City of Plano

Food Waste Enclosure Project

 

Background

The City of Plano values improving the quality of living in Plano for both residents and businesses through the specific case of bettering the solid waste management program. Redesigning the current solid waste enclosures is essential towards the long-term envision of successfully constructing enclosures that are cost efficient and allow for expansion of the solid waste program.  

Project Description

Our project is to design a modern and economically friendly enclosure for food-waste receptacles. We’re using a material made by a fencing/deck company named TREX along with CAD 3D programming and architectural drawings to generate a design and 3D printable object of the waste disposal enclosures. Our goal is to keep the cost of the enclosure below $10,000. The structures will be composed of cost-efficient and durable materials. The enclosure designs can endure wear and tear that could result from weather and possible accidents such as collection truck impacts. 

The more cost-efficient enclosure will be more readily applicable, managed, and repaired under the care of the businesses utilizing it and aid the city in saving more money as part of a larger project for more effective waste management. Thus making the food waste collection program more financially stable.

Why We Chose Trex

  • Trex is sustainable (use recycled wood/ plastic bags which also aides in effort to reduce landfill waste) (made sustainably “runoff recycled back into manufacturing line, no use of smoke stacks)
  • It’s very durable: able to withstand hurricane level winds, company reports creep testing (a type of rotational deformation testing standard for fencing) resulted in heated at 100 degrees for 90 days with minimal deflection (good for Texas summers)
  • Aesthetically pleasing: come in three different colors (saddle, Winchester gray, woodland brown)
  • And most importantly it falls within the 5-10k budget provided by the City of Plano while fulfilling the above requirements

2022 Spring ambitions :

  • Building a wall attatchment piece for the enclosures
  • Create a model to give to the City of Plano
  • Verify all prior existing designs
  • Begin cost estimation and contact with the companies involved
  • Possibly create a less expensive design with alternate materials