In the Winter of 2023, an Environmental Studies Honors student expressed interest in doing research regarding recycling on campus. The idea of examining waste produced from individual office spaces was then proposed.
In the Spring of 2023, waste audits were conducted to examine the impact of office deskside trashcans upon the campus recycling rate in Holloway Hall, Fulton Hall, TETC, Perdue Hall, and Henson Hall. Student researchers and the Recycling Program found that a large amount of recyclable materials and trash bags were entering the waste stream via office deskside trashcans (all results are shown below).
The Recycling Program met with the Fulton Sustainability Committee and the Campus Sustainability Committee to pitch the need for the Mini-Trashcan Program and how to increase recycling rates in office areas. The Fulton Sustainability Committee nominated themselves to be the pilot building. Mini-Trashcans were introduced into Fulton Hall’s individual office spaces before the start of the Fall 2023 semester. After a couple of months, waste audits were conducted to examine the effects of the Mini-Trashcan Program in Fulton Hall. The results showed that after the mini-trashcans were installed, fewer recyclable materials and trash bags entered the waste stream via office waste.
Based upon this initial success, the University decided to implement the Mini-Trashcan Program in other buildings across campus, beginning with Holloway Hall, in January 2024. A month after installation, waste audits were conducted to examine the effects of the Mini-Trashcan Program in Holloway Hall. Those results also showed fewer recyclable materials and trash bags entering the waste stream via office waste. Mini-Trashcans were also installed in Devilbiss Hall, Guerrieri Student Union, Dining Services, Information Technology, and Physical Plant buildings in January 2024.
In June 2024, the program expanded into Maggs Gymnasium, TETC, Perdue Hall, and Henson Hall. Waste audits were conducted in TETC, Perdue Hall, and Henson Hall to examine the effects of the Mini-Trashcan Program in October of 2024. The results showed that after the mini-trashcans were installed, fewer recyclable materials and trash bags entered the waste stream via office waste.