Professional Documents
Culture Documents
table of contents
01. psychology 02.
what motivates people to recycle | why conduct a waste audit | what was found in previous audits | why this project is valuable to KU
methodology
03. results
what could have been done better | suggestions for the University of Kansas to implement
abstract
This project examines
the waste stream at the University of Kansas and provides suggestions on how students and the University can reduce waste by diverting recyclable, reusable, and compostable materials from the waste stream. We conducted a waste audit on three campus buildings: Wescoe Hall, Strong Hall, and the Spencer Museum of Art. We chose to examine these buildings because they represent a variety of collegiate infrastructure. These buildings vary in the classrooms, offices, and administration activities, as well as the differing degrees to which student, faculty, and public have access to each building. In none of the buildings surveyed was non-recyclable trash the majority of the waste stream. By weight, the recycling found in Spencer was 67% of the waste stream and 68% by volume. In Strong, 72% of the waste by weight and 74% by volume could have been recycled. In Wescoe, 76% of the waste by weight and 72% by volume could have been recycled. Because previous audits of Wescoe Hall have been conducted, the Wescoe audit in 2010 will be compared with those from 2004 and 2005. The waste from Spencer and Strong will be compared with each other because similar sample sizes were pulled. This project seeks to develop a unified sampling procedure for conducting waste audits to ensure that the results are comparable. When a baseline procedure is created, these audits could be conducted annually and compared.
01.
psychology
01.
psychology
01.
psychology
01.
psychology
02.
methodology
02.
methodology
How we did it
Celeste Hoins, who works with the Environmental Stewardship Program, was instrumental in contacting and coordinating trash collection with Facilities Operations and giving our group space in the ESP warehouse for our trial run of sorting trash from Strong Hall and the Spencer Museum of Art. She contacted Vic Kane at Facilities Operations, who instructed the custodial staff to put the trash collected into a separate blue container next to the dumpster. Trash is emptied in Strong and Spencer twice per week (on Mondays and Thursdays). This amounted to seven bags of trash for the Spencer Museum of Art and eight bags of trash from Strong Hall. The bags from Spencer included trash from the entire building, and the trash from Strong was from the third floor only. Trash from the galleries and library at the Spencer Museum were considered negligible for this study because no food or drink is allowed. About 25 bags of trash were collected from the fourth floor and third floor auditoriums in Wescoe. We conducted a test run of the trash from Strong and Spencer to make sure that we all knew what to expect for the larger event on Earth Day when we audited Wescoe. We divided 18-gallon storage containers into the labels indicated on the worksheets from Kansas Green Teams, such as trash, plastic bags, paper cups, and newspaper. The waste was sorted and then weighed on a pallet scale. (For future audits, we recommend that a more precise scale be used to get a more accurate weight of each container, instead of having to round to the nearest pound. See the recommendations section.) For the Wescoe audit, we used the same procedure, but a spring scale was used instead of a pallet scale for convenience. Waste was sorted into types in 50-gallon bags, and then bags were weighed and recorded. We conducted this audit on Earth Day to raise awareness of the event. Our project was picked up by the Lawrence Journal-World, KUJH-TV and The University Daily Kansan. Although it was raining this Earth Day, we moved into a dry overhang between Wescoe and Stauffer-Flint. Because of the rain, the weights might have been slightly heavier than they would have been if it were dry. However, we did not adjust the weights that we recorded.
03.
results
What we found
The results of the waste audits of the Spencer Museum of Art, Strong Hall, and Wescoe Hall are depicted by volume, not compacted, and by weight. Both measures have their own utility for evaluating the waste stream. Landfills and other disposal services base disposal fees based on weight, usually with a tonnage tipping fee. However, volume often dictates when containers are removed for disposal. At the University, individual waste receptacles are emptied into larger dumpsters outside of campus buildings, and these are collected as dictated by a set schedule or as they fill. This method places increased emphasis on the volume of material being disposed of rather than the weight. Volume measurements are more subjective than weight measurements because they were estimated instead of specifically calculated. In the waste audits conducted for this study, coffee and drink cups were separated from trash because of the amount we found in the initial audits. They are classified as trash. The plastic bags category includes recyclable bags found in the waste stream and trash bags used to contain the waste. The volume and weight of these trash bags are important because they are often under-filled and result in the creation of extra waste. They also represent a key problem in waste generation and disposal. Trash bags are necessary for sanitation and health reasons, but they are often under-utilized. The most common problem is that bags are larger than their containers, which uses more plastic than is needed.
