Barrie, Ontario, October 29th, 2024 – International Recycling and Waste Container brand Busch Systems® in collaboration with the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), National Wildlife Federation, College & University Recycling Coalition (CURC), Zero Waste Campus Council and Campus Race to Zero Waste, have completed a survey and report of the findings of 170 campus sustainability and facilities managers.
A new report released today highlights the growing trend of higher education institutions adopting practices such as uniform waste bin standards and centralized collection arrangements shown to improve recycling and waste diversion. The report, Indoor Waste & Diversion at Colleges and Universities, summarizes the findings from a survey of 170 campus sustainability and facilities managers conducted earlier this year. Among the findings, the report found of participating schools:
• 44% have adopted a self-service arrangement that shifts responsibility from custodians to individual staff and faculty for removing personal waste from office workstations.
• Removing waste baskets from classrooms and directing students to use common area bins resulted in increased diversion, lower contamination and reduced labor demand for a majority of schools as well as reduced classroom litter for a third of them.
• 63% make at least some effort to recover food waste from academic and administrative areas of campus.
The survey and report, which also collected lessons learned from the schools that have implemented these best practices, were produced as part of a collaboration between Busch Systems, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), National Wildlife Federation, College & University Recycling Coalition (CURC), Zero Waste Campus Council and Campus Race to Zero Waste.
Campus diversion efforts often face diminishing returns as outdated collection arrangements designed for trash removal create barriers to recycling behavior. Previous research has shown that the same practices covered in the report can be effective to modernize these arrangements and improve material recovery rates. As the project manager, Alec Cooley, senior advisor with Busch Systems said, “The report adds further evidence that practices like creating uniform bin standards and centralized collection arrangements are effective for moving campuses closer to zero waste.”
The findings of the survey project where formally announced on Monday during a session at the AASHE 2024 Conference & Expo in Anaheim, California. They will also be detailed on an upcoming CURC webinar on Thursday, November 7. To register for this free program, visit www.curc3r.org
To download the full report, visit buschsystems.com/indoor-waste-diversion-survey/
Busch Systems International is a Certified B Corporation and has been a leader in the design of recycling and waste containers since 1985.
For Additional Information, Contact
Busch Systems International
Alec Cooley
Senior Advisor
alecc@buschsystems.com
(843) 530-7582
Busch Systems International, Innovative Designs Inspiring Change.
Busch Systems has been a prominent designer and retailer of recycling, waste and composting containers for over 39 years, leading the way with an innovative and constantly-expanding catalogue which also includes access to recycling and waste program experts. All products are 100% recyclable and proudly made in North America.
