Sustainability Behaviors of University Students : An Analysis of On-Campus Waste Disposal Habits

Abstract

In 2014, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire contracted with Seven Mile Creek Landfill to accept compostable waste from campus. In the spring of 2016, the campus stopped sending the compost collected from the Davies Student Center lobby because it was too contaminated to be useful as compost. Near the end of the spring 2016 semester, the Davies Student Center lobby compost bins were removed. Over the summer the Marketplace products were changed to make sorting of waste easier. The compost bins were redesigned with a new lid, and a new marketing campaign that included new labels on the bins. Pull-up banners were placed in the lobby to educate people as to which items go in the various bins. The bins were restored to the Davies center for the fall semester. The objective of our research was to collect data on the quality of the waste streams after the 2016 summer improvement initiatives. The goal of our research is to help the university become more sustainable by encouraging students to improve their waste disposal habits.