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Instructors at Francis Marion University developed a recycling course in an attempt to satisfy the students’ goals of increasing campus awareness about sustainability and recycling, and the teachers’ goals of using problem‐based learning approaches in class. Students enrolled in the course designed their own experiment, completed the experiment and presented the results at several national meetings. The focal point of the experiment was student apartments, where some students were provided with recycling bins, some were not, and some were provided with both bins and education about the importance of recycling. Results show that students living in campus apartments significantly reduced their waste stream when given recycling bins and some education about recycling. Although ANOVA tests showed that while the presence of recycling education did not result in significantly more recycling, students who received bins (opportunity) recycled more as time went on. Positive student feedback indicated the success of using project‐based learning to teach sustainability.

The problem of plastic wastes is serious nowadays worldwide, although plastic wastes recycling is already in practice. To promote sustainability in plastic waste recycling, the quality of wastes collected should be maintained well, resulted from a good recycling practice. This paper aims to study a new plastic recycling bin (PRB) and poster interventions on the enhancement of university hall residential students’ proenvironmental knowledge, attitudes and intended behaviours (KAB) and actual recycling behaviours; informative and feedback posters were used as interventions.

This study adopted a quasi-experimental setting to examine the effects of the new PRB on students’ KAB and actual behaviours in recycling, whereas the quality of the recycled plastic was measured according to the extent of cleanliness (CLE), separation (SEP), compression (COM) and sortedness (SOR).

Results showed that significant positive enhancements in KAB only happened with the use of blended interventions, which included promotion through the PRB and posters, suggesting that the use of the PRB and posters was useful in achieving better recycling behaviour.

Blended intervention study by using new design plastic recycling bin and poster on the effect of students’ proenvironmental and recycling KAB.

The purpose of this study is to identify and assess the waste management strategies that should be priorities for higher education institutions. The role of policy instruments (i.e. purchasing policies and recycling initiatives) in implementing sustainable zero-waste management programs at higher education institutions was investigated through comparison of American top-level and Western Kentucky University (WKU) benchmark universities.

Waste minimization-oriented policy instruments implemented at American top-level and WKU benchmark universities were analyzed through policy evaluation techniques. Digital surveys were distributed to sustainability coordinators at WKU benchmark and top-level universities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with survey participants.

It is important to identify well-defined temporal periods with goals and allocated tasks for direct and indirect stakeholders. Time periods should include planning for readiness programs and infrastructural needs, along with performing comprehensive waste characterization studies. As the waste program matures, the creation of integrated waste management policies with specific responsibilities for all stakeholders and departments will be required.

The sampling of universities evaluated in this research is not representative of all universities in the USA or internationally, as they can vary widely. Yet, general waste management trends applicable to most universities can be gleaned from this research.

Widely varying zero-waste strategies are readily implemented at universities. A holistic review of successful waste management plans highlights key management approaches that should be included in all plans to ensure their success.

This study is one of the first of its kind to holistically evaluate policy factors influencing effective zero-waste management at higher education institutions.

The purpose of this paper is to share one uncommon way that an academic library moved toward more sustainable library operations and to share lessons learned in the implementation of a compost collection program in an academic library.

Case study.

The right collaboration is critical to successfully implementing a library composting program and challenges like working around supply purchasing hurdles, reducing contamination in the collection bins, and working out appropriate assessment techniques may be encountered.

Academic libraries can implement compost collections program if the proper infrastructure exists and the appropriate partnerships are established.

Academic libraries can be leaders in sustainable building operations and provide learning opportunities for the entire campus and surrounding community.

Very little published literature exists on implementing composting program in libraries of any kind. This case study helps to build that body of literature.

Sharjah is the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) third largest city and third highest waste producer (9.9% of ˜26 million in 2012). A total of about ˜$1bn has been invested into programs pursuing zero-landfill waste by 100% recycling. Besides infrastructure, assessing knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) are needed for effective waste management. The purpose of this study is to examine recycling KAP in Sharjah.

A cross-sectional study, using pilot-tested questionnaires, was conducted among public venues during March and April 2016. A total of 400 residents (18–55 years) were selected via convenience sampling. SPSS-22 was used for analysis.

Mean age [28 years (±9.4)] with 56.5% females. Knowledge level [51.8% (±18.1)]; students reported the highest (53.7%, p = 0.007, 95% CI [51.4–56.1]). 22.9% knew recycling benefits, 31.2% knew how to correctly prepare items. Attitude level 92.6% (±16.5); 51.1% and 46.8% would recycle more with a financial reward or penalty, respectively. 70.4% reported practicing recycling; 16.0% always recycle. Logistic regression model indicated knowledge (OR = 1.013, 95% CI [1.001–1.025]) and attitude (OR = 1.014, 95% CI [1.001–1.028]) as the only significant predictors of recycling practice.

This is the first study measuring recycling KAP in the UAE. Results could be starting points for improved local waste management and subsequently reduced public health concerns.

The purpose of this paper is to design a community‐based social marketing (CBSM) campaign to foster sustainable behavior change in paper reduction, commingled recycling, and purchasing environmentally preferred products (EPP) with faculty and staff at Pacific University Oregon.

