2017 ASHS Annual Conference

Americans generate the most waste of any society in the world. In 2013, Americans generated 254 million tons of waste. During that year, 87 million tons of waste was composted and recycled which is equal to a recycling rate of only 34%. Around 61% of solid waste in landfills is compostable materials. College campuses are a huge contributor to this issue. But given the environment, students are still able to learn new practices that can change their lifestyle choices. The purpose of this study was to determine if specific marketing strategies using new signage, posters, and table tents were effective in educating the campus population on what should be composted and how to separate waste for proper disposal. In 2009, a composting program, Bobcat Blend, was initiated in hopes of reducing the amount of waste that is produced on the Texas State University campus. While the old signage was in use, pre-test surveys were distributed in cafeterias and populated areas in order to find out how much knowledge students had regarding composting practices. Then, new signage and educational posters were placed in these areas and a testing period of at least two weeks began. Post-test surveys were then distributed in order to determine the effectiveness of these signs. Additionally, pre and post-test waste audits were used to measure the impact of the signage and education on students’ choices in sorting waste in the cafeterias. Results of this study will help to determine the best possible strategy to educate students on proper waste separation.