Session: 02-10-01: Sustainable Design

Paper Number: 145429

145429 - Proposal for a Context-Aware Decision Support System for Waste Disposal Processes: Case Study Recycling at the Office. 

Recycling processes are complex for people, due to variations in regulations, and the confusion generated by the mixing of materials in packaging, the condition of the waste and the inadequate signage at the waste collection points. In the business context, the companies or commercial establishments must take responsibility for the final management of waste, so that, they comply with regulations and avoid sanctions. These companies invest time and resources in training their employees in recycling, but external elements such as the floating population, variations in regulations and employee turnover negatively affect the waste separation rate. Moreover, the material type and the level of cleanliness of the waste make harder the decision-making process of people associated with waste separation. In order to ameliorate their kerbside collection structure and maximise the quantity of recyclable material recovered, the companies and commercial entities are compelled to carry out costly manual separation processes at their internal collection centres. A context-aware decision support system that aids the disposal decision-making process at companies and commercial places can contribute to tackling the afore-mentioned problem, as well as to support the recycling learning process of people. However, a deep knowledge of the variables involved in the waste disposal process is needed. This includes understanding the most common mistakes made by people when recycling, the recycling training processes at companies, the materials of the most common consumer goods, and the inner waste classification companies’ policies, among others. This article is focused on the identification and selection of variables affecting the recycling process at companies. These variables are the main input for the development of an intelligent system that aims to support decision-making related to recycling and the learning process of people about waste separation. In this article, a solution concept is proposed. The recycling processes at six Colombian companies, from the manufacturing, service and retail sectors were analysed. The processes covered interviews with six internal waste managers of the companies, eight waste separation operators and twenty-four employees. Grounded theory was implemented to determine the main factors affecting the waste separation process. The investigation derived an in-depth understanding of the particularities of the internal waste management process in the six companies and the definition of common requirements related to waste separation. It can be argued that the implementation of these types of solutions can help companies achieve their sustainability goals, influencing people's environmental behaviour, increasing companies' profits and enhancing a circular economy.

Presenting Author: Santiago Ruiz-Arenas Universidad EAFIT

Presenting Author Biography: Santiago is profesor at Universidad EAFIT since 2018. He holds a PhD degree in Engineering from Delft University of Technology (Delft, The Netherlands) and a Master of Science from Universidad EAFIT. Throughout his career Santiago has worked in subjects such as Product Lifecycle Management, Design Management, Design Methodologies, Cyber-physical systems, data analysis and forecasting. His research interests are: Design and innovation management, concurrent engineering, product lifecycle management, strategic product design, service design, cyber-physical systems, data analytics, among others.

Authors:

David Rios-Zapata Universidad EAFIT
Elizabeth Rendon-Velez Universidad EAFIT
Santiago Ruiz-Arenas Universidad EAFIT
Paola Vallejo Universidad EAFIT
Juan Carlos Arbelaez-Estrada Universidad EAFIT
Jesus Hernando Villa-Espinal Universidad EAFIt