A CBSM campaign was developed after a nine month pilot study. A six‐month mixed methods research approach used pre‐postsurveys, office supply purchasing reports, a recycling study, and a waste audit. The CBSM campaign strategies used were prompts, communication, incentives, commitment, convenience, norms and social diffusion.

The campaign titled, Greening Pacific! successfully identified and ranked key barriers to paper reduction, recycling and purchasing environmentally preferable products and developed CBSM tools and materials that were instrumental in affecting change. The CBSM campaign strategies and materials that were effective include recycling and paper reduction prompts, a sustainable office pledge, initiating a green team and training staff leaders, and deskside recycling box distribution. An increase in campus‐wide purchasing of recycled content paper and EPP was found. Post‐survey results found that 74 percent of staff and faculty changed their behavior because of the CBSM campaign.

The study could have benefited from a longer data collection period.

Establishing aspects of green office practices on campuses can have significant impacts on purchasing EPP, waste reduction, energy and cost savings, and reducing the use of toxic chemicals. CBSM is a valuable framework for fostering behavior change.

Community‐based social marketing provides higher education institutions and other organizations with an effective model to foster environmental change in a targeted and community‐oriented way.

This paper is a case study which explores the impact of a variety of communication tools and the way in which they influence the recycling behaviour of residents in Rushcliffe Borough Council. Despite the fact that household waste is growing at a significant rate, very little empirical research has been conducted to explore the role that effective corporate communications can play in influencing attitude change and recycling behaviour or to determine which communication tools are considered to be most effective by local residents. The research reported is longitudinal involving three large‐scale surveys assessing attitudes to current refuse collection, the recycling service and the effectiveness of the various communication tools used. Results are presented together with recommendations for improving the effectiveness of any council's corporate communications strategy for increasing recycling rates.

This study aims to focus on the clothing recycling supply chain and aims to provide optimal decisions and managerial insights into supply chain strategies, thereby facilitating the sustainable development of the clothing industry.

Based on previous single- and dual-channel studies, game theory was employed to analyze multiple recycling channels. Concurrently, clothing consumer types were integrated into the analytical models to observe their impact on supply chain strategies. Three market scenarios were modeled for comparative analysis, and numerical experiments were conducted.

The intervention of fashion retailers in the clothing recycling market has intensified competition across the entire market. The proportions of various consumer types, their preferences for online platforms and their preference for the retailer’s channel influence the optimal decisions and profits of supply chain members. The diversity of recycling channels may enhance the recycling volume of clothes; however, it should meet certain conditions.

This study extends the existing theory from a channel dimension by exploring multiple channels. Furthermore, by investigating the classifications of clothing consumers and their influence on supply chain strategies, the theory is enhanced from the consumer perspective.

Recycling facilities are not available in most Ultra‐Orthodox (Haredi) Jewish neighborhoods in Israel. Servicing Ultra‐Orthodox communities would offer significant relief for rapidly bloating landfills. Haredi communities have highly religious lifestyles, very large families and tend to cluster together in communities, posing significant challenges in urban planning and policy. With careful planning and education these communities have the potential to be high‐yield recyclers, as the act of recycling plastic, paper and glass is not religiously prohibited. The purpose of this paper is to determine the feasibility of installing recycling facilities in two Ultra‐Orthodox neighborhoods in Jerusalem.

Data were collected by administering a short questionnaire to neighborhood residents and asking them questions about recycling behavior as well as demographic information.

Ultra‐Orthodox communities have a unique recycling narrative which determines the materials they are most likely to recycle. Rabbinical leaders and monetary incentives are instrumental in garnering support for recycling programs.

The findings shed light on demographic variables which influence recycling behavior such as age, gender, household size and religiosity/ethnicity.

The rich data have significant planning and policy implications. As this study relies on statistically significant data, it is highly likely that the conclusions drawn are applicable to other Haredi neighborhoods and beyond.

As a whole, Ultra‐Orthodox attitudes and behaviors exposed in this study reveal, for the first time, a religious ethnography of recycling or a recycling narrative.

This study aims to test whether faculty and students who have developed the most pro-environmental values and concerns are also the most likely to reduce the on-campus waste stream. It does so by using the theory of ecological modernization.

Questionnaires were created and disseminated to a representative sample of 590 undergraduate students and faculty on one college campus. This research took place after widespread efforts were made to increase faculty and student knowledge of the college’s recycling guidelines.

Among the measures of environmental orientation (values, concern about pollution and green consumption), only environmental values were associated with claiming to know guidelines and self-reporting higher levels of recycling effort. None was associated with knowledge about local recycling guidelines.

Research on recycling programs at other campuses would help move beyond this specific case. The use of longitudinal surveys would help establish time-order.

This research makes an important contribution by measuring the impact well-intentioned people have on the waste stream. Without thorough knowledge of local recycling guidelines, even the most environmentally oriented people with the best of intentions may contribute to the waste stream by throwing away things that can be recycled and contaminating recycling bins with non-recyclable materials. The authors conclude that activist interventions are necessary to teach about campus recycling guidelines to reduce the waste produced on campus.