Final Report: Global Design Team Jordan 2011

GDT Jordan 2011: Sustainable Waste Management and Social Entrepreneurship in Jabal Al-Natheef

(Source: Dima Alashram, February 2011)

Final Report to Aramex and GEP May 6, 2011

CE 59700-082 GDT: Jordan – Sustainable Waste Management through Engagement, Engineering, Entrepreneurship and Education CE 49700-021 GDT: Jordan – Recovering Value from Waste through Engagement, Engineering, Entrepreneurship and Education

Community Partner: Ruwwad Prepared for: Aramex Prepared by: GDT Jordan Team, Purdue University https://globalhub.org/groups/jordan_ruwwad

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Executive Summary The GDT (Global Design Teams) program, sponsored by Purdue University‘s Global Engineering Program, brings together students from diverse disciplines to design solutions to real-world challenges in close collaboration with community partners and local stakeholders. The spring 2011 GDT Jordan Team has developed sustainable waste management solutions for the community of Jabal Al-Natheef, Jordan, applying both social entrepreneurship and educational approaches to the challenges of increasing and enhancing local paper recycling and composting practices.

The project outcomes presented in this report are the result of significant research into informal recycling techniques and entrepreneurial strategies practiced around the world, as well as careful inquiry into the characteristics and needs of the Jabal Al-Natheef community in particular. This background research is presented in Appendix A.

IN THIS REPORT Executive Summary

2

Course Objectives

3

Project Objectives

4

Team Structure & Roles

5

Paper-Making Project

7

Composting Project

18

On-site Data Collection

19

APPENDICES

With this report, we present the following deliverables which are described in greater detail in their respective sections of the document:  Paper-Making Manual  Journal-Making Manual  Plan for a Hands-On Paper and Journal Making Workshop  Assessment of Economic Feasibility and additional entrepreneurial resources  Composting Manual  Data Collection Plan for gathering additional information from the community

A: Municipal Waste Management in Amman

22

B: In-Depth Analysis of the Composting Process

27

Additional files accompanying this report: Paper-Manual-Extended.pdf Journal-Manual-Extended.pdf Compost-Manual.pdf FeasibilityAssessment.xlsx

Much of the knowledge generated by our team, while not included in this report, may be valuable to others engaged in international service-learning, engineering design, entrepreneurship, or educational projects. This material will be made available to future GDT teams as well as to our external partners upon request. In an effort to save paper, we encourage you to view this report and accompanying materials digitally.

We are grateful to GEP and to our partners at Ruwwad and Aramex who have invested their time and resources into this project, and we look forward to continued work towards the goals of the project.

Kasey Faust

Lindsey Payne

Michael Frank*

Jennifer Roath*

Abrar Hammoud*

Masaki Kakoi

David Rosenthal

Annie Sheahan

John Mejia

Freddy Solis

Sheran Oradu

Prof. Dulcy Abraham* Faculty Adviser

GDT Jordan Team, Spring 2011 (* indicates those who will travel to Jabal Al-Natheef in May 2011)

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I. Course Objectives The focus of the Jordan GDT is to develop and test ENGINEERING designs, EDUCATIONAL plans, and appropriate ENTREPRENEURSHIP strategies for informal recycling in the country of Jordan.

The course is designed to introduce students to the basic concepts of context-sensitive sustainable waste management. The specific aims of the course are to: 1. Develop, test and implement an interdisciplinary, global approach to challenges in waste management using a 4E approach (engagement, engineering, entrepreneurship and education).

2. Develop cultural understanding and knowledge of waste management issues at the international level.

3. Expose graduate and senior undergraduate students to technologies practiced in the Middle East, specifically by: 

Identifying key stakeholders and their beliefs, knowledge and information (BKI)



Collecting and analyzing of socio-economic and environmental data in the Jabal AlNatheef community in Amman, Jordan



Identifying objectives, constraints and tradeoffs for sustainable waste management



Developing and testing analytical models/deliverables

Relevant Engineer 2020 Attributes 

Integration of design, analytical and problem solving skills



Ethically responsible in a global and social setting



Synthesizing engineering, business and societal perspectives

Key Topics Covered 

Human-centered design, designing in different cultures, role of stakeholders



Project planning and implementation with limited resources;



Socio-economic impacts



Educational impacts



Cross-cultural communication

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II. Project Objectives Vision The GDT Jordan Team will develop context sensitive recycling solutions that provide benefits to the members of the Jabal Al-Natheef community, following four core principles: 1. Design solutions will be developed in close consultation with Ruwwad and Jabal Al-Natheef to maximize contextual effectiveness and ensure that local factors are fully understood.

2. Recognizing the power of entrepreneurship to create social impact, we aim to develop designs that provide income-generating potential for the people of Jabal Al-Natheef. In particular, we aim to empower the women of the community through social entrepreneurship.

3. Design will be oriented towards developing solutions that are sustainable and can be carried on into the future, creating lasting impact.

4. Emphasis will be placed on feasibility and ease of implementation.

We have further clarified the project goals and objectives through correspondence with our partners at Ruwwad and internal discussions. We will focus on the development of two design solutions: A composting project which features an educational component A paper recycling project which features an entrepreneurial component

Goals Create a sustainable, culturally sensitive, composting system to address waste management issues and increase recycling awareness within the community of Jabal Al-Natheef Create a sustainable, culturally sensitive, income-generating handmade recycled paper system to address waste management issues and increase recycling awareness within the community of Jabal Al-Natheef

Objectives Research, gather, analyze, and interpret information relevant to opportunities for composting and recycling paper in Amman, Jordan and Jabal Al-Natheef Design pilot engineering solution(s) for composting and paper recycling systems Explore the possibility of social entrepreneurship and empowerment of women and incorporate these into design solution(s) Develop education material to inform the community about these projects, including activelearning modules (e.g., lesson plans, activities) for children along with corresponding training resources for educators in the community

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III. Team Structure and Roles The GDT Jordan team will address two unique and independent projects for waste management in Jabal Al-Natheef: composting and creating handmade products from recycled paper. We have divided our team into those specializing in composting, those specializing in paper recycling, and several coordinators who will bridge the two groups. Furthermore, we have integrated the Engineering and Education approached into both groups, as well as the Entrepreneurship approach for the Paper group. Figure 1 demonstrates the structure of the project and the integration of its two major components. A complete listing of team members and roles is provided in Table 1

GDT:Jordan

Homemade Paper

Education

Engineering

Composting

Entrepreneurship

Education Manual & Business Plan

Education

Engineering

Education Educative Manual Manual

NO

Solution Feasible

YES

Team Integrated Solution

Figure 1: Integrated Team Structure

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May 6, 2011 Table 1: Team Roles and Responsibilities

Team Member Name

Responsibilities

Project Coordinator & Facilitator Engineering Specialist

Kasey Faust

Oversees project, sets agenda for forward progress, facilitates class meetings, and provides engineering expertise

