Greening of a Campus through Waste Management Initiatives:

Experience from a Higher Education Institution in Thailand

Tangwanichagapong, Siwaporn; Nitivattananon, Vilas; Mohanty, Brahmanand; Visvanathan,
Chettiyappan
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, v18 n2 p203-217 2017
Purpose: This paper aims to describe the effects of 3R (reduce, reuse and recycle) waste management
initiatives on a campus community. It ascertains the environmental attitudes and opinions of the residents
and investigates their behavioral responses to waste management initiatives. Practical implications for
enhancing sustainable waste management are discussed in this paper. Design/methodology/approach:
Demonstration projects on waste segregation and recycling, as well as a waste reduction campaign, were
set up on the campus to ascertain people's attitudes and investigate their behavioral responses toward 3R
practices. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey, observations, interviews and the project's
document review. A waste audit and waste composition analysis was carried out to assess waste flows
and actual waste management behaviors and measure the change in the recycling rate. Findings: 3R waste
management initiatives had positive effects on people's attitudes about resources, waste management and
consciousness of the need to avoid waste, but these initiatives did not affect recycling and waste
management behavior. A voluntary approach-only cannot bring about behavioral change. Incentive
measures showed a greater positive effect on waste reduction to landfills. Nevertheless, the demonstration
projects helped to increase the overall campus recycling from 10 to 12 per cent. Originality/value: This
paper addresses a literature gap about the 3R attitudes and resulting behavior as part of campus
sustainability of higher education institutions in a developing country. The authors' results revealed
hurdles to be overcome and presents results that can be compared to behavioral responses of people from
other developed countries. These findings can be used as a guide for higher education institution's policy-
makers, as they indicate that voluntary instruments alone will not yield effective results, and other
mechanisms that have an impact on people's behavior are required.
Descriptors: Campuses, Environmental Education, Foreign Countries, Sanitation, Wastes, Sustainable
Development, Questionnaires, Interviews, Recycling, Conservation (Environment), Audits
(Verification), Behavior Change, Sampling, Statistical Analysis, Attitude Measures
Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire,
BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail:
emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emeraldinsight.com

https://eric.ed.gov/?q=wastes&id=EJ1129384
Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour Regarding Waste
Management in a Grammar and a Comprehensive School in
England--Results from a School Questionnaire
Kolbe, Karin Dorina
Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, v17 n1 p58-71 2015

Well-organised waste management is an essential part of sustainable development. The saving of

resources and energy is everyone's concern and environmental education is vital to guarantee a
sustainable lifestyle in the long run. To find out what similarities and differences in views regarding waste
management exist between grammar school pupils and comprehensive school pupils in England,
questionnaires were designed and distributed in two schools in the same English city. The questionnaires
aimed at quantifying and establishing students' knowledge, attitudes and behaviour regarding waste
management. The results illustrate that students from the grammar school had higher levels of knowledge,
were more likely to recycle and used more sources of information regarding waste management. Waste
reduction was considered important by almost all students. However, students in both schools considered
composting and waste reduction as less important than recycling and thereby did not fully agree with
sustainable waste management.
Descriptors: Wastes, Elementary School Students, Student Behavior, Recycling, Sustainability, Information
Sources, Knowledge Level, Student Attitudes, Questionnaires, Foreign Countries, Environmental
Education, Comparative Analysis, Comprehensive Programs
UNESCO Chair on Interplay of Tradition and Innovation in ESD. Parades 1-220, Daugavpils University,
Daugavplis LV-5401, Latvia. Tel: 371-6542-5452; Fax: 371-6542-2890; e-mail: unescochair@du.lv; Web site:
http://www.du.lv

https://eric.ed.gov/?q=wastes&id=EJ1108121
Facilitating Lasting Changes at an Elementary School
James, Laurie
International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, v8 n3 p443-454 2016

