OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
Open search box
To inquire about working with Campus Recycling or OSU Surplus, please contact Kaylee.Smith@oregonstate.edu to determine if your proposed project's content fits within our organization's goals, expertise, and capacity. Upon reaching out, we may set up a meeting or send you contact information of another campus partner who may be able to provide you with better guidance based on project content.
|
Related Field of Study |
Project Description |
|
Education; Learning Design; Sustainable behaviors |
After reviewing best practices and motivating sustainable behaviors, student will design and prepare an online class that will lead a wide range of campus community members to effective behaviors in managing their materials. |
|
Related Field of Study |
Project Description |
| Materials research; Life Cycle assessment; Hazardous waste | Conduct an audit of OSU research labs; Literature review; Research purchasing records/Interview stakeholders; Analyze results and develop recommendations for improved waste prevention and diversion. |
|
Related Field of Study |
Project Description |
| Materials research; Life Cycle assessment; Hazardous waste | Conduct an audit of OSU medical, pharmaceutical and student health labs or service centers (i.e. Plageman); Research purchasing records/interview stakeholders; Literature review; Analyze results and develop recommendations for improved waste prevention and diversion. |
|
Related Field of Study |
Project Description |
| Sustainability Field research, data collection& analysis; | Using data from the 2021 campus wide waste audit, conduct waste and recycling audits at “bellwether” buildings to understand materials flows and make recommendations for increased waste prevention and recovery. One or more buildings could be involved depending on the size of the departments. |
|
Related Field of Study |
Project Description |
|
Circularity; Life Cycle Assessment; Supply chain |
Assess the alternatives for preventing and recovering highly used plastics at OSU. Compare increasing recovery vs. waste prevention strategies. Research emerging industry trends and research. Examples include pipette holder boxes, polystyrene, construction waste. |
|
Related Field of Study |
Project Description |
|
On the Go Recycling & waste disposal behaviors; Education |
Consider purchasing one that rotates to area temporarily that have high contamination. Explore different models of interactive display units; ask for pricing. |
|
Related Field of Study |
Project Description |
| Marketing; Materials reuse; Sustainable behaviors; Economics | OSU Dining Services will be launching a new marketing campaign to increase the use of reusable cups/mugs by OSU Community members. This project would be to study the effectiveness of the effort including attitudes and behavior surveys. |
|
Related Field of Study |
Project Description |
|
Materials circularity research; Supply chain |
Conduct a survey of any current or past research conducted at OSU that impacted the broader effort to reduce waste and increase circularity. Interview researchers; Present results |
|
Related Field of Study |
Project Description |
|
Logistics, economics, management |
Research and assess the amount and types of organic wastes generated at OSU; Research and evaluate options for improved management such as waste increased composting. |
|
Related Field of Study |
Project Description |
|
Supply chain; Procurement practices; Behavioral research |
Using records of OSU Surplus data, evaluate the higher waste durable goods as to their outcomes- sale, donation, scrap, dispose. |
|
Related Field of Study |
Project Description |
|
Environmental Outreach and Education, Institutional Programming, Design and Accessibility, Environmental Communications, Videography and Editing (Optional) |
Every on-campus resident is enrolled in a Canvas Course that educates them on recycling expectations in their hall. This course includes modules on bottles and cans, paper, cardboard, and now reusables on campus. This course requires updates, accessibility assessments, and possibly a migration to another interface. This project would require working closely with Campus Recycling and Housing Services. |
|
Related Field of Study |
Project Description |
|
Outreach and Marketing, Institutional Programming, Design, Institutional Communications, Project Management |
Grads Give Back is a graduation gown share program that is hosted by Campus Recycling and The Memorial Union. This program faced a depletion of it's inventory of gowns during the pandemic and needs extensive communication plans to not only distribute gowns, but to get previous graduates to donate their gowns. This practicum would revolve around working with campus partners, designing communication materials and timelines, and thinking creatively about improving and expanding upon this program. |
| Learning Outcomes | Related Responsibilities |
| Analyze, organize, and interpret survey data about the Reusable Cups Program at OSU and learn how to create digestible and concise information reports. |
|
| Develop outreach programs in collaboration with on-campus organizations and clubs. |
|
| Evaluate the effectiveness of outreach programs in order to create more comprehensive and compelling communication methods that meet the needs and wants of the students. |
|
|
Understand the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of implementing a Reusable Cup Program on a large public university campus and how those dimensions interact to create a multifaceted system. |
|
| TOTAL HOURS: 30 | CREDITS: 2 |
| Learning Outcomes | Related Responsibilities |
|
Compare and analyze the life cycle impacts of single use paper vs reusable containers used by Oregon State. |
To research and write a research paper and presentation |
|
Assess and determine whether or not reusable or disposable containers are less impactful on the environment and community. |
Collecting information about materials used. Describing a life cycle of the two products. |
|
Student will identify, communicate with and obtain data and related information from other researchers and subject matter experts to support this analysis. |
Reaching out to different contacts. Searching for studies done already. Discussing questions and concerns with new contacts. |
|
Student will interpret the results of the LCA research to support the relative environmental value of single use paper vs. reusable take out food containers. |
Will be done by analyzing results of the research and compiling research paper. |
|
Student will create a report and visual presentation board to explain the outcomes of the research. |
Following 401 course guidelines for research paper. Creating a board with all collected resources and information compiled into easy to understand summarizations. |
| TOTAL HOURS: 80 | CREDITS: 3 |
Led by John Deuel of Campus Recycling
| Learning Outcomes | Related Responsibilities |
|
Successfully conduct and compare the lifecycle analysis (LCA) of paper towels versus air hand drying machines to calculate their environmental impact (in terms of carbon footprint) and to determine which is more environmentally sustainable. |
Contact related departments /individuals to gather information from Procurement, Contracts and Materials Management (PCMM), Department of Facilities, and Office of Sustainability as necessary to conduct LCA. |
|
Evaluate the social, environmental, and economic dimensions of sustainability of the project to help inform the university’s triple bottom line decision making, justifying expenditures and changes on factors beyond purely economic calculations. |
Research relevant case studies that demonstrate the need to consider all three dimensions of sustainability within the realm of higher education. |
|
Present recommendations to the university based on LCA data to inform their purchasing decisions based on sustainability criteria as well as public health factors during the pandemic. |
Write a 10-page report that contains the LCA completed, well supported findings, and recommendations that will inform future university purchasing decisions. |