Project Coordinator & Facilitator Entrepreneurship Specialist

Freddy Solis

Oversees project, sets agenda for forward progress, facilitates class meetings, and provides entrepreneurial expertise

Project Coordinator & Facilitator Education Specialist

Lindsey Payne

Oversees project, sets agenda for forward progress, facilitates class meetings, and provides educational expertise

Abrar Hammoud

Coordinates communication between class and community partner, includes: question collection, Skype coordination and facilitation, and email correspondence

Team Role

Communication Coordinator Education Specialist (Paper) Paper Specialist

Jen Roath

Provides expertise in paper recycling

Compost Specialist Class Recorder

Michael Frank

Provides expertise in composting; takes notes during class sessions and distributes to team

Skype Recorder Education Specialist (Compost)

Sheran Oradu

Takes notes during Skype conversations, distributes to class, and provides educational expertise

Creation of Design Manual and Business Plan (Compost/Paper)

John Mejia Annie Sheahan

Designs engineering solution manual and business plan, provides technical writing expertise

Documentation Specialist And Web Design

David Rosenthal Masaki Kakoi

Develops necessary documentation, compiles interim progress reports and final report for submission, assists in creation of educational manuals

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IV. Paper Recycling and Social Entrepreneurship The paper recycling initiative is the primary component of this project and has three goals: 

Enhance the community understanding of recycling by providing educational resources



Support the development of a social entrepreneurship enterprise involving the sale of homemade paper products from recycled materials



Promote context-sensitive sustainable living practices

Paper recycling is the process of recovering waste paper to be reused in the production of new paper i products. Most paper contains wood fibers that can be recycled 5-7 times. According to the U.S. ii Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) , the benefits of paper recycling including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, reduced need for landfills, and decreased consumption of energy and water.

We believe the paper recycling project will be most beneficial to the Jabal Al-Natheef community in the iii context of social entrepreneurship, a business or profit-driven approach to solving social problems.

Social entrepreneurship ventures have two dual goals. The first goal is to create social change by providing solutions to important problems or challenges facing people in their communities or society more broadly. The second goal is to make a profit which can be used to multiply the project‘s impact. A large portion of profit is often invested back into improving the social enterprise. This is an essential component because it makes the enterprise sustainable and allows it to continue into the future without having to rely on donations or funding from outside groups. Providing an additional source of income for the community is also a valuable end in itself which improves quality of life and access to basic services.

According to the Jordan Times, a paper recycling project was initiated in Azraq, Jordan in partnership with iv the Jordanian Royal Society for Conservation of Nature. This project will employ 15 women to create marketable products from recycled paper. We propose a similar project for the women of Jabal AlNatheef. The necessary components of such a project include knowledge of the production process and access to the required materials and sufficient financial capital. The following deliverables address these needs.

Deliverables 

Paper-Making Manual: offers a list of required supplies and a step-by-step guide to making recycled paper. It will serve as a resource to members of the community, especially women. A condensed version of the manual will be translated into Arabic. The manual is available as a separate file accompanying this report (Paper-Manual-Extended.pdf).



Journal-Making Manual: accompanying the Paper-Making Manual, offers a step-by-step guide to making journals using recycled paper. The manual is available as a separate file accompanying this report (Journal-Manual-Extended.pdf).



Paper and Journal-Making Workshops: will be led by GDT students in May 2011 and provide training through hands-on demonstrations. Tentative workshop plans are presented on page 8.



Economic Feasibility Assessment: provides a method for determining the economic viability of entrepreneurial enterprising involving paper products. Presented on pages 9-13.



Additional Resources for development of entrepreneurial enterprises presented on pages. 1417.

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Paper and Journal Making Workshops (Tentative Agenda) Paper-Making 

Start



Introduce concept of paper making (5 min)



Pass around demonstration pieces



Construct frames (15 min)



Basics of paper making (15 min)



Art techniques (45 min)



Swirled pulp paper



Natural fiber lamination



Two-sided paper lamination



Make paper (40 min)



End

Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Journal-Making 

Start



Prepare pieces (15 min)



Fold paper



Cut cardboard for hardcover



Make covers (20 min)



Glue handmade paper onto cardboard pieces



Assemble pieces and drill holes (10 min)



Bind pieces to make journal (15 min)



End

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

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Model for determining economic viability of entrepreneurial enterprises Building on several schools of thought in the fields of business planning, marketing, cost engineering, and entrepreneurship, the GDT: Jordan has begun to develop a framework to analyze the feasibility/income generating potential of sustainable waste management solutions for the Jabal Al-Natheef community.

The feasibility study described in this section examines the potential for journals made of recycled paper as an income generating product. This feasibility study, which includes ―real‖ local costs for items is an update from the model described in Progress Report 3. The goal is to eventually convert the assumptions used here into known values, therefore all assumptions outlined in the feasibility analysis below can be easily extrapolated to other contexts. The expected market for journals may also be varied in order to analyze different scenarios. The Excel spreadsheet which may be used to such scenarios can be examined is available as a separate document accompanying this report (GDTJordanFeasibilityAssessment.xlsx).

This study is spurred due to the expressed concern from Ruwwad that after the community has produced products; the community then has difficulty in evaluating the commercial viability of these products. The analysis presented in this section is a conceptual, low-risk method for examining the feasibility and potential obstacles of an idea.

Overview of Means to Assess Entrepreneurial Opportunities The process of evaluating the feasibility of income generating strategies proposed in this progress report stems from several management science schools of thought. These schools of thought include discovery v vi driven planning , activity-based accounting, staged-idea implementation , which, if used in combination can provide a simple, yet robust view of the potential of a business idea. The evaluation process consists of 7 key steps: Step 1: Reverse an income statement based on a desired minimum profit and an assumed profit margin.

The first step towards evaluating an idea is to determine the necessary amount of profit, to then calculate the allowable costs for the idea, given a hypothetical profit margin (see Table 2). As suggested by Ruwwad, the minimum profit that would motivate a community member to participate in an income generating sustainable waste management program was 20 JD (Jordanian Dinars). All calculations in the feasibility analysis will be based upon this number.

This spreadsheet determines the allowable costs and necessary sales to reach the desired profit per month. 20 JD is the assumed, minimum profit, per month, necessary to make journal sales "worth" it to the women. The quantity of journals that must be sold to reach this profit goal is shown. The calculations are based on the profit, as well as the sales price per journal determined in the "Unit Price Analysis" spreadsheet. Comments throughout the spreadsheet are provided to better understand the analysis process used.

Table 2. Reverse Income Statement Financial Calculations Reverse Income Statement Total Figures for assumed margin Required profit Necessary revenues Allowable costs

20.00 67.59 47.59

Per Unit Figures for assumed margin Sale price of item Necessary sales volume

10.00 7.00

JD/month JD/month JD/month

JD Journals/month

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Step 2: Conduct a unit price analysis of the item to be produced/sold.

