Abstract
The overriding hypothesis of this research is that the principles of clean technology and the innovative thinking required paired with fundamental engineering principles can be successfully applied to existing waste management practices. Odour control within a cavern, landfill leachate treatment and residue stabilisation are considered in this portfolio. The scope for adopting clean technologies from the start point of waste management activities can only ever offer a limited range of possibilities - less radical than might otherwise be possible. That said, huge efficiency improvements and economic savings were demonstrated in the context of standard environmental protection measures. The range of solutions identified in the case studies mirror many of the characteristics of clean technology examples. The case studies highlighted the significance and powerful consequences of clean technology thinking even when applied to the limited domain of waste management practices. It has been demonstrated that production and waste management processes can be modified in a number of ways short of rethinking them completely. The examples given in this thesis go beyond simple housekeeping measures using fundamental engineering principles to guide. For example the landfill leachate treatment scheme required an understanding of mass transfer and partial pressures of ammonia solutions as a function of pH; the tunnel model required the application of heat transfer mechanisms and an appreciation of reactor technology; the residue stabilisation case study required modelling of salts return processes.