The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering hosted visitors from China this week for a Sustainable Solid Waste Management training program. The training offered the Chinese guests insights as to best practices and management efforts currently used in the United States for the collection, separation, sorting, transporting, and development and implementation of solid waste programs for the public.
The 21 managers and engineers were from the City of Ningbo in Zhejiang Province, China. Ningbo has an urban population of 3.5 million and produces 1.2 million tons of municipal solid waste annually.
“The city aims to develop a sustainable solid waste management program through source separation and collection, waste minimization and efficient management, and recycling materials,” said Dr. Jianpeng (Jim) Zhou, SIUE associate professor and chair of the Civil Engineering Department in the School of Engineering. “The city also plans to develop institutional and management structures, and programs at various levels for the public’s participation in the solid waste management.”
During the training program, the guests attended presentations and site visits, and engaged in interactive discussions with solid waste management experts. The discussed topics included:
- Principles and practice of sustainable solid waste management
- The perspectives, organization, planning and operation aspects of solid waste management public agency and local municipalities
- An engineer’s perspectives on practical applications and solutions
“The training program brings together high quality professionals and experts, including a world-class speaker Mr. N. C. Vasuki, P.E., BCEE, the former chief executive officer of Delaware (U.S.) Solid Waste Authority,” Zhou said.
The guests also visited SIUE’s Environmental Resources Training Center, which is part of the School of Engineering.
Photo: SIUE’s Jim Zhou (standing, center), associate professor and chair of the Civil Engineering Department, addresses a delegation of visiting Chinese engineers in a School of Engineering classroom.