FULL PAPER: Realising "Green Campus" through Waste Management. 1st Regional Conference on Campus...

Proceedings of the 1st Regional Conference on Campus Sustainability 2014 7-9 April 2014, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia

Realising “Green Campus” through Waste Management

Moezzi, E., Muhammad, A. M., Kamarudin, K. H. and Wahab, M. H.

UTM Razak School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

[email protected]

ABSTRACT Closely linked with the rapidly growing population and the rate of consumption, waste, and its management has become a major issue. In order to show the most environmentally preferable options for waste management in campuses, the hierarchy places emphasis on reducing, reusing, and recycling the majority of wastes. Recently, green concept has attracted scholars’ attentions in the waste management within campuses, mainly because of its prospect to overcome wasteful inefficiencies and usher in positive changes in order to enhance the quality of life. This paper reviews Arizona State University (ASU) campus as one of the well-known campuses that apply the green campus concept through best practices in waste management. The lessons learned from ASU campus can be adopted and applied in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Kuala Lumpur Campus with regards to Malaysian unique context. Preliminary study and field observations have been conducted in UTM Kuala Lumpur Campus that indicates a gap between green campus concept and current practices including a lack of facilities and awareness in waste management. Finally, this paper is proposed some general recommendations for UTM Kuala Lumpur campus in order to encourage the practice of the waste management to realise the green campus concept in future.

Keywords: waste management, green campus, waste hierarchy, reduces, recycle, reuse

mailto:[email protected]


1. Introduction

From water pollution to global warming, environmental issues affect every person, animals, community, and nation on the planet. With the quick approaching issues of climate change and energy, focus has shifted away from landfill waste to other environmental issues but this is a serious problem. The world has been acclimated to a throwaway lifestyle, yet that is not either healthy or sustainable. Based on Government of Western Australia (2011) nearly interfaced with the rapidly growing population over the world and the rate of consumption, waste, and its administration has turned into a real issue around the world. Therefore, at macro and micro levels, managing the waste which generated from human activities (i.e. solid and household waste) has becoming inevitably important for environmental

protection and enhancing the quality of life.

In order to show the most environmentally preferable options for waste management at a micro level, which in this context, the urban campuses, the hierarchy places emphasis on reducing, reusing, and recycling the majority of wastes. Recently, green concept has also been incorporated into the waste management agenda within campuses, mainly because of its prospect to overcome wasteful inefficiencies and usher in positive changes in order to enhance the quality

of life.

This paper reviews Arizona State University (ASU) campus as one of the well-known campuses that apply the green campus concept through best practices in waste management. The lessons learned from ASU campus could be tailor suited for future adoption for Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Kuala Lumpur Campus with

regards to Malaysian unique context.

2. What is Waste?

"Waste" is everything that no longer has a use or purpose and needs to be

disposed of. The term certainly applies to discarded material (AVMA, 2013).

According to the Basel Convention, "'Wastes' are substances or objects, which are disposed of or are intended to be disposed of or are required to be disposed of by the provisions of national law" (Basel Convention, 2011: 16).

“Management” means the collection, transport and disposal of hazardous wastes or other wastes, including after-care of disposal sites (Basel

Convention, 2011: 16).

Waste management and processing involve one or more of the following processes: reduction, reuse, recovery, or disposal of waste, with practices and technologies differing according to different economic and social circumstances

http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/What_are_the_Main_Causes_of_Global_Warming

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basel_Convention


(Adedipe et al., 2005). The desired long-term objective of human responses should

be ‘‘Avoidance of Waste’’ (Adedipe et al., 2005).

Based on the above description on the definition of waste, it can be suggested that campus waste is “substances or objects which are generated from campus activities (man-made and nature) and about to be disposed”.

2.1 Waste Categories

Based on Ministry of Local Government, policy for Trinidad and Tobago (2012) waste categories are identified under the following areas:

1. Household waste: These waste categories could be hazardous (fluorescent bulbs, batteries, some cleaning detergents) or non-hazardous (garbage, cans, bottles, clothing, compost, disposables, food)

2. Hazardous waste: This waste is contained of toxic chemicals that can cause serious harm if they are allowed to contaminate the ecosystem.

3. Bio-medical wastes: these are wastes arising from medical, nursing, dental or similar practices and wastes generated in hospitals or other facilities.