Once the allowable costs are determined, a unit price analysis of a journal made of post consumer recycled paper – based on hypothetical costs and quantities – was conducted to determine the remaining per unit figures (e.g., required number of sales) of the reverse income statement (see Table 3).

This spreadsheet calculates the unit prices for each recycled journal made. This accounts for the depreciation of reusable resources (e.g., bowl, needle, ruler), and assumes that such resources may be used 50 times (i.e., to make 50 journals).

Table 3. Unit price analysis Recycled Journal Unit Price Materials (per journal) Resources Used Paper

Quantity 75.00

Unit sheets

Water

2.50

White Glue Ribbon Card Board

1.00 1.00 1.00

gallons small bottle m sheets

Cost/Unit (JD) 0.01 0.015

Cost (JD) 0.75 0.037 5

1 0.2 0.25

1.00 0.2 0.25

Miscellaneous Equipment (reusable for 50 journals)

Plastic Tub (28 qt) Picture Frame Mesh Screen Sheets Tray (Optional) Sponges Fabric sheets Bowl Paint Brush Exacto Knife

1 2

tub units

Expected number of uses 50.00 50.00

0.25 1 2 20 1 1 1

m units units sq. m units units units

50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00

0.01 0.02 0.04 0.40 0.02 0.02 0.02

m units units sq. m units units units

3.00 8.00 0.15 2.00 2.00 2.00 1.00

0.015 0.16 0.006 0.8 0.04 0.04 0.02

Needle (Large eye) Scissors Ruler

1 1 1

units units units

50.00 50.00 50.00

0.02 0.02 0.02

units units units

0.10 1.00 0.50

0.002 0.02 0.01

Power Tools & Equipment Blender 1 Electric Drill 1

units units

200.00 200.00

0.01 0.01

units units

20 20

0.001 0.001

Quantity

Unit

Percent used in 1 journal 0.02 0.04

Unit

Cost/Unit (JD)

Cost (JD)

tub units

10.00 3.00

0.2 0.12

Direct cost Shipping Cost before margin Margin Cost before exhibition Exhibition cost Cost before tax Tax Sales Price Profit per journal

GDT Jordan 2011

3.67 0 3.67 81%

JD

6.63

JD

30% 8.62 16% 10.00 2.96

JD JD JD

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In the previous model we considered wages for the women building the journals. However, upon further consideration, this component was removed since the women‘s profit made from each journal is considered the wage. Thus, by including wages separately, the monetary value made per journal was accounted for twice. If this endeavor expands in the future and labor is hired, wages must then be considered.

Step 3: Determine operational aspects of the idea An idea is also likely to fail if certain operational issues are not considered in its feasibility evaluation.

Manufacturing, sales and logistics, shipping, and equipment and depreciation constraints need to also be assumed to then be transformed into knowledge to quick tests strategically designed to assess their feasibility. In the case of the journals made of recycled paper, at the current moment and scope of the pilot project, this is not applicable given that the initial products are sold directly to the consumer and do not need to be shipped and/or handled by an external party.

Step 4: Calculate per figure units.

With all costs and minimum required profits, the necessary sales volume of the venture can be projected.

Table 4 shows the hypothetical sales volume for the journals Table 4. Necessary sales volume Per Unit Figures for assumed margin Sale price of item

10

JD

Profit per journal

2.96

JD

Necessary sales volume

7.00

Journals/month

Step 5: Brief overview of the market.

Even while the costs and operations of a proposed venture seem feasible, it is imperative to conduct a quick evaluation of the potential market that might be interested in the sustainable waste management offering (Table 5). In this analysis, the idea was to determine the overall size of the target market for journals made of recycled paper to be sold at fairs, as discussed with Ruwwad. Then the market can be broken down using purchase funnel (i.e., awareness of the offering, consideration of purchasing an offering, purchase of an product offered in the market, and repeat/retention of a customer) percentages (Table 6). A schematic representation of the purchase funnel is illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Schematic Representation of the Purchase Funnel

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May 6, 2011 Table 5. Potential Available Market

Possible market

Quantity

tourist fairs

Unit

1

fair/month

tourists (at fairs)

250

tourists/fair

tourists seen at fairs

250

tourists/month @ fairs

tourist locations/ year ( 1 per month)

1

location visit/ month

tourists (at tourist locations outside of fairs)

100

tourists

tourists seen at tourist locations outside of fairs

100

tourists/month @ tourist "locations"

local population (Amman)

2,800,000

people

Table 6. Purchase Funnel Market Projections Stage/Channel

Percentage

Size (people)

Awareness Tourists at fairs

50%

125

Tourists at tourist locations

50%

50

0.01%

280

Tourists at fairs

70%

87.5

Tourists at tourist locations

70%

35

Other (local via word of mouth)

35%

98

Tourists at fairs

30%

26.25

Tourists at tourist locations

30%

10.5

Other (local via word of mouth)

30%

29.4

Tourists at fairs

NA

N/A

Tourists at tourist locations

NA

N/A

Other (local)

NA

N/A

Other (local via word of mouth) Consideration

Purchase

Retention

In this initial marketing study, there is an indication that the market for selling journals in fairs and local tourist locations may be the limiting factor for reaching the 20 JD/month for the number of women participating in the journal-making endeavor (see Table 7). This may be an early indication that the number of women participating may need to be reduced or in the future the market needs to be expanded to consider additional revenue sources such as: -

Stores in other parts of Amman Museums in other countries and overseas Coffee shops in other countries and overseas Boutiques in Jordan, other countries and overseas.

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May 6, 2011 Table 7. Market Size under Current Assumptions

Current market under these assumptions yields Total journal sales per month

66.15

Journals

Total per woman

4.41

Journals

Profit per journal

2.96

JD

13.05

JD

Profit per women per month

Step 6: Document all assumptions and find means to turn assumptions into knowledge Assumptions for physical journal and resources to make journal A journal would consist of 50 pages of recylced post-consumer paper (It takes approximately 1.5 sheets of paper to make one sheet of recycled paper) The miscellaneous equipment can be reused an approximate of 50 times before another set of equipment is needed 1

Assumption for potential market analysis Revenue is mainly generated at tourist fairs and locations and a relatively small percentage due to local sales Assumed size of each fair is approximately 250 people.

Approximately one fair occurs and/or is attended each month The number of tourists at a tourist locations is approximately 100 Percentages for purchase funnel follows as : o Tourists  Awareness: 50%  Consideration: 70%  Purchase: 30% o Local  Awareness: 0.01%  Consideration: 35%  Purchase: 30%

Step 7: Examine feasibility of product This initial feasibility study considers 15 women participating as this is the targeted number who will participate in the upcoming May 2011 workshops in Ruwwad. Based on the assumed number of a profit 20 JD/month the potential market examined is not adequate to meet the desired profit for each woman.

