA laboratory).

In this way our research has been actively linked with projects from other cultures of research, and competence which is of relevance to ourselves. In addition to input of new ideas and research methodologies, this collaboration has resulted in several joint publications. During the period 1999-2003, members of the group has worked closely together with colleagues from Political Science, Economics, Product Design Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Technology, Industrial Logistics and Philosophy. Out of 49 international publications and presentations in total, during this period, 15 are written in collaboration with colleagues from these disciplines.

The reason behind our emphasis towards interdisciplinary working modes is to get as much input from other fields as possible, since we are convinced that the barriers towards changes in society’s waste management structures are only to a little extent explained by technological parameters. We believe that economic, structural and cultural conditions explain indeed the important aspects of how decisions are made in relation to waste management. This is particularly the fact when dealing with waste prevention and reduction issues, and all elements of the waste systems that are related to the consumer phase. Hence, a systems engineering approach to solid waste management needs to be founded on interdisciplinary research.

As it is explained above, the group has chosen to give high attention to analytic and interdisciplinary research. Most of this collaboration takes place through the Industrial Ecology Programme, as a benefit and result of the fact that people from different disciplines spend time together on a weekly basis. Hence, problems are discussed and examined with input from different angles, and often methods or perspectives from one discipline are applied into another one.

Our cooperation with the research institute sector has not been given equally high priority during the recent 5 year period. The reason is lack of capacity and a focus to doctoral research. The projects that have included the research institute sector are mainly associated with the Productivity 2005 Programme, funded by the Norwegian Research Council. Here we have worked with Sintef Technology Management, Oestfold Research Foundation (STØ) and Oslo Business School (BI).

Adjunct Professor Heie is presently taking part in a project together with NGU (Norges Geologiske Undersøkelse) and SINTEF Department of Energy Research, through his daily position at Interconsult NORSAS. The aim is to analyse the fuel suitability, ash residue characteristics and emissions to air for a number of bio-fuels. The tests are performed in a bio-fuel heating plant operated by Trondheim Energy Company. In this way the combined knowledge within various disciplines form a very powerful basis for a sound project.

4. International collaboration and other international relations

The group has not to a large extent been involved in international research collaboration, and this is also related to capacity, although our international network is fairly good. In the research area of Extended Producer Responsibility, and more recently also Integrated Product Policy, collaboration has been established towards the International Institute of Industrial Environmental Economics at Lund University, (SE) (Dr. Thomas Lindhqvist). Another academic institution that the group cooperate with is the Centre for Environmental Science at the Leiden University (NL) (Dr. Ester van der Voet, Dr. Hjalt Huppes and Mr. Rene Kleijn). A third institution is the Centre for Industrial Ecology at Yale University, (Drs. Thomas Graedel, Marian Chertow and Mr. Reid Lifset). Brattebø is now at Yale for a one year research sabbatical. A fourth institution is the Department of Physical Resource Theory at Chalmers University of Technology (Dr. John Holmberg). Finally, we have for many years drawn upon the significant competence and overview of Dr. John Ehrenfeld at the Business and Environment Programme at MIT, now Executive Director of the International Society for Industrial Ecology. In general all these partners have been invited to Trondheim several times, to discuss research methodologies and approaches in relation to the areas of Extended Producer Responsibility, Materials Flow Analysis (MFA), Industrial Symbiosis and industrial ecology and recycling more in general.

The group has had a few international guest researchers, for short visits mainly, but all of these have been offered to stay at the Industrial Ecology Programme at NTNU. Once a year (since 2000) John Ehrenfeld and Rene Klein have been invited for a one week visit. Thomas Lindhqvist, John Holmberg and Dr. Göran Finnveden (Royal Swedish Institute of Technology) have been invited to doctoral colloquia at NTNU, all as “external opponents” for doctoral research presentations by Eik, Røine, Bohne and Klang.

As stated on page 4 Helge Brattebø is currently actively involved as elected Councillor the International Society for Industrial Ecology, as Editor to the Journal of Industrial Ecology, and has previously been active in EU projects. On the same page are given evidence that Kjell Øren and Aage Heie also have a well developed international professional network. In particular the group looks forward to draw upon Øren’s industrial network abroad during the years to come.

Aage Heie has collaborated with Dr. Lagerkvist from the Waste Science and Technology Division at Luleå University in Sweden on “Methods for assessment of landfill gas generation and emission”. Together they wrote the NORDTEST Technical Report 380, in March 1998.

Activities related to international professional committees, work on standardization and other professional activities over the last 5 years:
Prof. Brattebø:

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  Co-ordinator of the Environmental Engineering Subgroup in the EU Erasmus Leuven network (1992-1999)
  
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  Co-ordinator of the Environmental Life-Cycle Engineering towards 2000 project in the EU Socrates programme (1997-1999)
  
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  Appointed Norwegian representative to the Steering Committee of CRE-COPERNICUS (1994-2000)
  
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  Co-editor of the Journal of Industrial Ecology, MIT-Press, since 2001
  
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  Appointed member of the Interim Steering Committee of the International Society for Industrial Ecology (ISIE), 2001-2002
  
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  Appointed member of the National Committee on Solid Waste Reduction, reporting to the Ministry of the Environment on future waste reduction policy (2001-2002)
  
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  Elected advicer to the International Society for Industrial Ecology (ISIE), since 2003
  

Adjunct Professor Kjell Øren

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  Norsk Hydro’s representative in the Environmental Protection Committee of the European Chemical Industry Council CEFIC (1993-1999)
  

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  Norway’s representative in the International Energy Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Research and Development Programme’s Executive Committee, as alternate (1993-1996) and national member (1996-2000).
  
