Personal Sustainability Project

Divya NettimiME 222June 2, 2008

Carefully monitor the trash in my personaltrash can in my room

Reduce amount of trash by recycling asmany types of materials as I can

Before...

ItemFirstweek After 1

Plastic Bottles 5 0Cutips 4 4Sticky Notes 19 2Paper 13 .5Food Scraps 6 0Food packaging 4 4Disposable cups 3 .2Paper towels 26 2Receipts 7 2Plastic bags 4 1Contact cases 1 0Old shoes 1 0Amazon bookcases 2 0Flowers 12 0Cosmeticspackaging 3 2Gum 10 10Batteries 6 0

BehavioralChanges:

RecyclingComposting

Going electronicLess printing

Fewer plastic bagsDonating

BehavioralChanges:

RecyclingComposting

Going electronicLess printing

Fewer plastic bagsDonating

1 This is a measure of items for all subsequent weeks, averaged to get a per-week measure

After...

Paper towels: Save 24 per week Mass = 4.9g (measured) Okala factor for paper = 36 mf/lb 3.9g x 24/week x 8 weeks x .0022 lb/g x 36 mp/lb = 59mp

Sticky notes: Save 17 per week Mass = .56g (measured)

Okala factor for paper = 36 mf/lb

.56g x 17/week x 8 weeks x .0022 lb/g x 36 mp/lb = 6.0mp

Total = 65 Okala millipoints = .014 CO2 lbs

Insights gained from monitoring waste Most of my waste comes from used paper

towels and sticky notes, both of which arecompostable

Much of my paper towel waste actually occursin the bathroom

Insights gained from recycling attempts Itʼs very tempting to throw away small things

that donʼt collect quickly, i.e. batteries Difficult to collect multiple kinds of waste in my

room

How do we get others to recycle andcompost more materials?

My pain points Difficult to recycle multiple materials with one

bin Inconvenient to walk all the way to the

recycling/compost bins just to drop off onepiece of cardboard or a few used napkins

My main value was convenience

Targeted user group: People living in apartments or dorms, i.e.

college students Top three ideas

Collection boxes for recycling/compost in eachhall

New compartmentalized design for recyclingbin

Recycling/compost chutes in each hall orbathroom

Source: http://dwell.co.uk/product.php?prod=103313&large

Four sections for paper, plastic,electronic waste, and compost

Differentiated size, shape, andperforation for each sectionbased on material

Small size for dorm orapartment use

Current industrymodel:

Source: http://web.mit.edu/i3/archives/2004/CONTENT/RESIDENCES/RANDOM/INTRO/layout.gif

Each bathroom would have achute for compost, whichwould be dropped in a binoutside

Convenient for people to throwaway used paper towels

Works similarly to a trashchute in apartments

No need for collection orcarrying of waste to compostbins

Three users tested outprototype

Very happy about nothaving to sort through binlater

Positive about ability tocompost in own room

Mediocre design of binToo bigNot aesthetic enough

Paper compartmentshouldnʼt have holes, sothat small paper can alsobe put in

Placed bin labeled ʻcompostʼnext to trash bin inbathroom, as a model forwhere the chute would belocated

Consistently fullSpoke with people about

ease of useNo reason not to use itNeeds to be higherConcern about

cleanliness of chute

Impact on Stanfordʼs campus 1500 students in group housing 75% of students use chute 4 paper towels saved per day 1500 x .75 x 4/day x 210 days/yr x 3.9g x

.0022 lb/g x 36 mp/lb = 73100mp Total = 73100 Okala millipoints = 15.2

CO2 lbs