Category: Containers & Packaging

Best Practices In Recycling Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Packaging Materials

By Andrew Murphy, supervised by Robert A. Novack📧 (Thesis Supervisor) and John C. Spychalski📧 (Honors Advisor) (2017)

Expanded polystyrene, commonly referred to as Styrofoam, is difficult and costly for many companies to recycle. Much of it gets sent to landfills where it does not decompose, posing harm to the environment. Company X is among these companies with the inability to successfully implement a recycling program. This thesis seeks to identify large-volume EPS recycling best practices and a practical application for Company X. EPS recycling methods were analyzed, interviews with recyclers were conducted, alternative recycling methods were assessed and EPS alternatives were found. The analysis results were applied to Company X, determining that the most responsible and cost-effective recycling method would be to implement a donation program to a local food bank, as well as register for the Materials Marketplace for long-term action. Company X also has an opportunity to influence its manufacturers and suppliers’ behaviors by suggesting alternative packaging materials, designs and management. The results of this thesis can be applied to companies struggling to recycle expanded polystyrene or other like-material, and can lead to more environmentally-conscious business practices.

Access the paper at Electronic Theses for Schreyer Honors College (ETDA) website here.

Leveraging Supply Chain Ideologies and Solutions to Reduce Farm-to-Table Food Waste in the United States

By Karen Lisa Burlingame, supervised by Robert A. Novack📧 (Thesis Supervisor) and John C. Spychalski📧 (Honors Advisor) (2017)

The United States is in the midst of a food waste epidemic, as daunting and unsustainable quantities of edible, nutritious food end up in landfills each year. From farm-to-table, stakeholders at each stage are partially accountable for wasteful practices that strain earth’s resources and leave millions hungry. The beginning of this thesis seeks to pinpoint and explore processes and factors that commonly drive food waste: farming, packaging, quality, forecasting, shelf life, transportation, convenience, and more. For each assignable cause, qualitative research has been conducted to discuss and analyze potential supply chain solutions to reduce food loss. Research findings strongly indicate that supply chain concepts and ideologies can be an integral tool to mitigate waste and benefit the triple bottom line of the economy, society, and the environment. Executive interviews have been conducted with top-tier companies to provide insight into best practices and strategies used by food sustainability leaders. Findings unveil that the companies are making significant contributions to food conservation but also have strong potential for improvement. The closing chapter addresses potential challenges to implementing the waste reduction techniques and suggests avenues for future quantitative research.

Access the paper at Electronic Theses for Schreyer Honors College (ETDA) website here.