Three potential solutions to this challenge include reducing the number of woman participating in this pilot journal making initiative, reducing the cost, or increasing the potential market. Reducing the cost further is likely unfeasible as the largest components of the costs are taxes and margins.

1

The potential market analysis makes relatively conservative assumptions.

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List of Additional Resources to Aid in the Development of Entrepreneurial Enterprises In addition to the economic feasibility model described above, we have compiled information regarding social entrepreneurship resources that may be used by the community partner to increase their knowledge-base and their ability to scale the paper-making initiative. This list classifies such resources into: potential (international) partnerships, funding sources, ideas/case studies, and potential (international) vendors. The following table summarizes these resources, including potential application to the community partner, the community in itself and future GDTs

Category

Funding Potential Partnerships

Title

Kiva www.kiva.org Empower people around the world with a $25 loan

Topic/history ―Kiva is a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty.

Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world.

Through these loans, individuals can receive funding (e.g., $100, $500) for their business.‖ (from http://www.kiva.org/about) ―Kiva partners with existing microfinance institutions around the world (we call them Field Partners). These organizations that have expertise in microfinance and a mission to alleviate poverty facilitate Kiva loans on the ground. Field Partners know their local area and clients and do all the leg work required to get Kiva loans to the entrepreneurs posted on Kiva.org.‖ (from http://www.kiva.org/about/how)

Possible Applications to Ruwwad and/or Jabal Al Natheef

Kiva is both a good case study, a potential partner/funding source for Ruwwad. Through Kiva, the women could obtain money to buy their initial set of equipment to manufacture their crafts and journals. Kiva has excellent examples of how the women can write their "story" in the first page of the journal that can help them connect with potential customers.

Kiva‘s website allows the lender to read the story of the person the lender is about to give money to. This motivates the micro-lender to engage in the lending transaction as it creates an emotional connection with the person receiving the loan.

Potential places to sell crafts/ journals

Ten Thousand Villages http://www.tenthous andvillages.com A fair trade retailer

Ten Thousand Villages is an fair trade organization with several locations within the U.S. and Canada. They trade unique handmade craft produce in 38 developing countries around the world. Ten Thousand Villages provides a sustainable market in North America for their long term skilled artisan partners, whose otherwise, won't have opportunity for a stable income.

This fair trade organization could be a potential opportunity for Ruwwad and the people of Jabal Al Natheef. We consider that partnership with Ten Thousand Villages could generate a sustainable market in the US & Canada for products developed by the women of the community.

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Category

Partnerships Potential partnerships

Potential places to sell crafts/ journals

Title

OpenIDEO http://openideo.com/ about-us Where people design better, together

Greyhouse Coffee Shop http://greyhousecoff ee.com/

TOMS http://www.toms.com /ourmovement/moveme nt-one-for-one Ideas/case studies

One for One: With every pair of TOMS shoes you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need

Aramex http://www.aramex.c om Potential partnerships

Global Transportation & Logistical Services Company

May 6, 2011 Possible Applications to Ruwwad and/or Jabal Al Natheef

Topic/history ―OpenIDEO is a place where people design better, together for social good. It's an online platform for creative thinkers: the veteran designer and the new guy who just signed on, the critic and the MBA, the active participant and the curious lurker. Together, this makes up the creative guts of OpenIDEO.To become a place where good ideas gain momentum, OpenIDEO depends on participation — your inspirations, his comments, her concepts, our design process. It's these efforts, these big and small moments of sharing and collaboration, that make this platform a dynamic resource for tackling significant global challenges.IDEO, a design and innovation firm, developed OpenIDEO as a way to include a broader range of people in the design process through inspiration, concepting, and evaluation.‖ (from http://www.openideo.com/about-us)

Ruwwad and future Purdue GDTs need to embrace the principles of "open innovation" and use idea sharing sites (such as OpenIDEO) to collaborate with more experienced designers to further develop sustainable incomegenerating solutions for the women and children of Jabbal Al Natheef

Greyhouse is a non-profit coffee shop located in West Lafayette, Indiana, in close proximity to the campus of Purdue University. Greyhouse suppliers form relationships with farmers all over the world, ensuring that prices that are fair trade or in many cases actually better than fair trade.

Greyhouse is a potential venue to sell the products that the women in Jabal Al Natheef create

‖TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: With every pair of shoes you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is TOMS's mission.The TOMS mission of giving shoes has attracted other brands, resulting in unique and successful collaborations. Ralph Lauren sold co-branded Polo Rugby TOMS, giving a matched pair with every pair sold. It is TOMS‘ hope that as the One for One movement continues to grow, more and more companies will look to incorporate giving into what they do.‖ (from http://www.toms.com/ourmovement/movement-one-for-one)

In future stages of this partnership between Purdue and Ruwwad, future GDTs can try to partner with notebook/paper product companies and do a "one for one" campaign to supply the women of Jabbal Al Natheef with paper for their journal/paper-based crafts.

ARAMEX is a leading global provider of logistics and transportation, with its headquarters located in the city of Amman, Jordan. ARAMEX is actively involved in sustainable community development initiatives.

Stregthen the relation between ARAMEX, Ruwwad and the Jabal Al Natheef community is crucial for the development and sustainability of the social entrepreneurship solutions. ARAMEX could provide the require transportation and logistic service require to market the products made in Jabal Al Natheef to affluent markets outside Jordan.

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Category

Partnerships Ideas/case studies

Ideas/case studies

Title

Project H Design http://www.projecthd esign.org/ Design Initiatives for Humanity, Habitats, Health & Happiness

Web-Ecoist: Going Beyond Green http://webecoist.com /2009/04/05/15awesome-ways-toreuse-shippingcontainers/ 15 Awesome Ways to Reuse Shipping Containers

Ideas/case studies

Inveneo http://www.inveneo.o rg Connecting those who need it the most

Ideas/case studies

VNL http://www.vnl.in/sol utions/

May 6, 2011 Possible Applications to Ruwwad and/or Jabal Al Natheef

Topic/history According to the website Project H team works in the design of community and educational solutions. The specific focus of the organization is to create innovative designs concerning products, environments and curricula for education institutions. The design process consists of six-tenet design process: 1) design WITH community; 2) document, share and measure; 3) start locally and scale globally; 4) design systems; 5) simple and effective design solutions that empower communities; 6)build collective creative capital.

Since, Project H works for communities in the US, is unlikely an impact in the community of Jabal Al Natheef. However, partnership among Ruwwad and Project H could be a source for innovative ideas and design perspectives, specially in the educational area.

According to this website, steel shipping containers have a lifespan of less than 5 years. Once they have reached the end of their lifespan, the containers often sit abandoned. " Now, they‘re gaining increasing recognition for their durability, adaptability, light weight, low cost and ease of stacking, spurring a recycling trend that has resulted in shipping container sculpture, homes, hotels, museums and more."