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03.
results
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03.
results
Though listed on the Kansas Green Teams sheets, batteries and hazardous material were not included in our counts because none were found in any of the buildings.
Material
Weight (lbs)
1 <1 9 4 5 <1 0 1 <1 8 7 <1 0 8 2 1 46
Volume (gal)
18 9 18 9 5.4 5.4 0 12.6 12.6 18 27 5.4 0 36 5.4 18 199.8
Cardboard Chip board Office paper Newspaper Magazines Aluminum cans Steel cans Plastic #1 & #2 Plastic #3-7 Food/compost Coffee/drink cups Styrofoam Glass Trash Reusable Plastic bags TOTALS
>>
of the recycling,
of the trash,
>>
of the recycling,
of the trash,
>>
>>
Reusable includes a light bulb, unopened candy, a Nalgene bottle, wiring, unopened ketchup packets, a DVD, a DVD case, pens, pencils, and a sock.
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03.
results
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03.
results
Though listed on the Kansas Green Teams sheets, batteries and hazardous material were not included in our counts because none were found in any of the buildings.
Material
Weight (lbs)
1 1 3 6 0 <1 <1 4 1 14 1 <1 <1 10 <1 1 42
Volume (gal)
18 18 18 9 0 4.5 4.5 18 18 9 18 4.5 0.1 36 4.5 27 207.1
Strong Hall
The waste stream from Strong was different from Spencers, as the third floor of Strong contains several more classrooms. Coffee cups and other drink cups made up a significantly smaller percentage of the waste stream, by both weight and volume. However, much more compostable materials such as food scraps were found in the trash on the third floor of Strong. Office paper and newspaper make up another significant portion of the recyclable waste stream. Although a few aluminum cans were found on this floor, they seem to have been mostly eliminated from the waste stream. However, this waste could also just be taking a different form as #1 plastic bottles that students can get from vending machines.
Cardboard Chip board Office paper Newspaper Magazines Aluminum cans Steel cans Plastic #1 & #2 Plastic #3-7 Food/compost Coffee/drink cups Styrofoam Glass Trash Reusable Plastic bags TOTALS
>>
of the recycling,
of the trash,
>>
of the recycling,
of the trash,
>>
>>
Reusable includes uneaten wrapped food, hangers, toys, pens, pencils, and toothpaste.
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03.
results
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results
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results
Though listed on the Kansas Green Teams sheets, batteries and hazardous material were not included in our counts because none were found in any of the buildings.
Material
Weight (lbs)
<1 24 28 26 <1 7 0 16.5 6 31 12.5 1.5 <1 48 13 21 237.4
Volume (gal)
<0.1 100 50 40 <0.1 25 0 62.5 25 50 75 25 <0.1 100 12.5 50 615
Wescoe Hall
Wescoe had similar breakdowns of trash vs. recycling compared with the other buildings that were audited. A smaller portion of the trash was made up of coffee cups by weight, but the amount by volume was similar to the measurements from Strong and Spencer. Again, there was a great diversity in the types of waste that could have been reused or recycled. Newspaper and office paper again made up large percentages of the recyclable material that was found in the trash. A significant percentage of plastic bags were found, most likely as a result of having dining areas close by but also because many of the trash bags are not completely filled when they are emptied. Food and compostable items were also a large portion in this building.
Cardboard Chip board Office paper Newspaper Magazines Aluminum cans Steel cans Plastic #1 & #2 Plastic #3-7 Food/compost Coffee/drink cups Styrofoam Glass Trash Reusable Plastic bags TOTALS
>>
of the recycling,
of the trash,
>>
of the recycling,
of the trash,
>>
>>
Reusable includes full pop cans, unopened ketchup packets, a KU ID, pens, a stapler, and an unopened box of Lucky Charms.