4. Industrial waste: Industrial wastes are types that are generated as a result of industrial activities.

5. Electronic waste (e-waste): E-waste is created by discarded electronic devices and components as well as substances involved in their manufacture or use.

6. Special bulk wastes: These waste categories refer to appliances (white goods), tires, derelict vehicles, construction and demolition wastes etc. that require special handling before it is disposed.

Based on American Veterinary Medical Association (2013) the majority of household and veterinary practice waste is considered "solid waste," regardless of

whether it's actually "solid" in physical form.

From the urban campus context, the categories as identified above might not entirely applicable due to different nature of campus and institution as compared to residential and industry. On the other hand, some campuses could also portrayed similar waste generation with the residential (if there are residential units or hostel on campus) and bio-medical wastes, if there is a bio-medical faculty operated within the campus.

2.2 Waste Management Hierarchy and “3R”

The waste hierarchy ranks waste management alternatives as far as their natural effect environmental impact. Waste prevention is the initial principle of the hierarchy and represents the most efficient and sustainable use of resources (EU, 2012). Re-use is an important part of this tenet which implies that a product is used again for


the same purpose for which it was originally conceived. Next in the hierarchy, ‘preparing for re-use’ contributes to the same purpose, but deals with Products which have already been discarded by their last owner (European Commission [DG Environment], 2012).

Figure 1, European Union Waste Hierarchy

Source: European Commission [DG Environment], 2012

The aim of a Waste Management Hierarchy is to minimize the amount of waste from entering the landfill/dump sites. Three top initiatives in the waste management hierarchy is the 3Rs initiative, i.e. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. In order to promote the 3R culture in a society, training groups of people is essential by making an awareness program through applying 3Rs initiative (Hashim et al., 2011). The 3Rs principle serves to enhance waste management system and to lessen human ecological footprint. It clears approach to enhance the economic, have a tendency to decrease environmental impacts. 3Rs is more successful in developed countries than among the developing nations (Sreenivasan et al., 2012).

The hierarchy is an internationally accepted and practiced concept especially in developed countries since the ‘Waste hierarchy’ is being established to help the government of those countries to manage their waste according to a sustainable agenda (Challenger, 2007).

2.3 Barriers to 3R implementation in Malaysia

3R implementation in Malaysia was privatized and this had made a great number of issues rather than effective results (Milne 1992; Sun and Tong 2002). According to Hassan et al. (2000), the public awareness on 3Rs is low, although the Malaysian government allocates funding for public information campaigns. In relation with the above barriers, report by (Sreenivasan et al., 2012) did also mentioned about the issue of lack of policy to cultivate 3Rs and create public participation especially in institutional settings. In 1988, the Action Plan for a Beautiful and Clean (ABC) Malaysia was introduced by Ministry of Housing and Local Government but had only

http://www.intechopen.com/books/waste-management-an-integrated-vision/solid-waste-management-in-malaysia-a-move-towards-sustainability#B15








minimal responses from the general public (Hassan et al., 2000). In April 2009, the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water was established at the federal level to coordinate green technology development in Malaysia, and the government has encouraged the private sector to invest in green technology system to promote the usage of waste management in order to overcome the global and local issues facing by the country.

Recently, green concept has attracted scholars’ attentions in the waste management especially within campuses, mainly because of its prospect to overcome wasteful inefficiencies and usher in positive changes in order to enhance the quality of life.

3. Green or Eco concept

According to Brasier (2008) Green thinking actually is not a new concept. This is because growth of awareness towards sustainability demands all the concern from

everybody.

Based on this approach and attitude, green concept has been introduced. This term is prospect for many organizations and institutes, governmental or non-

governmental to enhance the quality of people life.

It is referred to three broad themes of sustainability namely, economic, social and environmental, that must all be coordinated and addressed to ensure the long

term viability of our community (Brasier, 2008).

Green campus concept is an outcome of this process for providing a better life for students, lecturers and in general all people who are involved in some institutes like universities.

3.1 Green Campus

If we consider learning centers, college and university campuses are self-contained communities that are supported by vast systems of institutional and operational functions, then, a green campus is one that does these capacities consistent according to a system-wide culture of environmental sustainability, adjusting function and design with existing and predicted resources. In other words, a green campus is a place where environmentally responsible practice and education go as one and where environmentally responsible tenets are borne out by example (EPA et al., 2000).

