Standardize Waste Education & Management Practices

This initiative proposes to standardize waste management practices across the University of Arizona campus by implementing comprehensive guidelines for waste bin design, signage, and educational programs. Additionally, this initiative aligns with the overarching goal of enhancing sustainability awareness and engagement among students, faculty, and staff through consistent waste management education and training programs. Actionable items include:

• Standardize waste bin design, specifying uniform standards for size, color, and placement across campus, with a focus on pairing landfill, recycling, and compost bins together.
• Standardize educational signage content and design near waste collection areas, ensuring accessibility and multilingual support, while linking to online resources for continuous learning and engagement.
• Implement standardized waste management training programs for custodial staff in collaboration with the Office of Sustainability, offering bilingual training materials and integrating waste management into new student and employee orientation sessions.
• Establish standardized contract language for waste management services to simplify material collection across campus, potentially consolidating hauling contracts to streamline operations and prioritize sustainable landfill practices.
• Explore partnerships with suppliers, including local businesses owned by historically underrepresented communities, to ensure recyclability of research and lab materials, aligning with sustainability goals outlined in the University’s Sustainability and Climate Action Plan.