About the Center
Strategic Need for the Center
- Poorly managed waste has an enormous impact on health, local and global environment, and economy.
- Poorly managed waste has an enormous impact on health, local and global environment, and economy.
- Lack of understanding or training of challenges and importance of solid waste management and its impact on health, sanitation and sustainable cities.
- Organized Research Center of Excellence (like SWIS) is working to address the common problems shared by all cities in Texas, USA and developing countries.
Function of Center
- Identify common operational issues for solid waste management and provide solution.
- Improve the air quality of cities by capturing or managing landfill gas and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Share the developed protocols with partner cities.
- Educate and train landfill owners, operators and other parties involved in landfill operation.
- Bridge the knowledge gap between requirements of regulatory agencies.
Location and Infrastructure of SWIS
The Solid waste Institute of Sustainability (SWIS) is housed at the University of Texas at Arlingotn, Texas, USA. The center is located close to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Airport in Texas with easy and direct access to national and international destinations. Solid waste personnel from different developing countries can access SWIS because most of the major cities have direct flight to DFW airport.
The city of Arlington is located in the middle of the Dallas-Fort Worth (12 miles east of downtown Fort Worth and 20 miles west of downtown Dallas). Arlington is home to the American League West Texas Rangers baseball team (playing out of Globe Life Park), and home to the NFC East Dallas Cowboys football team (playing out of AT&T stadium). Arlington is also home to the first Six Flags amusement park.
Major Facilities
The major facilities that are part of the SWIS for research and training are: Engineering Research Building (ERB), University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute (UTARI), Civil Engineering Lab Building (CELB), and Trainging and Laboratory Facility at City of Denton’s landfill.