The Green Campus concept offers an institution the chance to take the lead in rethinking its environment and creating new standards for tackling issues that are local, national, and global in nature (EPA et al., 2000). A Green Campus is a cleaner, more secure and healthier place to live and work.



Greening the campus is about sweeping away wasteful inefficiencies and introducing positive progressions. A considerable amount of these progressions address the daily, practical aspects of campus life—correct disposal, handling, and storage of cleaning chemicals and materials associated with labs and automotive shops; purchase of environmentally friendly supplies; effective recycling programs (NEIWPCC and NEIETC, 2000).

Changes don’t have to happen all at once. They can be approached through a manageable, step-wise process in which changes are built into the institutional planning and budgeting processes, with an eye toward continually improving the campus and implementing responsible recommendations.

Greening initiatives are challenging and require determination and a long-term commitment on the part of the entire campus community. According to EPA (2000) these efforts, however, can yield significant paybacks. Such paybacks include:

Environmental and economic sustainability Reputation as a leader through example Economic benefits “Real-life” work experience for the students Improved quality of life in campus

3.2 Waste Management in Green Campus and institutions

As generators of solid waste, individuals and institutions are at the core of implementing integrated waste management systems. Waste management is a significant issue at all work places and can also be a considerable cost. The success of a waste management program depends on the actions of each person, but also on the design of facilities available and the level of awareness within the institute (Purcell, 2007; STRIVE, 2013).

According to Purcell (2007) The needs of the institution must to be identified in order to generate a successful waste management system for a wide and varied range of social groups, i.e. library users, canteen users, laboratory users, office workers, visitors, sports grounds, staff, students etc. People need to be motivated to use bins correctly and practice solid waste prevention actions in their daily campus or workplace life. This can be achieved through many awareness raising and knowledge developing techniques.

3.2.1 Gathering On-Site Information

Gathering waste information on site can be carried out in a number of ways. The main way to find out exactly what waste activities are taking place and what is entering the waste stream is to conduct a waste audit (EPA and CGPP, 2013).


A waste audit is a very useful tool to investigate quantities of waste generation, recovery rates, level of usage of segregation bins, contamination rates and many more. An important element in conducting a waste audit is to also show where

problem areas/well performing areas are located.

Facilities must be available and easy to use for optimal waste management. Signage and on-going awareness are also hugely important elements of any waste Management Program. A waste ‘walk around’ to visually check bin contents can be a useful visual indication of how bins are being used and identify any problem or

very well performing areas (Purcell , 2007).

Many institutions will have accumulated varying types, sizes, and colors of bins over the years and it may be useful to adopt a uniform bin type and color system to ensure optimal use of a recycling system. By doing so, people will become accustomed to recognizing bins and how to use them if there is a uniform system in place throughout the institution.

The necessity of Green Campus approach implementation among colleges and universities is so far as one of the accurate criteria for evaluating the quality and rank of these learning places in comparison with each other could be green campus concept.

The following section will identify the factors that contribute to create a green campus in UTM KL. In doing so, the paper has reviewed applications of green campus concept in Arizona State University (ASU) and conducted a preliminary survey of University Technology Malaysia (UTM) for comparison.

4. Waste Management in Arizona State University (ASU, 2013)

Arizona State University is a national space-grant institution and public metropolitan research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the largest public university in the United States by enrollment and has become a model for sustainability operations and practices for universities around the world.

It works together across all four campuses to minimize waste and increase the proportion diverted from landfills. According to ASU (2013) the university recycles about 30% of its total waste stream, diverting over 2,000 tons of material from landfills annually. The University has special recycling for computers, printers, batteries, and fluorescent light bulbs. The services and programs help the individual reduce their waste stream, reuse products to extend their life cycle, and recycle products at the end of their life cycle.


The goal for the ASU community – consisting of 85,000 students, employees and contractors – is to create less than 800 tons of waste per year. That’s about 10 percent of the amount of waste that the average American produces.

4.1 Recycling

Recycling efforts across ASU’s four campuses have two main goals: to increase recycling participation and to reduce contamination that can relegate an entire bin of recyclables to the landfill.

