Author(s)

A. Tucker & T. Shalaby

Abstract

The residents of Nottinghamshire in the United Kingdom generate around half a million tonnes of domestic waste annually, and a very small proportion of this is composted or recycled ['I. With the introduction of the government's Waste Strategy 2000, there are now strict guidelines for the management of municipal waste over the next twenty years. Applying these guidelines to Nottinghamshire shows that the recovery of waste, either through incineration for power and heat, or recycling and composting, will have to increase by a factor of nearly five. Identifying the optimum location is one of the most essential processes in the development of a successful new recycling programme. Currently, many operators rely on artistic impressions, technical drawings, and photomontages to identify and communicate their intended proposals. However, modern technology, and the ever increasing power of the desktop computer gives us the potential to use geographic information systems in conjunction with virtual reality to aid planners in calculating catchment areas, predicting population movement and modelling the proposed location, before, during and after development. This paper will discuss the utilisation of a series of techniques to aid the choice of location for a network of mini-recycling centres. These computer generated maps, models and multimedia visualisations can be used to clearly illustrate potential catchment areas, human movement, environmental problems and potential aesthetic impacts before construction begins and also during the operation of the waste management facilities.

Keywords