Waste Sorting Campaign toward Green Campus: Case Study in Politeknik Negeri Batam

摘要

Waste sorting has been adopted as part of the waste management in Politeknik Negeri Batam in order to realize a Green Campus. This program has been rigorously carried out by installing a group of sorting bins at different locations. However, it has been found that several sorting bins might not be utilized according to their purpose. These problems may arise due to incomplete knowledge regarding the waste sorting system. The installed sorting bins have only been accompanied by simple posters attached to the bins, which might not provide adequate information. Furthermore, there has been no initial instruction regarding waste categorization prior to sorting bins placement. Thus, this research aims at investigating the effectiveness of the current waste sorting program. This study was carried out by sampling several different points of sorting bins and identifying whether the wastes were disposed of properly. Furthermore, several questionnaires and interviews have also been conducted to recognize the campus stakeholders' opinion about the waste sorting program as well as to test their understanding of waste sorting. The results show that many students, lecturers, and staffs could not categorize the daily waste appropriately. Additionally, the lack of information and comprehension has caused the campus stakeholders to utilize the sorting bins improperly. Therefore, this study is expected to provide sufficient inputs for designing adequate campaign in order to achieve a sustainable campus through Green Campus program.