Introduction
The University of Hawai’i at Manoa Campus conducted a Waste Audit in Fall of 2017. The audit was conducted at Saunders Hall.
Audit Results
Total Waste Audited by Weight: 596.461 lbs
Top 3 Categories by Weight
- Paper (Recyclable, Non-recyclable, Paper Towels): 215.4 lbs
- Food, Napkins and Green Waste: 140.85 lbs
- Plastic (Food wrappers, Food Containers, Styrofoam, HI-5 and Non-HI-5 Recyclable Plastic Containers, Other Plastic): 121.9 lbs
Total Waste Audited by Volume: 1,769.075 gal
Top 3 Categories by Volume:
- Paper (Recyclable, Non-recyclable, Paper Towels): 646.25 gal
- Plastic (Food wrappers, Food Containers, Styrofoam, HI-5 and Non-HI-5 Recyclable Plastic Containers, Other Plastic): 566.5 gal
- Takeout Containers (Starbucks cups, Plastic to-go cups, Wax Paper cups, Compostable Take-out, Disposable Utensils, Straws): 379.25 gal
UHM Waste Overview By Weight (lbs.)
UHM Waste Overview By Volume (gal.)
Recommendations and Follow Up Actions
Top 3 Suggested Interventions
- Reduction of Paper Towels: Installing hand dryers, encouraging the use of personal cloth hand towels
- Reduction of Plastic and Take-out Containers: Phasing out of single-use plastics or using more sustainable alternatives
- Composting: Food and Green Waste, napkins
Resources and Contacts
Project Leads/Contacts:
Matthew Lynch, Director Sustainability
mklynch@hawaii.edu
(808) 956-9437
Navin Tagore
navintag@hawaii.edu
Nicole Chatterson, UH Office of Sustainability Living Lab Coordinator
nchatter@hawaii.edu
(808) 956-4394