Waste Management
Waste Management Engineering
There is no such thing as waste. In the process of making things, we also create byproducts. If the byproduct has no value, it is a waste product but everything has some value so let's call it "undervalued byproduct."
The Mascot of Waste Management Engineers is the Dung Beetle. Like the dung beetle, engineers find ways to give value to the undervalued byproducts.
Engineering Program Areas The three main program areas in waste management engineering are materials handling, systems operations and waste treatment.
Materials Handling
Waste materials are tough to handle. They can have the consistency of a liquid, a slurry, a semi-solid, or a solid. No matter the consistency, they can be abrasive, corrosive, sticky, and usually a little smelly. In this program area, we explore the basic characteristics of materials, and figure out how to move, store, mix, separate, settle, and suspend the materials.
Systems Operations
Waste products are handled in systems consisting of production, treatment, storage, and utilization subsystems. In this program area, we give managers the tools to properly operate waste handling systems. This area also includes the environmental impacts of waste handling, and regulations covering the safe operation of systems.
Waste Treatment
Treatment is the transformation of byproducts to make them easier to handle, less noxious, and better suited for other uses. Some treatment technologies we are working on in Oklahoma include composting, vermicomposting, and anaerobic digestion.