Aramex's shipping containers which have reached the end of their lifespan may possibly be used by this community, or other similar communities. This steel shipping containers can be used to expand buildings, serve as rooms for gathering, teaching and/or storage, or be altered for play area for the children and youth.

Inveneo supplies technological equipment including hardware and software. Their equipment is specialized for rural communities. First, they investigate which equipment are most suitable for the community. This investigation is based on their economical and physical environment. Then, they produce and install the custom-made equipment for the specific community.

It seems this organization is not helpful for the current project.

However, it might be a good recource in the future when Ruwwad wants to develop a profitmaking project and it requires some technological improvement

WorldGSM™ is mobile infrastructure independent of the power grid to provide profitable mobile services to rural areas worldwide.

VNL is likely not applicable to Ruwwad and/or Jabal Al Natheef as this community is within a large, urban area of Jordan. Furthermore, Ruwwad and Jabal Al Natheef is served on the power grid.

Grameenphone started in Bangladesh as a "rural phone" initiative. The main focus of this initiative was to empower the rural woman of Bangladesh.

Grameenphone has become a major wireless operator in Bangladesh, covering 98% of the rural area's population.

It is not likely that Grameenphone would have an impact in the Jabal Al Natheef community. On the other hand, the idea of accesible communications to empower the communities could be analyzed in the future.

WorldGSM Solutions

Ideas/case studies

Grameenphone http://www.grameen phone.com/about-us Design Initiatives for Humanity, Habitats, Health & Happiness

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Category

Potential places to sell crafts/ journals

May 6, 2011 Possible Applications to Ruwwad and/or Jabal Al Natheef

Title

Topic/history

Amani Market http://www.amanichil dren.org

Amani Children's Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides funding for the care of infants orphaned by AIDS and poverty in Kenya. All the proceeds from their sales go back to Kenya to care for orphaned babies at six New Life Homes across the country of Kenya. The volunteer artisans at Amani create distinctive organic jewelry using Kazuri beads. Kazuri beads are handmade

by Kenyan women from the clay of Mt. Kenya in a local fair-trade business.

Selling crafts to help the children of Kenya

Potential venue to sell paper based products that the women create

The Amani Children‘s Foundation has offices located in Winston-Salem, NC; Harrisburg, PA; and Indianapolis, IN.

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V. Composting and Education A secondary component of this project is the composting initiative, which has the following goals: 

Enhance the community understanding of recycling by providing educational resources



Promote context-sensitive sustainable living practices

Composting is an acceleration of nature's process of recycling decomposed organic materials into a rich soil known as compost. By composting organic waste, nutrients are returned back into the soil. The benefits of composting to communities include: enriching poor quality soils, reducing soil contaminants, such as heavy metals, preventing the generation of hazardous gases and pollutants to water resources, vii,viii reducing the need for fertilizers and pesticides, and reducing the need for added water in the soil.

A more detailed scientific analysis of the composting process is available in Appendix B (page 28). The deliverables of this project are designed to make the process easy to learn and appreciate.

Deliverables 

Composting Manual: to educate members of the Jabal Al-Natheef community about the natural benefits of composting and details how the composting process works. The manual is available as a separate filed accompanying this report (Compost-Manual.pdf).

In developing the compost manual, the following principles were integrated: (1) The manual should explain the composting process in a way such that community members could begin composting themselves; (2) The manual should be accessible to an adult population; (3) The manual should contain an educational component for children, specifically focusing in the sciences and targeting third grade through eighth grade.

To address gaps in knowledge in the natural sciences, we created the concept of ―Sciences Boxes‖ within the manual to integrate teaching of scientific concepts into the explanation of composting. The content for the ―Sciences Boxes‖ was based upon the following Indiana State Teaching Standards for grades six, seven, and eight: 

Nature of Science and Technology: o Students design investigations and further their scientific understanding of the natural world through investigations, experiences, and readings. They design solutions to practical problems by using a variety of scientific methodologies. They realize that scientific knowledge is subject to change as new evidence arises. They examine issues in the design and use of technology, including constraints, safeguards, and trade-offs. (Science Box: Engineering)



The Physical Setting: o Students collect and organize data to identify relationships between physical objects, events, and processes. They use logical reasoning to question their own ideas as new information challenges their conceptions of the natural world. (Science Boxes: Chemistry and Physics)



The Living Environment: o Students recognize that plants and animals obtain energy in different ways, and they can describe some of the internal structures of organisms related to this function. Students begin to trace the flow of matter and energy through ecosystems. They understand that the total amount of matter remains constant and that almost all food energy has its origin in sunlight. (Science Boxes: Biology and Ecology)

For the youngest audiences (grades three, four, and five), we also created an additional educational activity, a puppet show, in order to educate children on the importance of composting as a form of organic waste management.

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V. Representing the Human Face, Telling the Community’s Stories Through our work on this project, we have concluded that there is a need for more knowledge about the Jabal Al-Natheef community in order to engage and empower the community, and develop effective design solutions. Our partners at Ruwwad have done an exceptional job of answering questions and describing the Jabal Al-Natheef community; however, we have still found it difficult to fully comprehend the culture, living conditions, and lifestyles of the community. Because of our belief that the key to developing innovative, contextually-appropriate design solutions lies in thoroughly understanding the community and surroundings in which they live, we propose a larger, holistic study of the Jabal AlNatheef community using social science research methodologies. In this section of the report, strategies will be outlined for this study with the hopes that once complete; the collective knowledge gained will inform our current and future global design teams in more successful and meaningful project work.

Interactive Planning Most development projects fail because they do not allow current information to shape the project plans, or in other words, interactive planning is absent in the process. Interactive planning is iterative, involves perspectives form multiple stakeholders, and includes reflective practice, or the process in which the practitioner is engaged in a dialogue with the materials and situation in which he is involved questioning ix assumptions that are carried with us into everyday situations. Interactive planning is needed to provide a framework for aligning the goals and objectives of all participants in strategic partnerships and developing innovation, contextually-appropriate design solutions. At this point, it is also important to acknowledge, that decision-making processes involve significant negotiation, and that guided questions are helpful in engaging partnership communities in collaborative, sustainable development with the anticipation of all x participants engaging in continuous reciprocal learning. The ultimate goal: maximum participation and reciprocal benefits to all partnership stakeholders. Specific to this project, sustained, increased participation and reciprocal learning will, not only create awareness of the waste management issues in Jabal Al Natheef, but hopefully begin to uncover some of the drivers and barriers—environmental, economic, and social—to inadequate waste management. Partnerships will be enhanced, crossdisciplinary partnerships expanded, and a detailed description of communities and cultures that are underserved will be provided.

Implications for the GDT Jordan May 2011 Onsite Engagement The global design team has been developing key tools, such as surveys and guided interview questions, for data collection while in Jabal Al-Natheef. The focus of the May 2011 trip, in terms of data collection, will be: to 1) inform the journal-making component of the project, and 2) collect baseline data for future GDT Teams. As mentioned prior, women will create journals from recycled paper and other materials.

