Throughout the United States waste disposal is an issue facing many
communities. More waste is being created than can be disposed of, using the
common systems of landfills and waste to energy incinerators. These systems can
actually cause pollution.
Recycling can reduce the need for landfills and waste-to-energy incinerators
and save local communities money.
Research shows that most improper recycling is a result of a lack of
“education on how, why, and where to recycle”.
Base data collected from classrooms on Edgewood campus showed that recyclable
items and waste items were not being placed in the correct bins.
Our hypothesis was that an increase in knowledge among members of the Edgewood
community about recycling and waste would increase proper recycling and waste
disposal.
After collecting base data, five “fun fact” signs and a list of what is and
is not recyclable on campus were placed in sample classrooms. Bins were clearly
labeled with signs that said “Recyclable Items” and “Waste”.
Items were collected from the recycling and waste bins in each classroom.
Using a list of recyclable and non-recyclable items, we sorted through the
items in each bin.
We weighed and counted the recyclable and non-recyclable items in each bin.
We compared the average percentage of correct items in the recycling and waste
bins before educational information was placed in the classrooms, to the average
percentage of correct items in each bin afterwards to determine if any
improvements were made.
Based on
our data, we can conclude that an increased amount of awareness among
members of the Edgewood community does in fact lead to an increase in proper
recycling and waste disposal.
In future
experiments, investigators could attempt to identify which aspect of our
program was most effective by isolating certain variables.
Edgewood might consider
adopting a similar recycling and waste disposal system on campus, one in
which each disposal bin was clearly labeled and information about recycling
was provided to community members.
In future
experiments, investigators could attempt to identify which aspect of our
program was most effective by isolating certain variables.
