The goal of our project is to complete a thorough feasibility study on the implementation of a waste to fuel technology on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. From the results that we gather, we will make an educated recommendation to Jon Bombachi (Municipal Wharf Manager) and Mary Arman (Public Works Operations Manager), on what project will be the most cost-effective and more sustainable alternative. We will be considering a conveyance system-pyrolysis based waste to fuel technology, anaerobic digestion, and a more robust recycling program that will include composting. We will compare the cost of these scenarios versus the costs of recycling and putting trash in a landfill.

In order to do so we will need to complete an assessment of the Wharf’s waste stream. The composition of the waste stream will guide which technology is best suited for the wharf. We must then calculate the costs, both environmental and monetary, of installing a different technologies. When considering the costs of each technology, we will be considering the cost of installation, cost of maintenance, cost to keep system running, and look at the emissions being released by each.

We will complete a professional feasibility study and present it to City administrators. This feasibility study will include the waste stream data from the Wharf, potential energy contents in waste, will compare all scenarios, and offer an educated recommendation on which technology is best suited at the Wharf. We will measure the success of our project by whether or not these decision makers have enough information to make a decision. The final goal is to provide our stakeholders with a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the transportation of waste and processing of recycling, reduce point source pollution associated with landfills, divert waste from the landfill, and capture some energy while doing so.