These journals will serve as tools of empowerment, allowing the women creating them to initiate change in a tangible way.

We would like to add an additional element to the journals – a human face. By humanizing the journals, we have the opportunity to create not only financial but also social connections with consumers and edify the creativity and work of the women of Jabal Al-Natheef. The idea is to insert a culturally appropriate picture of the woman creating the product with a suggested statement, ―As you write your life story in this journal, my life story is being re-written...‖ A short ‗story‘ of the life of the woman could be included. In this way, the journals take on personalities of their own. It is our hope is that those purchasing the products will learn more about the person creating their product and thus be more likely to continue their

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engagement with the Jabal Al-Natheef community. In order to collect information for these stories, the team, with assistance from Ruwwad and community members, hopes to conduct interviews with the women participating in the paper-making and journal-making workshops in May 2011.

Collecting baseline data for future teams will include direct observation in conjunction with site visits to the following entities: Ruwwad, Aramex, the community of Jabal Al-Natheef, and the local schools. Four of the travelers will stay in Jordan for four days and during that time will conduct preliminary observations and data collection. One member of the GDT Jordan team will stay beyond those four days and spend an additional week in Jordan. During that time, this student member will spend two days at each aforementioned site collecting additional data. One day will be an observational day where the student will collect quantitative data, and the second day will be spent conducting interviews using a set of guided questions. Focus will be upon identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Based upon the observations and interviews, a simple matrix can be developed for future GDT Teams highlighting key needs, places/niches for maximum impact based on engagement with community, and ideas for sustainability.

Listed below are some prospective tools used for collection of quantitative and qualitative data. While this small dataset will not allow the team to make large inferences, upon return, the data with be analyzed and compiled for use by future GDT Teams to inform their project planning and future data collection tools.

Observation Time Frame: 6-7 hours Location: Ruwwad Example Data Points: (count total and/or absence/presence)    

Employees Structure of office staff Buildings Describe environmental conditions (financial, intellectual, human, informational, physical, etc.)

Location: Jabal Al-Natheef (whole community) Example Data Points: (total and/or absence/presence)       

Waste containers/home Occupants/home Food types Single-use products in home Waste products in homes Describe how waste is managed Describe environmental conditions (financial, intellectual, human, informational, physical, etc.)

Location: Schools Example Data Points: (total and/or absence/presence)     

Classrooms Computers/classroom Students/classroom Teachers/classroom Describe environmental conditions (financial, intellectual, human, informational, physical, etc.)

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Guided Interviews Time Frame: 1-2 hours Location: Ruwwad Example Questions: 1. What current programs exist at Ruwwad?

2. What programs would be well-suited for partnering in the future? How can we build on existing projects Ruwwad is engaged in so as to better ―partner?‖ 3. What organizations/individuals are currently partnering with Ruwwad on waste management activities? What activities are they undertaking?

4. What are other organizations/individuals independent of Ruwwad are in the area working on waste management issues?

5. What needs do you have in terms of waste management?

6. How can we best serve those needs?

Location: Jabal Al-Natheef, (2 families, identified by Ruwwad and community leaders, will be interviewed) Example Questions: 1. What do you do with your waste?

2. Where do you think/know it goes after you dispose of it?

3. What goes on outside of the community in terms of waste management?

4. Where do you get your food products? What types of food do you generally consume?

5. How long are the children in school? What do they do after school?

6. What needs do you have in terms of waste management?

7. How can we best serve those needs?

Location: Schools Example Questions: 1. What is the current curriculum being taught (focus on sciences) 2. What is the developmental level of the students? Teachers?

3. What resources are available at the schools?

4. What organizations/individuals are the schools currently partnering with?

5. What needs do they have in terms of waste management?

6. How can we best serve those needs?

Location: Aramex Example Questions: 1. What types of products are you developing with the youth from Ruwwad?

2. What processes are you using to develop those products?

3. Where are the materials obtained?

4. What is the time frame for making the products?

5. What are the markets where these products are being sold/exhibited?

6. What specific needs do see in terms of waste management?

7. How can we best serve those needs?

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Appendix A: Research regarding municipal solid waste management (MSWM) system in the Greater Amman Municipality The Jordanian population has largely increased in the last years as a result of population growth and migrations, thus increasing the amount of waste generated in Jordan. The massive and sudden population growth in combination with the lack of an adequate policy, insufficient financing, fiscal accountability and technical expertise have undermine the development of an adequate Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) in Jordan.

Furthermore, this is expected to increase based on the population growth of 2.8% annually, and the xi changing patterns in Jordanian consumption behavior. According to Khalid Alfayez (2008) , Head of Policies & Planning Division for the Jordan Ministry of Environment, an estimated of 4,600 ton/day (MSWM) are generated in Jordan, which represents a solid waste generation rate of 0.7 ton/capita/day.

Therefore, the Jordanians generate 1,679,000 ton/year of solid waste, and it is likely to reach 2,500,000 ton/year by 2015. The solid waste generated in Amman, which is close to 1,900 ton/day, and accounts for approximately 41% of the total waste generated in Jordan. Therefore, the city of Amman and the country require the development of alternatives to handler the problem of Solid Waste from the perspective of volume and complexity.

This data could be an underestimate of the actual situation given inaccuracies of the data recording systems in the final disposal sites, and to the waste the is collected and burned locally, due to the xii shortage of equipment (METAP, 2004).

Table A1 shows the projected waste generation for Amman and Table A1 and Figure A2 show the composition of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in Amman, capital of Jordan. According to the data collected, the amount of inorganic waste is close to 42%, which represents the major component of the MSW as expected in a city of a developing country as Jordan.

Table A1: MSW generated in Amman, Jordan (2008) Source: http://worldbank.org

Composition % Food Waste Mixed Paper Yard Trimming, and Leaves Plastics Glass Corrugated Cardboard Metals Textile and Rubber Others

42% 9% 2% 16% 2% 11% 2% 14% 2%

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2%

Food Waste

14%

Mixed Paper

2% 42% 11%

Yard Trimming, and Leaves Plastics

2%

Glass 16% 9%

Corrugated Cardboard

2% Figure A2: MSW generated in Amman, Jordan (2008) Source: http://worldbank.org Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) Stakeholders The MSWM in Jordan is undertaken by the public sector. The stakeholders involve in the MSWM are the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, the Municipalities (e.g., Greater Amman Municipality), and the Ministry of Environment.

The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs is the responsible to provide the funding to the municipalities to finance the MSWM. Furthermore, the ministry is mandated by law to monitor and oversee the implementation of the laws and regulations by the municipalities. The Ministry of Environment has the responsibility to regulate the activities that would potentially impact the environment, including the MSWM. The municipalities are communal corporations create to serve and being responsible for any municipal service, including the MSWM. The municipalities report to the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, except for the Greater Amman Municipality, which reports to the Prime Minister and have a distinctive representation in terms of bureaucratic hierarchy.