The purpose of this study was to determine how to minimize waste in a school setting by reducing,
reusing, recycling, and composting waste products. Specifically, the desire was to identify what steps
could be taken to decrease waste practices at a Title I elementary school. Through the Washington Green
Schools certification process, a Waste and Recycling Assessment and Characterization Audit allowed for
the collection of data. The assessment examined how much and what types of waste products were
disposed of at the school. Based on the audit, 93% of waste products in the cafeteria were recyclable or
compostable. The results provided ways for the students and staff to take action resulting in behavioral
changes that taught and modeled environmental conservation. This study can help revolutionize school
communities by serving as a prototype for environmental sustainability enhancing an eco-friendly
citizenry.
Descriptors: Recycling, Wastes, Elementary Schools, Conservation (Environment), Behavior Change, School
Role, Sustainability
International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education. T&K Akademic Rosendalsvein 45, Oslo 1166, Norway.
e-mail: iejee@iejee.com; Web site: http://www.iejee.com

https://eric.ed.gov/?q=wastes&id=EJ1096578
Effective Strategies for Enhancing Waste Management at
University Campuses
Ebrahimi, Kianoosh; North, Leslie A.
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, v18 n7 p1123-1141 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify and assess the waste management strategies that should
be priorities for higher education institutions. The role of policy instruments (i.e. purchasing policies and
recycling initiatives) in implementing sustainable zero-waste management programs at higher education
institutions was investigated through comparison of American top-level and Western Kentucky
University (WKU) benchmark universities. Design/methodology/approach: Waste minimization-oriented
policy instruments implemented at American top-level and WKU benchmark universities were analyzed
through policy evaluation techniques. Digital surveys were distributed to sustainability coordinators at
WKU benchmark and top-level universities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with survey
participants. Findings It is important to identify well-defined temporal periods with goals and allocated
tasks for direct and indirect stakeholders. Time periods should include planning for readiness programs
and infrastructural needs, along with performing comprehensive waste characterization studies. As the
waste program matures, the creation of integrated waste management policies with specific
responsibilities for all stakeholders and departments will be required. Research limitations/implications:
The sampling of universities evaluated in this research is not representative of all universities in the USA
or internationally, as they can vary widely. Yet, general waste management trends applicable to most
universities can be gleaned from this research. Practical implications: Widely varying zero-waste
strategies are readily implemented at universities. A holistic review of successful waste management
plans highlights key management approaches that should be included in all plans to ensure their success.
Originality/value: This study is one of the first of its kind to holistically evaluate policy factors
influencing effective zero-waste management at higher education institutions.
Descriptors: Sanitation, Campuses, Change Strategies, Benchmarking, College Programs, Comparative
Analysis, School Policy, Policy Analysis, Online Surveys, Semi Structured Interviews, Instructor
Coordinators, Administrator Attitudes, Recycling, Qualitative Research, Communication Strategies, Outreach
Programs, Barriers, Efficiency
Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel:
+44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site:
http://www.emeraldinsight.com

https://eric.ed.gov/?q=wastes&id=EJ1159808
Assessment of College Students' Knowledge and Attitudes
toward Solid Waste Management in North Central Zone of
Nigeria
Dung, Mohammed Dauda; Makilik, Mangut; Ozoji, Bernadette Ebele
Science Education International, v28 n2 p141-146 Jun 2017

This study focused on assessment of colleges of education students' knowledge and attitudes toward solid
waste management in the North Central zone of Nigeria. The cross-sectional survey design was adopted.
A students' knowledge and attitudes toward solid waste management questionnaire were used to collect
data from 1,800 students. The findings indicated that the students had a low knowledge level of solid
waste management but their attitudes toward it were positive. A significant relationship was found
between students' knowledge and their attitudes toward solid waste management. Furthermore, gender
was shown not to have any significant influence on knowledge and attitudes of students toward solid
waste management. It was concluded that although students had low knowledge of solid waste
management, their attitudes toward it were positive. It was recommended that environmental education
issues, especially, solid waste management should be incorporated into colleges of education curricula
and properly taught for in-depth knowledge acquisition.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, College Students, Knowledge Level, Student
Attitudes, Sanitation, Questionnaires, Student Surveys, Gender Differences, Conservation
(Environment), Environmental Education
International Council of Associations for Science Education. Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Education, Buca,
Izmir 35150, Turkey. Tel: +90-532-4267927; Fax: +90-232-4204895; Web site: http://icaseonline.net

https://eric.ed.gov/?q=wastes&id=EJ1155930