4.1.1 Blue Bin Program

Commingled Recycling: Items listed below go in the blue bins around campus:

Paper-plastic-metal-glass

ASU uses color code for its waste which help it for easier disposal and recycling - blue is for recycling, gray or black is for trash, and green is for compost and food

waste (ASU, 2010). Examples of the color-coded bags and containers:

Recycled materials in blue bags or containers Trash in clear bags labeled trash or gray and black containers

Food waste and compost in green containers or bags

4.1.2 Bigbelly Solar Compactors

According to ASU (2013) ASU installed ten BigBelly solar-powered compacting trash cans with recycling bins along the campus perimeter and reduce trash pick-ups and vehicle emissions. It also increases recycling options.

By using solar panels on top of the unit to power its compaction mechanism, each Bigbelly is capable of holding up to four times as much trash as a regular trash can, eliminating the need for Facilities crews to make three or four trips a day to empty overflowing bins.

4.2 Composting

During 2012, ASU has sent 6,778 tons of waste to the landfill and 25 percent of that was meal scraps including food and food service products. ASU is working to

reduce this number by 90 percent in the next 3 years.

ASU is developing a university-wide composting program to support the Zero Waste by 2015 goal. Currently, about 12 tons of landscaping trimmings are composted monthly for use on campus landscapes. The Green Bin program at the Tempe campus will soon allow all campuses to compost food and compostable food-

service items at dining halls.


Through a backend composting program at ASU's dining halls and compost bins ASU is making huge strides towards these goals. The composting happening at dining facilities will allow them to become virtually zero waste because everything

coming in and out of both facilities can either be composted or recycled.

In addition the university composts all leaves to be re-used on the campus landscape. It provides composting facilities for the entire neighboring municipality, allowing both garden waste drop-off and free compost.

4.2.1 What Can Be Composted

Food

All food including meat and dairy products can be thrown into the ASU composting bins as well as be composted through dining halls.

Paper Food Service Products

All paper food service items including boats, clamshells, napkins and cups can be thrown in the composting bins.

4.3 Efforts Have Been Accomplished in Waste in ASU

Table 1: Efforts have been accomplished in waste

Efforts Details

Food Recovery Challenge

ASU is one of 59 schools across the U.S.A participating in the Food Recovery Challenge, a voluntary program put on by the Environmental Protection Agency that aims to limit the 34 million tons of food wasted nationwide annually by reducing unnecessary consumption and increasing donations to charity and composting. By participating, these schools pledge to reduce food waste by five percent in one year.

Exchanging Surplus Items

Sun Devils Surplus Exchange and Transfer (SunSET) is a university-wide “classified ad” system for exchanging ASU property. Through SunSET, ASU departments can re-use office and lab supplies, furniture, and other un-needed items.

Reducing Junk Mail

ASU Mail Services has partnered with Ecological Mail Coalition to help reduce each department’s junk mail, including catalogs, magazines, and other


advertising mail for employees who are no longer in a department.

Ecological Mail Mail Services has partnered with Ecological Mail Coalition to help reduce the department’s junk mail. Ecological Mail can help decrease the amount of catalogs, magazines or other advertising for employees who are no longer in department.

Ditch the Dumpster Ditch the Dumpster gives students a way to recycle, reuse, or repurpose their leftovers during the year-end rush to move out of residence halls. The annual event benefits local charities. Students can donate most of their unwanted goods in any Charities for Children collection box.

Recycling Signs

ASU installs signs to improve the recycling rates

and decrease contamination.

Source: adopted from ASU (2013).

4.4 Roadmap to Zero Waste

Based on Brown (2012) there is a Roadmap to Zero Waste in ASU which consist of: policies, planning, education and operations.

Arizona State University is committed to achieving zero solid waste across all campus locations by 2015. The university will reduce its landfill waste by 90 percent, averting some waste through reduced consumption and diverting the rest through recycling, composting, and reusing or repurposing.

In order to clarify the whole concept of Roadmap to Zero Waste, Brown also

stated that some examples will be given for each component:

4.4.1 Policies

(I) ASU employees, will avoid the unnecessary use of materials, will re-use and recycle materials to the full extent possible.

(II) Building managers, will assure that recycling facilities are in place and are convenient for campus users.

