CSU Campus or Other Affiliation
California State University San Marcos
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Shannon Switzer Swanson, Dr. Elizabeth Ridder
Abstract
The foundation of sustainability and improving a system is to first understand its components. Waste management is a vastly complex issue, with an increasing number of material types and ever-changing regulations. Sorting and processing refuse is a fundamental aspect of society that often goes unmeasured due to its complex nature. To grow sustainably, it is imperative to classify, categorize, and quantify the waste we create daily. This study builds upon existing on-campus large-scale waste audits conducted by EDCO, the California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) waste hauler, which quantifies the amount and types of waste removed from campus. However, this study differs from those efforts in that it focuses on specific waste streams, excluding campus housing, to determine the percentage of trash that could be diverted from EDCO’s landfills to either recycling or composing programs and is specifically tailored to the CSUSM sustainability goals. Only outside landfill receptacle bins were utilized in the study, and their contents were sorted on variable days, Monday through Friday, for three months, totaling 28 days. Refuse was categorized into nine groups according to EDCO’s recycling and composting regulations and then weighed. Overall, 75% of the waste sorted could be diverted to recycling or composting facilities; organic waste represents the largest proportion by dry weight (~50%) of improperly disposed of items. Based on these findings, future educational and waste management recommendations are provided that CSUSM may undertake to help reach its Zero Waste by 2025 initiative, for example by more frequently updating signage on waste bins and increased types of outreach to the campus community.
APA Citation
Hansen, C. R.
(2025).
Analyzing Waste Flows on a College Campus: A Waste Characterization Study at California State University San Marcos.
CSU Journal of Sustainability and Climate Change, 4(1).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55671/2771-5582.1033