Running head: IMPLEMENTING COMPOST BINS

Implementing Compost Bins for Hamline University Students:

Feasibility Study
Joseph Yang
Hamline University
April 19, 2015

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Abstract
Waste and garbage are an increasing issue, affecting both human beings and the natural
environment around us. Composting is an alternative to disposing waste into landfills. This
study focuses on implementing composts bins for educational institutions like Hamline to cater
towards college students. The researched conducted includes data from secondary research and
questionnaire results from Hamline University students. From this research, it informs the
severity of issue of waste in Minnesota and issues and that financial metrics and cost are not
accessible to the public. Also, students at Hamline University favor composting yet there is a
need of further education on what composting is.

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Table of Contents
Abstract............................................................................................................................................2
Content.............................................................................................................................................4
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Research Methods............................................................................................................................6
Results..............................................................................................................................................7
Figure 1.........................................................................................................................7
Figure 2.........................................................................................................................8
Figure 3.........................................................................................................................9
Conclusions....................................................................................................................................10
Recommendations..........................................................................................................................11
References......................................................................................................................................12

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Introduction
Hamline University does not currently have compost bins around campus for students to
put biodegradable materials in. There is a waste management issue with garbage in the United
States especially from institutions. Composting can be used as a possible solution to explore in
reducing waste.
On nationwide scale, Americans nationwide produced 250 million tons of waste in 2010
(EPA, 2010). To narrow this down further, 35 to 45 percent of the waste is produce by
institutions (EPA, 2010). In regards to Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency (MPCA) research in 2013, 5.8 million tons of Mixed Municpal Solid Waste (MMSW) or
garbage was produced in Minnesota alone (MPCA, 2013). MPCA has narrowed down the waste
disposal to three areas: landfilling, resource recovery facilities and illegal on-site disposal
(MPCA, 2013). Composting would fall under the resource recovery facilities. By viewing the
scope of this data, I believe it proves useful in showing a need in alternative waste disposals such
as recycling and composting.
An issue of waste management from an institutional standpoint is the use of landfills as
the means to waste disposal. In focus to universities as institutions, Macalester University has
researched that 77% of its garbage could be recycled or composted (Macalester, 2014). In
relation, Macalester has a similar amount of undergraduate students as Hamline, comparing
numbers of 2,073 students to 2,211 students (Macalester, 2014). Therefore, Hamline University
may indeed share similar results in recyclable and biodegradable garbage.
In the sphere of the students, Macalester composts items such as non-recyclable
paper products, food scraps, and coffee grounds which are eventually sent to a commercial
composting site (Macalester, 2014). All of these items also pertain to the students at Hamline
University and their consumption and disposal of these goods. With recycling already deeply
implemented at Hamline, other green programs such as composting will add to the reduction of
biodegradable materials like food scraps being put into the landfill disposal.
In addition, it is important for students to know what items are the most compostable.
According to the University of Missouri, noting the carbon and nitrogen ratios in disposed items
are important to take into account when composting them (MU, 2010). A relevant example for

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Hamline would be that coffee grounds have a 20 to 1 carbon to nitrogen ratio whereas
microorganism ideally need a 30 to 1 ratio to successfully break down compost (MU, 2010).
With this information, it may help gage into the details to knowing what typically disposed item
can be most biodegradable and which ones are not as much.
Finally, behaviors and attitudes towards recycling and composting should also be taken
into account since these variables may affect whether individuals even use composting programs.
An important statistic to note is that 76% of Americans dispose of materials into landfill
destinations rather than finding alternatives such as recycling and composting (White &
Simpson, 2013, p. 79). This put into perspective the challenges to having compost bins at
Hamline if no one will use them. From an institutional level, there are so many benefits to
alternative waste disposal despite the low appeal towards these alternatives on an individual
basis. An example of such is that the recycling and reuse industry generated about 12.1 billion in
federal, state, and local tax revenues in 2001 (EPA, 2002). In connection, in the state of
Minnesota, the cost landfill disposal is subjected to a tax of 75% whereas sending compost to
commercial composting sites is not taxed (Macalester, 2014). An institution such as Hamline
may benefit from choosing a new disposal alternative such as composting despite the low appeal
from individuals.

