Sustainability Assessment of Household Waste Based Solar Control Devices for Workshops in Primary Schools

Oriol Pons,Saeid Habibi,Diana Peña

doi:10.3390/su10114071

Abstract

Part of the large amounts of waste generated by human activities could have a second use while solving social problems. In this sense, the authors are carrying out a research project involving the participative development of innovative solar control devices integrated into school architecture using household waste. In general, the objectives of this research project are to: (a) optimize pupils’ learning process by improving lighting and thermal comfort levels and (b) reduce the generation of Spanish household waste by reusing part of it and increase the teaching community’s awareness about this waste. This research article reports on the steps taken to achieve these objectives by characterizing the most sustainable types of the waste-based solar control device. In this sense, this research paper defines and applies a new methodology which combines General Morphology Analysis (GMA), a new tool based on The Integrated Value Model for Sustainable Assessment and Focus groups. First, up to 96 different types of solar control devices composed of household waste have been defined using GMA and, second, these 96 types and conventional roller shutters have been assessed using this new tool. Based on these article results, one of the best alternatives has been prototyped during an initial workshop.

Highlights

Global cities waste generation is expected to increase to 2.2 billion tons per year by 2025 [1]
The researchers defined the boundaries of this research project as follows: external solar control devices that are built using household waste during primary educational workshops and are employed for windows in existing Spanish schools
Known as elementary, includes grades 1–6 for children from 6 to 12 years old in Spain [41]. These boundaries result from the sample main necessities: (a) external solar control devices; (b) reuse of household waste; and (c) children’s awareness about the high generation of waste

Summary

Introduction

Global cities waste generation is expected to increase to 2.2 billion tons per year by 2025 [1]. These urban areas create the largest waste share, which is known as municipal solid waste (MSW—Appendix E presents a complete list of abbreviations) [2]. Most governments and municipalities, among them Spanish entities, are looking for the best waste management mechanisms to deal with MSW [4]. In this sense, the European waste directive defines a waste hierarchy which includes these five options: (Op1) prevention; (Op2) reuse; (Op3) recycling; (Op4) recovery; and (Op5) disposal [5]. Op2 is important because it gives a second use to waste and, in consequence, saves it from the waste cycle and reduces the final dumped waste

Methods

Results

Conclusion