Waste Characterization Study

WHAT IS WASTE CHARACTERIZATION?

Waste characterization involves finding how much paper, glass, food waste, etc. are being discarded in a waste stream. Research on waste classification enables us to prepare how to reduce waste, set up recycling programs and save funds and resources. (California, S. of. n.d.)

MEET OUR TEAM

Mari Fabian

Mari is a first-year Psych student. She enjoys spending time with her friends, listening to music, and teaching others about sustainability!

Allison Abel

Allison is a first-year Computer Science intent. She loves being outside, playing the flute, and learning about anything STEM related.

Madison Holt

Maddie is a first-year Environmental Science student. She likes spending time with friends, eating junk food, and learning more about the environment around her.

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THE UN'S SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: GOAL 12

Sustainable consumption and production require the promotion of resources as well as energy efficiency, stable infrastructures and access to proper facilities, environmentally friendly and decent jobs and a higher quality of life for all. Its execution adds to attaining overall growth plans, decreasing long term economic, social and environmental expenses, bolstering economic competitiveness and alleviating poverty.

Currently, natural resource material consumption is increasing, especially in Eastern Asia. Countries also continue to recognize air, water, and soil pollution challenges.

Since responsible consumption and development aims to "do more and more with less," overall net performance welfare benefits can also be enhanced by eliminating resource consumption, deterioration, and emissions across the entire life cycle, thus increasing standard of living. Considerable attention should be placed on operating on the supply chain, including anyone from a manufacturer to consumer. This involves informing consumers regarding feasible consumption and ways of living, supplying them with sufficient information, including via standards and labels, and indulging in the sustainable social acquisition. ("Sustainable consumption and production" n.d.)

Why is this an issue?

The increasing amounts of waste humans are producing is a global issue that is becoming more and more apparent as consumers use packaged products (Bayer, 2010). Recycling has the potential to help this issue by recovering already used material in order to manufacture new products (Hopewell, 2009). Although recycling is known as one of the easiest environmentally conscious behaviors to undertake, due to both a lack of knowledge and a lack of care, many recycling bins end up contaminated (Verdonk, 2017). This is an issue because it increases the likelihood that the contaminated recycling waste will be rejected by the processing facility and sent to landfill instead of being recycled (Wiersma).

In the past, research has been conducted in public places, such as other universities or popular festivals, in order to determine if signs can encourage people to properly recycle. One study conducted at Western Michigan University found that signs caused more contamination to be in the paper and cardboard recycling bins (Wiersma). Another study conducted at the WOMADelaide music festival found that differences in behavior of the people recycling is what causes the contamination. However, more research has concluded that signs that combine both words and images can have a substantial impact on lessening the contamination in a recycling bin (Verdonk, 2017).

In order to improve our recycling bins, we conducted research on NC State’s campus in order to learn more about what can encourage people to recycle. We did several waste audits for bins around campus (outside of Talley Student Union and Metcalf Residence Hall) both prior to putting signs on the bins, and post-signage. Similar research had been conducted on NC State’s campus before. However, new signs had been created for our research in order to determine if the graphics on the signs make a difference in the accuracy of recycling (St. Hill, 2019).

From our findings, the presence of signs on the recycling bins did not seem to make a difference on NC State’s campus. The landfill contained little to no recycling. However, the recycling contained a lot of landfill. Previous findings have stated that different attitudes and behaviors towards recycling cause some people to not care what they put in the recycling. Furthermore, research indicates that not all environmentally conscious people will recycle properly. However, it has been found that social influence is an effective way to encourage proper recycling (Oskamp, 1991). With this knowledge, our group decided to create an Instagram, a website, and a video in order to spread awareness about proper recycling techniques on campus.

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REFLECTING ON THIS STUDY

Mari: Upon starting this study, I didn’t think much about waste reduction. I knew that to reduce the effects of climate change, humans would have to stop using so many single-use plastics. I used to think lots of different plastics were recyclable or compostable because of the symbols that were on the plastic. Those can be quite misleading. I learned that sustainability is a long-standing effort, and if people aren’t constantly informed of methods of how to be sustainable, they won’t try or don’t care. Doing these waste audits, I learned that people are mostly uninformed about what can be properly recycled and what can’t be. After putting signs on the bins, it also seemed that people don’t like being told what to do (in regards to disposing of their waste). I was a little nervous to be working with people I had never met before, but I warmed up to Allison and Maddie pretty soon after our first waste audit. We’ve grown very close, and I can say I have found some good friends thanks to this study. As for our larger service group, it was fun to have people to joke around with and do service together (like the Louisville game). This project has benefited me in the sense that I know how to instill sustainable practices in all aspects of my life. I can tell my family what is and isn’t recyclable, and they can teach others these practices. Sustainability is easily spread through word of mouth. If I was offered a research/internship position within this particular sustainability issue, I would consider continuing my involvement. I will still be teaching others about how to recycle and dispose of waste properly.

Allison: At the beginning of this project, I remember having to do an activity where the Waste Reduction team split into groups and sorted waste into compost, recycling, and landfill. Although our bins were close to correct, they were not perfect. Through this project, I learned that neither is our campus. I now know that a good portion of the campus does not properly recycle, and that signs on the bins do not necessarily help that. However, I believe that better education on recycling can benefit the community. Working as a team, I enjoyed getting to know Mari and Maddie, and felt that all of the Waste Reduction group got to bond over this experience. Furthermore, I feel like I learned a lot about what I assume of other people. Before this project, I assumed most of the campus knew how to properly dispose of waste and that people would read signs if they didn't. If more opportunities present themselves, I would like to help educate others about proper recycling on campus so that there is less contamination in our bins.

Madison: Through my waste audit experience, I learned that sustainability can only come with the involvement of others working as a collective group to help further educate people on not only their waste reduction/sorting but also sustainability as a whole. While doing the waste audits we soon learned how little our peers know about composting and recycling. We learned that signage does not help waste sorting but makes it worse. This project benefited me personally by opening my eyes to how many organic waste products I use can be compostable and not just thrown into landfill bins. If a waste reduction research opportunity was presented to me, I would gladly accept.

Pre-signage Data

Challenges Faced

There were some unexpected challenges that we faced during this study. The study that we were doing was to analyze the waste that was being thrown away at NC State. We had to analyze two pairs of bins, one recycling and the other landfill, from two separate locations and see what was being thrown away and where it was going between the bins. When separating the waste, some challenges arose when knowing what can be characterized as what. For example, we found a lot miscellaneous items like Chick-fil-A cookie packaging or juul pods and we didn’t know what to characterize them as in the landfill section. Another challenge was trying to encourage people to recycle and teaching people what not to recycle. The signage put up on the bins did not help but actually worsened the results of our recycling bins. More landfill items were found after the signage went up. After putting up the signage and seeing the results, we understood why this study was so important. Most people on campus either do not know how to properly dispose of their waste items or are not educated enough on waste to know why to care about recycling, composting, and landfill. One way we can end this cycle is to start educating more people outside of the EcoVillage or environmental majors and reach out to those that don’t have the right tools or information to educate themselves. Outreach programs and fun activities around campus can really help involve students and educate them about waste reduction. It can teach them about why and how to recycle and why we need composting bins around more areas of campus.

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