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Greater Amman Municipality (GAM)

Figure A3: Map of Greater Amman Source: http://travel.yahoo.com/ Amman, capital of Jordan, is the economic, cultural, social and political center of Jordan. Moreover, Amman is the largest city with an estimated population of 2,800,000 (Department of Statistics). The city has an estimated area of 1,680km, and is politically divided in 27 districts. Figure A3 shows a map of Greater Amman. Solid Waste Management within Amman boundaries is responsibility of the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM). This is stated in the Article 41 - Law N° 29 of the 1955‘s Municipal Law. The Mayor and the Municipality Council constitute the upper part of the bureaucratic hierarchy of the GAM. Half of the Municipality Council‘s members are appointed by the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, while the rest of the members are elected. Furthermore, in terms of waste management, Amman city was divided into six regions, where each region consists of a group of areas (4-5 areas).

MSWM process implemented by GAM Sweeping and Cleaning The GAM has a force of approximately 5,500 cleanliness workers, who are responsible for sweeping and cleaning Amman‘s streets. The workers are paid a salary of 241 JD/month, and includes benefits such as, social security, health insurance, overtime. In Jordan, these salaries and benefits are considered to be high. This has been cataloged as a major incentive to engage Jordanian employees in this area of work xiii (META, 2004). Cleanliness workers and supervisors are controlled by the environment protection section in each district, where each section is under the leadership of at least one engineer.

Collection Waste is collected from an approximate of 1100 liters containers by rotaries and compacters with various capacities and from 5000 liters containers by hoists. Collection schedule is planned and arranged by the environment protection section in each district according to studies and assessment in order to find the

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best collection paths and collect all full containers. While, solid waste is collected from narrow alleys and areas by 2 ton capacity compactors, for empty spaces loaders and trucks are used. For the operation of the collection‘s equipment the GAM has a task force of 234 drivers (2008). Table A2 provides a summary of the equipment, machinery and containers used by GAM.

xiv

Table A2: Equipment for Solid Waste Collection (2008 )

Vehicle Type Rotaries and Compactors Trailers Hoist Heavy Duty Mechanical Sweeper Washing Machine Pickup Truck

Number 263

Function Waste Collection

18 18 10 4 2 27 26

Water Tank Loader

21 24

Container

About 16000

Waste Collection Waste Collection Waste disposal Sweeping Containers Washing Inspection Bulky Waste Collection Cleanliness Process Cleanliness Process for Special Missions Waste Collection

Disposal of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Landfilling is the disposal alternative use by the Jordanian municipalities, including the GAM. Landfilling has been widely use through the years for the disposal of MSW and it is an integral part of the current xv MSWM (Qdais, 2007).

Currently, in Jordan there are 21 working landfills and 7 that have closed. The current situation of the landfills is not promising given the fact that open dumping is still a common practice in the majority of the landfills in the country.

The disposal method used on the Jordanian‘s landfillings could be either the trench method or the cell method. Cell method is used in the Al Ghabawi landfill (i.e Jordan‘s major landfill). The process of the cell method consists in spreading, compacting, and covering with soil the waste using heavy machinery in order to create layers of approximately 9.5 meters (Chopra, 2001). There is not lining , leachate and biogas collection in the majority of the Jordanian landfills, except for the Alghabawi landfill where all the three are collected, and for the Russeifeh, which have a biogas plant.

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Al Ghabawi Landfill

‫طريق السرقاء‬ 17 km

‫وسط البلد‬ 23 km

‫الطريق‬ ‫الدائري‬

‫مكب الغباوي‬

17 km 9 km

‫حدود أمانة عمان‬

‫طريق األزرق‬

Figure A6. Location of Al Ghabawi Landfill (Nobani, 2008)

xvi

Al Ghabawi is located in the eastern area of Amman, at 23 km east from Central Amman (as shown in Figure A6). The total surface area of the site is about 2000,000 m2. The selected site is part of Azraq Basin, which is one of the four largest desert basins in Jordan. The area used to be as a military land, and characterized by an arid nature without any residential, historical, cultural land uses. The site was connected by an access dual carriageway for a distance of about 23 km. The landfill is operated by the GAM. Al Ghabawi Landfill receives an estimated of 2,300 tons of waste per day to, this accounts for approximately 50 percent of Jordan‘s total municipal solid waste. An approximate of 1900 ton/day of the Solid Waste comes from Amman (i.e., 400 kg/day directly from districts, and 1500 ton/day from the transfer stations).

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Appendix B: In-Depth Analysis of the Composting Process Composting: An Overview

xvii xviii xix xx

Composting is a process of turning organic waste (green-leafy plant matter and food scraps) into a nutrient rich soil amendment for future plant growing. The process is dependent on biological activity turning the matter into its more useful form. Thus, there are two popular types of composting: microbial composting and vermicomposting (use of worms).

Microbial composting is the simplest form and is conducted universally throughout the world. In this process, the decomposition of organic matter is facilitated by micro-organisms already present in the matter. With no additional catalysts, this process is lengthy, taking at most a year to completely decompose. While the physical process is almost irreverent, stimulating the microbial activity is the most important factor for increasing time of product return. Several factors contribute to this: Aeration: Oxygen is needed for successful decomposition, though anaerobic (no oxygen) decomposition will occur it is inefficient and develops foul odors. Agitating or mixing the pile often facilitates aeration; this exposes more area to oxygen. From my experience, this is easily accomplished by storing the compost in a horizontal barrel with holes. Rotating the barrel tumbles the compost. Aeration should occur at least once or twice a month.

Moisture: the compost requires a source of water to maintain efficiency. While the amount of water is dependent on the amount present, an easy way to judge is by squeezing the compost and looking at how much water comes out. In ideal conditions, only a few drops should fall for a handful of compost. Too much water will hinder the process by suffocating the microorganisms from water (anaerobic decomposition occurs).

Particle size: the composting process is dependent on how much surface area is available for the organisms to ‗attack‘. Increasing the surface area of the organic matter added by shredding it in any way will increase the process efficiency.

Nitrogen Content: A high carbon to nitrogen ratio (3:1) of matter added must be maintained.

Without adequate carbon, the organisms will not process the nitrogen as efficiently. High carbon items include leaves, wood chips, newspaper, and sawdust (untreated wood). High nitrogen items include: poultry litter, grass, fertilizer (10%-30%), blood meal, bone meal, livestock manure, vegetable refuse, straw.

Temperature: the compost should be well insulated in order to maintain the high temperatures required for killing certain disease organisms. Temperatures will range from 130 F to 160 F. Acidity: upon completion, the compost will be slightly basic (pPh 7.1-7.5). Large quantities of vegetable or fruit wastes might require a basic additive (lime, for example).

