Parameters analysis for a sustainable management of solid waste in university buildings

Abstract

Educational institutions and, specifically, university campuses are large energy consumers and waste producers. The impact of university campuses on the local waste management increases with decreasing the size of the city/town where universities are located. Following the growing interest of the scientific community on the research for strategies to improve the environmental sustainability of educational institutions, this paper aims at proposing specific parameters to 1) measure the performance of university buildings in waste management, 2) detect anomalous situations that require improvements and 3) implement ameliorative actions. Specifically, parameters like the per-capita or surface-specific waste generation could help identifying the structures that may require primary interventions. With reference to the case of a medium-size university, the paper points out the advantages of the punctual tariff system for waste management adopted by the local utility company and critically analyses its weak points. Overall, this system offers great opportunities for improving waste management and for cost savings, but requires careful management policies by public institutions.