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Research Methods
On March 16, 2015, I received permission to proceed with researching my feasibility
project. The public databases of governmental agencies were key to my project. The Hamline
University Bush Library Summons article database also served useful in finding sources and
evidence for my project.
In regards to using Summons article database, I searched terms such composting and
institutional waste with about 10,000 results. I also attempted to narrow down my results by
adding more specific terms such as higher education or recycling. But unfortunately, it was
difficult finding sources that gave me data on universities and waste management studies.
After several attempts of trying to find useful sources, I further expanded on
governmental public data on waste management. Waste management and composting are a
global effort, with studies focused on 3rd world situations. There was a vast focus on the
scientific breakdown of compost, making it difficult to not focus on other data.

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Results
Research has been conducted on whether or not it is feasible for Hamline University to
implement compost bins. A questionnaire focusing on the perspective of Hamline students was
conducted in trying to find the feasibility of implementing compost bins. There were a total of
29 respondents who answered the questionnaire. An initial point of interest was contrasting the
percentages of students who believe Hamline strives to reduce waste in contrast to the
percentages of students who view waste as an increasing issue. In the data of Figure 1, it is
important to note that percentages of respondents who agree and strongly agree are combined as
well as the percentages of those who disagree and strongly disagree. In Figure 1, 48.3% of
respondents agree that Hamline strives to reduce waste in comparison to the total of 51.7% of
respondents who responded to undecided or disagree. This data shows a divide between
respondents in their view of Hamline reducing waste. In connection, the data also shows that
83% of respondents agree that waste is an increasing issue in comparison to the total of 17% of
respondents who responded to undecided or disagree. A large of majority of students view waste
as an increasing issue yet they are divided in whether or not Hamline aligns with this view of
reducing waste. This data provides insight about whether or not Hamline should further its waste
reduction programs in connection to solutions such as compost bins.

Figure 1. Percentages of students who view that Hamline strives to reduce waste versus
viewing waste as in increasing issue. It was discovered that 51.7% of students are undecided or

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disagree that Hamline strives to reduce waste in contrast to 83% of students who view waste as
an issue.
Another point of interest is illustrating data about students support in compost bins as a
solution to reduce waste at Hamline. In Figure 2, 82.8% of respondents support implementing
compost bins in contrast to the 17.2% who do not. It is important to view the students support
in the compost bins because the bins are only as useful as the number of students who support
utilizing them. Because a majority of students support implementing compost bins, it shows a
demand to implement them.

Figure 2. Percentages of students who support and do not support implementing compost
bins. It was discovered that 82.8% of students support implementing compost bins whereas
17.2% of students do not.

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A final point of interest is deciphering whether students can identify what items can be
compost. Recycling bins are already implemented at Hamline, thus serving as a useful reference
to the challenges of identifying items that have alternatives of disposal other than landfills. In
Figure 3, 72.4% of respondents have difficulty in identifying what items are recyclable.
Similarly, the data shows 75.9% of respondents having difficulty in identifying what items can
be put into compost. As Figure 2 demonstrated a demand for compost bins, Figure 3
demonstrates a need for students to be educated about distinguishing items to compost in order to
effectively use compost bins as demanded.

Figure 3. Percentage of students who do and do not have challenges identifying recyclable
and compost items. It was discovered that 75.9% of students have challenges identifying what
items can be put into compost next to the 24.1% of students who do not have these challenges.

Conclusions

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After my research in articles and my questionnaire to Hamline University students, the
following conclusions have been drawn:

Hamline University is viewed as environmentally friendly but there still needs to be

programs such as composting available for students.

Hamline students in the majority support the implementation of compost bins.

Hamline students need to be more educated on recycling and composting.

Institutions produce a large portion of the landfill mass in Minnesota, including Hamline
University in this fact.

Recommendations

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Although there is a strong appeal for composting at Hamline University, there are several areas
of cost that need to be further studied due to the little access in finding financial data and metrics.
It is recommended that:

An addition study should be conducted on the cost of educating the student body of
Hamline University

A closer look at what specific items are being thrown away by Hamline students

A breakdown of financial cost comparing recycling and waste disposal to landfills in

order to gage the difficulty for Hamline initiating a compost program

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References
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (2013). Report on 2013 SCORE Programs [PDF
file]. Available at http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/view-document.html?gid=22484
University of Missouri. (2010). Making and Using Compost. Retrieved from
http://extension.missouri.edu/p/g6956
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2002). Communicating the Benefits of
Recycling. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/tools/localgov/benefits/
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2010). Municipal Solid Waste
Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2010 [PDF
file]. Available at
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/msw_2010_rev_factsheet.pdf
White, K., & Simpson, B. (2013). When Do (and Don't) Normative Appeals Influence
Sustainable Consumer Behaviors?. Journal of Marketing, 77(2), 78-95.