(III) Purchasing managers, will consider the level, type, and quantity of packaging,

the level of recycled content, and the recyclability of materials.


4.4.2 Planning and Operations

(I) Waste and recycling assessment (II) Logistics of operations

(III) Communications strategies

(IV) Campus recycling master plan

4.4.3 Education

(I) Labels and signs (II) Communications from green teams

Newsletters Social media

(III) Campus and corporate events, large and small (IV) ‘Bin User’ training (V) Classroom education

5. Waste Management in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) KL Campus

First of all in order to have a green campus in UTM by implementing all the design options in terms of waste management, availability of appropriate policies on waste management at the top management of the University could play an important role. The second step will focus on education of all campus users including the students, staffs and visitors. It can be consist of various components such as Nurturing a Culture of Mindful Eating, for example, food waste recycling campaign. Education need to focus on this issue that students buy reusable over disposable items. Education process also could be carried out through establishment of an environmental club or recycling project within the campus. It could encourage everyone in campus to make waste reduction a part of their everyday lives and to help green the Campus.

5.1 Policies and Education

Based on Preliminary field survey Policies and education that need to be implemented in UTM in summary can be in terms of:

Not to buy bottled water on campus Bring bottled water to campus Allocate separate bins for compost, garbage, recycling paper, recycling bottles

and e-waste. Installing signs that shows what need to go into the garbage bins Installing signs that shows what need to go into the recycling bins Installing signs that shows what need to go into the compost bins Allocate a separate garbage bin which labeled “Landfill”


Installing signs illustrating the Earth Day An Office of Sustainability A place to dispose of the dead batteries

5.2 UTM KL Campus master plan

Discussion relating to the design approaches is based on UTM KL Campus master plan (refer to Figure 2). The campus master plan is used as a reference for discussions in this section, hence to show the exact locations and name of buildings and blocks which are involved in waste management approaches.

Figure 2: UTM KL Campus Master Plan, Scale: 1/3000

Source: JUPEM (2012)


5.3 Reducing and Reusing Basics in UTM KL Campus

Based on the preliminary survey that has been conducted, the most impressive way of reducing waste generated in Campus is by “not to create such wastes in the first place”. According to EPA (2013) making a new product requires a lot of materials and energy: raw materials must be extracted from the earth, and the product must be fabricated and then transported to wherever it will be sold. As a result, reduction and reuse are the most effective ways you can save natural resources, protect the environment, and save money.

Successful waste management requires minimization strategies for different parts of waste stream. To manage waste and improve resource efficiency, UTM (especially the café operators in campus) need to be encouraged to provides only compostable

dishware including take-out packaging, coffee cups, and utensils.

In terms of waste reduction inside the Campus, for different events which is always held in Dewan Besar (Main Hall), decorations and other supplies can be borrowed or rented instead of buying the new ones for each occasion. Although it seems to be a small effort but in a long run it could potentially reduce the waste

(and also the operational cost) inside the Campus.

Donation is another approach to reduce the waste. Instead of discarding unwanted appliances, tools, or clothes, it can be sell or donate to others. It will reduce waste as well and could prevent usable goods from end up in landfills. There can be a donation event at the end of each semester and can be held in the Main Hall.

Another approach that can be promoted is for every student to fill up their own water bottle on chilled, filtered water for free. The water bottle filling stations are installed in PSZ (Library-PA6) and PA7. In another words, each student can bring their own bottle while according to EPA (2013) bottled water is wasteful and only one-third of all bottles are recycled and they are made from crude oil.

5.4 Recycling Basics in UTM Kl Campus

Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products (White River SWMD, 2013). Recycling can benefit the whole campus and the environment. This study proposed the following steps for encouraging recycling activities in UTM KL campus:

5.4.1 Three (3) Steps of Recycling Materials in UTM Campus

Step 1: Collection and Processing

http://www2.epa.gov/recycle/recycling-basics#pane-1


According to EPA (2013) there are several methods for collecting recyclables, including curbside collection, drop-off centers, and deposit or refund programs. In UTM the drop-off center is located next to block R which somehow there is a good

access to this area from the main gate (Pintu 3).

Recyclables will be sent to a recovery facility after collection. During this process they are sorted and cleaned and turned into materials which can be used in manufacturing.

