ASSESSING THE ROLE OF CONVENIENCE IN SUCCESSFUL SOURCE SEPARATION: CASE STUDIES IN THE EDUCATIONAL, INSTITUTIONAL, AND COMMERCIAL SECTORS

摘要

Researchers and solid waste practitioners consistently cite convenience as a key factor in individuals' decisions to divert post-consumer waste, with side-by-side bin separation viewed as the most convenient arrangement. This presentation describes a recent study that compares the diversion rates of three facilities: one with separation of food waste, recycling, and trash; one with separation of recycling and trash only; and a third with no separation of waste. The public agency with tri-separation access unexpectedly yielded a lower diversion rate than the university facility, separating all recyclables together. Interviews were conducted with administrative staff, facilities employees, and users to determine why certain arrangements worked better than others. Results showed that contamination of food waste containers was a critical problem in the first facility, preventing nearly all of the material from being diverted. A variety of problems caused this failure, including strict contamination thresholds of food waste processing facilities, poor monitoring of separation by facilities staff, and poor signage for users. Interviews at other facilities yielded important insights as well, including transportation and storage barriers (at the university level) and lax enforcement of recycling regulation compliance within the commercial sector (third facility).