Massey Uni dumps less rubbish
Massey University is no longer dumping more than 90 per cent of its waste as it switches to composting and recycling.
For years the Manawatu campus was dumping most of its student dining hall’s rubbish when 98 per cent was compostable or recyclable.
Wanting to reduce the amount of rubbish being sent to the landfill, Massey sustainability director Dr Allanah Ryan said the move came after the university got a new catering contractor this year that was keen to get on board.
After the caterer, Compass, and the Palmerston North City Council got everything organised, the system was ready to go last month.
The dining hall generates about 83 kilograms of waste daily. Previously, 92 per cent was being dumped.
Now, nearly all of it will be composted or recycled if diners play their part.
‘‘All rubbish goes somewhere: where is up to you’’ is the tagline the university is promoting on posters to encourage students to dispose of rubbish in the correct bins.
The new system was a win for the environment as less landfill waste meant less greenhouse gas emissions, Ryan said.
The next step would be to introduce the system to the rest of the campus, she said.
Masters student Sarah Sandilands also found a way to reduce the amount of takeaway containers used.
She observed students at dinner for three weeks and found at least 80 per cent of diners chose to eatin, but most used take-away containers as this was the default given by staff.
It would be better to use washable plates to minimise recyclable waste, she said.
Sandilands prompted staff to grab the plate by default instead of containers and plate usage went up from 5 per cent to 40 per cent.
She hoped to check in within a few months to see whether the system was still working.