Layering: For static piles, the matter that will be composted should be placed at the bottom, covered by a layer of nitrogen rich additive, and topped by soil (which contains the microorganisms).

What can be composted: pine needles, vegetable waste, fruit waste, grass, leaves, yard waste, straw, kitchen wastes, coffee grounds, eggshells, sawdust (minor quantities), paper/newspaper (at most 10% of total compost).

What not to add: feces, meat, bones, grease, eggs, dairy products. These will attract nearby varmints and xxi could also add disease bacteria or pathogens not easily killed.

Vermicomposting: one of the quickest ways of composting with at 3-6 month turnaround.

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Vermicomposting, as the title might suggest, requires the additional catalyst of worms. The castings produced by the worms are a rich nitrogen source akin to fertilizer. Use of worms normally receives a bad press because of having to deal with worms and the excessive odor, both of which are often exaggerated.

A few different types of worms can be used: redworms (Eisenia fetida) and red wigglers (lumbricus rubellus). The vermicomposting requires many of the same conditions described above except the constant agitation and the basic ph. The ph should be maintained at 6.5 with upper-bounds of 6.0 and 7.0. The temperature is also different; the worms prefer 40 F to 80 F and can reproduce best between 55 F and 75 F. If the worms can reproduce properly, then adding new worms should not be a problem (they xxii will never over populate beyond what is first purchased) .

Layering is important. A ‗bed‘ should be prepared for the worms consisting of paper, leaves, straw, hay, fertilizer, and dead plants (sand and dirt are optional). The ‗bed‘ represents the majority of matter present in the bin and should settle for a few days before adding the worms. Worm limits vary; 2,000 worms will recycle a pound of food waste in 24 hours with 4 cubic feet of space available. Once added, the worms can process almost anything including: coffee grounds, tea bags, vegetable/fruit waste, egg shells, grass, etc. Avoid bones, dairy products, meats, onions, acidic foods (in small quantities only), and garlic. The additives should be buried deep in the container when added. The worms are best at continuing the composting process already started.

There are many downsides to vermicomposting. On a large scale it is not sustainable in the long run without a lot of space or capital income. The benefit of vermicomposting is the worm castings produced, xxiii which are often several times more valuable than regular compost.

Once the composting process has been completed, nearly every type of plant/tree can benefit from its use. With the addition of compost, soil quality improves in the areas of texture, nutrient retention, moisture retention, and ventilation. For soils with a primarily sand base, compost increases water and nutrient xxiv retention while also thickening the soil. The sand particles have something to hold on to.

For applying to different soils, the amount depends on the plant type. For lawns, apply a ¼ to ½ inch thick layer on all desired areas. For trees, a one inch thick layer; gardens, a 1 to ½ inch layer, shrubs, a 2 inch thick layer. xxv For large areas, a good ratio is 900 to 1200 lbs per acre.

Regarding composting output, the relationship is nearly 1:1. From experience, 4 cubic feet of additive will xxvi produce a little more than 3 cubic feet of compost through a full cycle.

References i

"Debunking the Myths of Recycled Paper". Recycling Point Dot Com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2006. Retrieved 2007-02-04.

ii

U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Website: http://www.epa.gov

“Social Entrepreneurship in the Middle East: Toward Sustainable Development for the Next Generation.” The Brookings Institute. April 2010. http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2010/04_social_entrepreneurship.aspx iii

iv

Hazaimeh, Hani, “Paper recycling project to aid environment, community.” The Jordan Times, 26 Januaru, 2010. < http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=23487> v

McGrath, R. and I. MacMillan (1995). "Discovery-driven planning." Harvard Business Review 73(4): 44-54.

vi

Rogers, E. (1995). Diffusion of Innovations, NY: Free Press.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Wastes-Resource Conservation – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Composting, Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/rrr/composting/benefits.htm [accessed 03/01/2011] vii

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Earth911, Benefits of Using Compost, Retrieved from http://earth911.com/news/2007/04/02/benefits-of-using-compost/ [accessed 03/01/2011] viii

"Debunking the Myths of Recycled Paper". Recycling Point Dot Com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2006. Retrieved 2007-02-04. ix

Schön, D. (1984). The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. Basic Books: New York.

Dare, A., Enslow, S., Fitzpatrick, V., Leib, S., Nelson, L., and Payne, L. (unpublished). Effective Project Development: Asking the Right Questions. x

xi

Alfayez, E. K. (2008). Solid Waste Management in Jordan: Present Situation and Future Challenges. Middle East Recycling, Waste & Environmental Management Exhibition & Congress, Kempinski Hotel, Dead Sea – Jordan xii

METAP (2004). Regional Solid Waste Management Project in Mashreq and Maghreb Countries, Jordan

xiv

Nobani, H. M. (2008). Municipal Solid Waste Management at Amman City. Middle East Recycling, Waste & Environmental Management Exhibition & Congress, Kempinski Hotel, Dead Sea – Jordan. Source: http://www.eng-forum.com/ xv

Qdais, H.A., (2007). Environmental Impact Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste Landfills: A Case Study From Jordan in Eleventh International Waste Managemnt and Landfill Symposium Sardinia 2007. 2007. S. Margherita di Pula, Cagliari, Italy: CISA. xvi

Nobani, H. M. (2008). Municipal Solid Waste Management at Amman City. Middle East Recycling, Waste & Environmental Management Exhibition & Congress, Kempinski Hotel, Dead Sea – Jordan. Source: http://www.eng-forum.com/ xvii

http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/h-164.pdf

xviii

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8100.html

xix

http://www.wormwoman.com/acatalog/vermicomposting.html

xx

Isaac Sinnott: Founder – Greener Garden LLC.

North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. "Seed And Plant Sources For Medicinal Herbs And Botanicals." North Carolina Cooperative Extension. North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Web. 07 Mar. 2011. <http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8100.html>. xxi

Flowerfield Enterprises. "Vermicomposting." WormWoman.com - Worm Composting (vermicomposting) Resources. Web. 07 Mar. 2011. <http://www.wormwoman.com/acatalog/vermicomposting.html>. xxii

North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. "Seed And Plant Sources For Medicinal Herbs And Botanicals." North Carolina Cooperative Extension. North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Web. 07 Mar. 2011. <http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8100.html>. xxiii

University of Illinois Extension. "Composting for the Homeowner." Benefits and Uses. Web. 07 Mar. 2011. <http://web.extension.illinois.edu/homecompost/benifits.html>. xxiv

Washington State Department of Ecology. "Natural Landscapes Project: Compost and Soil." Natural Landscapes Project: Outreach on Organic Gardening and Natural Lawn Care. Web. 07 Mar. 2011. <http://www.naturallandscapes.org/content/compost_soil/compostsoil.htm>. xxv

xxvi

Isaac Sinnott: Founder: Greener Garden LLC.

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