Kathryn Tyler

October 23, 2015

Modeling Waste, Creating a Calculator, and Assessing Environmental Impacts

Waste is something that people tend not to dwell on; not thinking about what happens to trash after it is thrown away. It turns out that waste management is extremely complex and has many environmental implications. This summer, Kathryn worked as a research associate for the Office of Waste Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Kathryn and three other researchers spent the summer modeling the waste system and creating a calculator that evaluates the environmental and monetary costs and benefits of different waste management practices. This calculator will help advise in the decision making process at the Office of Waste Management, allowing environmental factors to be incorporated.