Step 2: Manufacturing

More and more of today's products are being manufactured with recycled content (EPA, 2013). Items that contain recycled materials and can be used in UTM. It includes:

newspapers and paper towels; aluminum, plastic, and glass soft drink containers; steel cans; and

plastic laundry detergent bottles (White River SWMD, 2013).

Recycled materials can be used in new ways such as recovered glass in asphalt to pave roads inside the campus or recovered plastic in benches in different location

in the campus.

According to Bose (2012) there could be many reasons to recycle plastic materials. One of them is that plastics are a major source of environmental pollution and are much easy to be recycled than to be decomposed.

Step 3: Buying Products Made from Recycled Materials

Many products could contain recycled content. Common products that contain recycled materials and can be available in small shops in block PA7 and DK4 are:

Aluminum cans Comic books Glass containers Newspapers Paper towels Trash bags

5.4.2 Electronic Waste in UTM Kl Campus

There is a need to have a special recycle bin for E-waste inside the Campus. This special recycle bin could cater for electronic wastes such as computers, monitors, keyboards, printers and phones.




5.4.3 Compost and Reduce Wasted Food in UTM Kl Campus

Food scraps and yard waste in UTM especially in block V1 (Kak Ina’s Café) currently make up 40% of what students throw away, and should opt for organic composting activity.

Since the entire throw away wastes in UTM, contain basic ingredients (EPA, 2009) like:

Browns - This includes materials such as dead leaves and branches. Greens - This includes materials such as grass clippings, vegetable waste,

fruit scraps, and coffee grounds. Water

They are considered as suitable waste for composting. The ingredient here is based on EPA (2009). Wet garbage can be composted and can be used to produce manure for the gardens in Block PA8, M1 and also planting new trees along the tennis court. This compost Enriches soil and will Reduces the need for chemical fertilizers thus it lowers the carbon footprint within the Campus. These efforts could lead into a green Campus in UTM.

5.5 Hazardous Waste in UTM KL Campus

Sometimes using hazardous materials is inevitable in campus. These materials are fluorescent lights, paints, batteries and plastics which could lead to contaminating the ecosystem. This consideration is required to cover some proper disposing specially for block M.

5.6 Design Phase

In this part the design approaches in order to have a green campus in terms of waste management will be discussed as follows:.

5.6.1 Decomposers

Decomposers can be installed in Kak Ina’s Café (Block V1) and MJIIT café that could turn kitchen scraps into compost for landscaping purposes. The use of this

method could reduce the volume of kitchen waste generated on campus in future.


Figure 3, Decomposer of food waste that can be proposed for Kak Ina’s Café and MJIIT café

Source: http://www.iso.cuhk.edu.hk/english/publications/sustainable-campus

Figure 3 above has shown a sample of the decomposers which is adopted from CUHK (The Chinese University of Hong Kong) as a solution to reduce food wastes. Here in UTM the matter isn't only about landfill capacities. According to EPD (2012), picking up and delivering food waste to the landfills yields a high carbon footprint. Food waste attracts pests and releases bad odors and liquids that are toxic to the environment. The methane gas generated from food waste could also affect the

human health.

5.6.2 Recycle Containers

The recycle containers near PSZ (PA6) in Dataran Ilmu are shown in Figure 4. However a more proactive effort should be made to educate students and staffs that there are different types of waste and every type has a different way of recycling or disposal, considering the number of the students that use these

containers are fewer than the students who use the normal grey bins.

The underlying reason could be because of facts that these containers are not located properly, no proper signage to help educate students in understanding the

idea of recycling in campus.


Figure 4, Three different types of materials and waste disposal Source: Field observation, 2013

The different types of colored recycle bins can be located inside or outside of the buildings, in proper location where it is visible to everybody. The idea of different color for different purpose of disposal in ASU which discussed earlier in this paper

could be adopted here as well.

Offering a three-bin system to collect landfill waste inside the campus can be useful in order to overcome the waste issues. A three-bin system for paper and mixed recycling (glass, plastic and metal), but this facility need to be provided in

different locations in campus.

Another approach is to expand the recycling program to enhance the potential use of recycle bins in crowded open spaces like Dataran Ilmu, in front of MJIIT, mosque and in front of Menara Razak. It can be achieved through replacing new signs with clear illustrations with the existing ones.