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  Chairman of the Environmental Policy Committee and the Climate Policy Committee, the Norwegian Process Industry Federation (1997-2001).
  
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  The Norwegian Ministry of Industry, Oil and Energy’s Program for co-operation between authorities and the Norwegian oil and gas industry (MILJØSOK) – secretary (1995-1996) and chairman (1998-2000) of the Climate Policy Committee.
  
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  Board member of the Norwegian waste treatment company NOAH (1999-2001)
  
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  Director of the Energy & Climate programme, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development in Geneva, Switzerland (2001-2003).
  

Adjunct Professor Aage Heie

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  Member of the International Advisory Board for the Sardinia International Landfill Symposia (1991-1995).
  
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  Norwegian representative in the IEA Bioenergy activity "Harmonisation of sampling and analytical protocols activity" (1992-94).
  
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  Member of the programme steering committee for MILFOR under NFR (1992-1994).
  
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  Norwegian representative in the NORDTEST's Expert group on solid waste (1992-95)
  
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  Member of the Editorial Board for the Waste Management & Research international scientific journal (1997-2001).
  

Organization of international conferences and work-shop

In terms of international initiatives Brattebø has been in charge of two European Summer Schools in Industrial Ecology (in 1998 and 2002). Brattebø and all of our PhD students have also been significantly active giving presentations and attending at international conferences

5. Recruitment and mobility of researchers

Our researchers are so far not being recruited internationally, besides Anders Klang who joined the group through a joint EU Interreg project between NTNU and Mid-Sweden University. There are obvious potentials for a more active recruiting policy here.

On the other hand, our doctoral students have spent research periods abroad. Kjetil Røine has had research visits, all of several months duration, at CML Leiden and MIT, as well as several shorter visits to Lund University. Arne Eik spent half a year at University of Tarragona near Barcelona. Rolf Bohne attended a PhD course at TU Chalmers. Anders Klang has a joint collaboration between NTNU and Mid-Sweden University, and also attended courses at Uppsala University.

All our PhD students will have, if they wish, good opportunities for industrial oriented research in future. Røine, whose PhD funding ran out this summer, is now working on project basis as a consultant towards Plastretur, in parallel with finishing his thesis. Arne Eik spent 11 months working for Tomra Systems ASA in 1992. This year he has had short term engagements towards Norsk Resirk, and he is from the start of next year working full time in industry. Anders Klang has during the whole period as doctoral student had research engagements towards firms and municipalities in the Östersund area in Sweden. Rolf Bohne carried out his empirical work in close contact with two Danish firms in the Construction and Demolition waste sector, and has also empirical research towards similar industry in Oslo and Trondheim. Hence, all the doctoral students in the group have well developed industrial contacts. Most probably, all of them will end up working in the business sector, or in industrial applied research.

6. General conditions applying to the research

On the human resource side, the group has experienced lack of capacity and time input by senior scientists as well as with the recruiting of new candidates for masters level thesis research. We believe that these two issues are also connected, although a general trend during the recent years is lack of interest from students at the graduate level to specialize in environmental engineering. This trend is fortunately now changing, however, it will be necessary to strengthen the capacity and time of involvement by senior researchers in the group in future.

One strategy to deal with this problem may be to establish an applied solid waste engineering and recycling research group at Sintef, in parallel to the long time successful one in water and wastewater treatment. Through joint efforts, our group could then focus the more fundamental research in this area, including student projects at the masters and doctorate level, while Sintef would focus more on applied contract research. Together one might attract more projects as well as new candidates for research in this area. Such possibilities are now being discussed, but decisions on this are yet to be taken.

In general we have experienced positive benefits from making use of new research methodologies, such as Materials Flow Analysis (MFA), Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) and Eco-Efficiency Analysis (EE). Such methods give the analyst valuable systems insight into the physical, environmental and economic parameters of a given waste system. We have found that this type of quantitative information is a mandate to any advanced analytical research project in the solid waste sector, and a required basis for deciding where and how to implement more technical improvements or to which parts and problems within the system to allocate R&D budgets. The group’s modelling resources will on the other hand have to be strengthened further in the years to come.

The report of the Norwegian National Committee for Waste Reduction (2002) demonstrated the urgent need for research on waste prevention, “upstream” to the point of waste generation, as well as on “downstream” waste recycling and recovery. Our strategy is to continue the focus on systems analysis on downstream activities, in search for efficient solutions in those systems, yet build into the research also a similar examination of upstream opportunities, particularly within households and municipal systems, but also in selected industries. Downstream oriented research will have to take more the down-cycling issues of recycled materials into consideration, and how to avoid that large quantities of useful materials are sent to low grade applications only. A third key area of future research is the role of waste collection and transport solutions in waste systems. In general, the use of advanced operations research methods in the area of solid waste management should also be strengthened. This would be a proactive strategy to meet the needs for more optimum integrated solutions in society’s solid waste systems, where large investments are being made today, and probably will increase even more in the near future.