Professional Documents
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Introduction
Hamline University does not currently have compost bins around campus for students to
put biodegradable materials in. There is a waste management issue with garbage in the United
States especially from institutions. Composting can be used as a possible solution to explore in
reducing waste.
On nationwide scale, Americans nationwide produced 250 million tons of waste in 2010
(EPA, 2010). To narrow this down further, 35 to 45 percent of the waste is produce by
institutions (EPA, 2010). In regards to Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency (MPCA) research in 2013, 5.8 million tons of Mixed Municpal Solid Waste (MMSW) or
garbage was produced in Minnesota alone (MPCA, 2013). MPCA has narrowed down the waste
disposal to three areas: landfilling, resource recovery facilities and illegal on-site disposal
(MPCA, 2013). Composting would fall under the resource recovery facilities. By viewing the
scope of this data, I believe it proves useful in showing a need in alternative waste disposals such
as recycling and composting.
An issue of waste management from an institutional standpoint is the use of landfills as
the means to waste disposal. In focus to universities as institutions, Macalester University has
researched that 77% of its garbage could be recycled or composted (Macalester, 2014). In
relation, Macalester has a similar amount of undergraduate students as Hamline, comparing
numbers of 2,073 students to 2,211 students (Macalester, 2014). Therefore, Hamline University
may indeed share similar results in recyclable and biodegradable garbage.
In the sphere of the students, Macalester composts items such as non-recyclable
paper products, food scraps, and coffee grounds which are eventually sent to a commercial
composting site (Macalester, 2014). All of these items also pertain to the students at Hamline
University and their consumption and disposal of these goods. With recycling already deeply
implemented at Hamline, other green programs such as composting will add to the reduction of
biodegradable materials like food scraps being put into the landfill disposal.
In addition, it is important for students to know what items are the most compostable.
According to the University of Missouri, noting the carbon and nitrogen ratios in disposed items
are important to take into account when composting them (MU, 2010). A relevant example for
Figure 1. Percentages of students who view that Hamline strives to reduce waste versus
viewing waste as in increasing issue. It was discovered that 51.7% of students are undecided or
Figure 2. Percentages of students who support and do not support implementing compost
bins. It was discovered that 82.8% of students support implementing compost bins whereas
17.2% of students do not.
Figure 3. Percentage of students who do and do not have challenges identifying recyclable
and compost items. It was discovered that 75.9% of students have challenges identifying what
items can be put into compost next to the 24.1% of students who do not have these challenges.
Conclusions
Institutions produce a large portion of the landfill mass in Minnesota, including Hamline
University in this fact.
Recommendations
An addition study should be conducted on the cost of educating the student body of
Hamline University
A closer look at what specific items are being thrown away by Hamline students