To attract more people in using the recycling facilities, a more attractive design of recycle bins could also be adopted in different locations such as Dataran Illmu

under the tensile and near the tennis court.

5.6.3 Evo Project

The Evo’s idea (Tanguy, 2009) can be applied as a good concept in UTM Campus especially in some crowded open spaces such as Dataran Illmu, infront of MJIIT, mosque and in front of Menara Razak.


Figure 5, Evo Project

Source: Tanguy (2009)

According to Tanguy (2009) the project EVO aims to make of the waste separation and the process of recycling an interactive and play experience. Three different containers (glass/ green, plastics/ yellow, paper and cardboard/ blue) create an attractive point for an eco-friendly act. The massive elements gradually disappear under the ground level due to the weight of recyclable materials dropped off by the students. In return, once a container is full, it gives the urban space a second function: indeed, it turns from massive element to bench or flowerbed. With a view to be more didactic, an instructive and play grading system is engraved on the three containers, giving information about what can be done at this filling level (for example, half-buried, students can learn that 1/2 ton of recycled glass saves 30 petrol barrel, etc.) As an end, in order to bring a local response for every different context, it can be easily imagined the many ways to ornate the containers with specific plants or flowers, covered of Hibiscus (Bunga Raya) or other local flowers.

6. Conclusion

Waste Management is becoming one of the key problems of the modern world because the waste issue is intensified by the volume and complexity of domestic and industrial waste discarded by society.

Waste hierarchy refers to the "3 Rs" i.e. reduce, reuse and recycle, which classify waste management strategies according to their desirability in terms of waste minimization. There are a number of concepts about waste management which vary in their usage between countries or regions. Education and awareness in the area of waste and waste management are becoming increasingly important from a global

perspective of resource management.


Promoting the economic opportunities of sustainable waste management, consistent with the principles of sustainable development, is of real importance. Management of the resources and waste should occur in a way that meets the needs or residents now without compromising the ability of future generations to meet

their own needs.

In order to have a green campus in UTM and implement all the waste management policies in terms of design, there is an enormous need of applicable policies, plan and design and also high quality of education in this context.

Waste Minimization Plan, reducing, reusing, and recycling (compost, recovery, exchange, etc.) could potentially help UTM Campus and the environment by saving

energy, money and natural resources.

In a simple comparison between two case studies, ASU and UTM it is found that UTM KL Campus is currently not designed based neither on waste management standards nor following any specific guidelines. However this campus should be made ready to move towards good practices as mentioned in early part of this paper. As been observed through preliminary site survey, some good efforts have been made and implemented in the campus, but currently it does not meet the needs of the students due to lack of planning considerations including lack of proper

signage or unsuitable locations.

To conclude this paper, it is worth to mention that the most impressive way to reduce waste in campus is to not create it in the first place. However, there is still a time to plan and execute several methods for realizing a green campus for UTM KL Campus if we all willing to learn from good practices such as ASU in managing waste and applying them in our local context.

7. References

1. ASU; Arizona State University, Global Institute of Sustainability. (2013). Creating a Zero Waste Campus 2. Adedipe, N.O. Sridhar, M.K.C, Baker,J .Verma ,M. (2005). Ecosystems and Human Well-Being, Vol. 3, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. 3. AVMA; American Veterinary Medical Association. (2013), what is Waste?

www.avma.org

4. Basel Convention. (1989). www.basel.int 5. Basel Convention. (2011). Basel Convention On The Control Of Transboundary Movements Of Hazardous Wastes And Their Disposal 6. Bose. D. (2012). Recycling and Waste Management. Carnegie Mellon University, Environment at CMU 7. Brown. N. (2012). ASU; University Sustainability Practices, Arizona State University

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Integrated Vision, Dr. Luis Fernando Marmolejo Rebellon (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-51-0795-8, InTech, DOI: 10.5772/50870. 28. The New School. (2013). Managing Waste and Improving Resource Efficiency. New York, NY 10011 29. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1, New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission and Environmental Training Center (NEIWPCC/NEIETC) and The Northeast Partnership for Environmental Technology Education (NEPETE). (2000). Greening the Campus...Where Practice and Education Go Hand in Hand 30. White River SWMD; White River Solid Waste Management District. (2013). A guide to Recycle in the White River Regional Solid Waste Management District.

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