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03.
results
included in the 2005 audit (food waste, plastics 3-7, reusable materials, and plastic bags) were simply added to the trash amount, although this will alter the results. It is hoped that future audits will use the categories outlined by the Kansas Green Teams so that those results will be easier to compare. The results from the 2004 and 2005 audits by volume were not accessible, so the chart below compares the years by weight. Future results should compare both. 2010
26 29 25 7 0 16.5 0.9 133 237.4
Percent Change
-76% +383% +525% +40% -100% -60% 0% +241% +15%
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recommendations
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recommendations
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recommendations
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05.
resources
Works cited
CAP-KU: Creating a Climate Action Plan for the University of Kansas. Publication. C-CHANGE IGERT Program and the Urban Planning Graduate Program, Spring 2009. Web. Derksen, Linda and John Gartrell. Social Context of Recycling. American Sociological Review 58.3 (1993): 434-42. Environmental Stewardship Program. Wescoe Hall Waste Audit 2004. Chart. KU Facilities Operations. Apr. 2005. Web. http://recycle.ku.edu/pages/events_and_projects/earth_day/wescoewaste_compare.shtml. Earth Tub. Green Mountain Technologies. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. http://www.compostingtechnology.com/invesselsystems/ earthtub/. FAQ. Environmental Stewardship Program. Web. 28 Apr 2010. http://www.recycle.ku.edu/faq. shtml Kansas Green Teams. How to Conduct a Waste Audit. <http://www.kansasgreenteams.org/how-conduct-waste-audit> Kate Gould, Joey Warren, and Shane Capra. Chapter 3: Closing the Loop: Materials and Waste Management. The Sus tainable University. 2008. Clark University, Web. 9 Feb 2010. http://clarku.biz/offices/campussustainability/docu ments/EN%20103%20The%20 Sustainable%20University%20Class%20Report%202008.pdf#page=55 KU Dining Services. KU Memorial Unions, 2010. Web. 28 Apr 2010. http://union.ku.edu/dining.shtml. KU Dining Services Sustainability. KU Memorial Unions. University of Kansas, 2010. Web. 27 Apr 2010. http://www. union.ku.edu/sustainability.shtml KU News - Coca-Cola, Unions Promote Recycling by Students; Special Discounts on April 22. Home - KU News. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. http://www.news.ku.edu/2009/april/21/recycling.shtml. Mannetti, Lucia, Antonio Pierro, and Stephano Livi. Recycling: Planned and Self-expressive Behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology 24.2 (2004): 227-36. Web. Mott, Stephanie. University considers recycling. University Daily Kansan 2008. n. 28 Apr 2010. http://www.kansan. com/news/2008/jun/26/compost/. National Environment Agency, JTC Corporation, Singapore Manufacturers Federation, and Waste Management & Recycling Association of Singapore. Guidebook on Waste Minimisation for Industries. National Environment Agency, 2002. Personal Communication. Vic Kane, Assistant Director for FO Custodial Services. 01 May 2010 Personal Communication. Celeste Hoins, Administrative Manager of Environmental Stewardship Program. 23 Feb 2010 Solid Waste Policy Group. Waste Audit. Rutgers State University of New Jersey, 2004. Web. 22 Apr. 2010. University of Oregon Campus Recycling. EMU and Campus Recycling Gave Away FREE MUGS. Rep. 26 Apr. 2006. Web. <http://www.uoregon.edu/~recycle/FreeMugs.htm>
Thanks to Celeste Hoins and Vic Kane for making this waste audit possible. campus photos and design by Lauren Keith May 6, 2010 21
Date/time sampled:
Materials Type
Cardboard
Chip Board
Office Paper
Newsprint
Magazines
Aluminum cans
Steel cans
Plastic #1 & #2
Plastic #3-7
Food/compostable
Coffee/drink cups
Styrofoam
Batteries
Glass
Hazardous Materials
Trash
Other: Reuseable
Total