Campus Trash

Rivalry week

campustrash — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 17:18:23 +0000

November 12, 2010

Rivalry week the tension was high the anticipation was sky rocketing this was the last game between in-state rivals. The vandal fans came four hours early to the game they brought their beer, liquor, and bbqs they were here to tailgate. The atmosphere was great vandal nation was in attendance in a big way the trash was everywhere and the recycling containers were full on the biggest event of the fall. There were a lot of hard alcohol caps fund this weekend and we even found plastic containers that held jello shots. Indeed, vandal’s nation was inebriated in a big way. The artifacts were more plentiful than any other collection. This rivalry was an interesting event because the amount of trash was outstanding more so than any other game.

-Joe

The Last Vuvuzela Goes Silent

campustrash — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 10:48:48 +0000

The beer mug flag has lowered, the Vamulance has gone home, and the last noise maker has quieted for another year the collection of zone 8 has come to an end. The final collection for us was sadly anti-climatic. It was supposed to be after the San Jose State University game on the 4th of December, but it snowed so much we were unable to collect the next day. This may have been a unexciting way to end the semester for zone 8 but considering how many interesting, and unexpected things happened during the rest of the collection it seemed to fit. The total number of artifacts found, has reached over 3000 now and still growing. With the majority of the data collection being Cigarette butts, glass shards, and beer bottle caps, it is safe to say that people are enjoying them selves at the games quite throughly.

The observation part of the project was actually my favorite part of the entire project, and one of the more interesting parts of the observation portion was seeing how the sustainability center developed over time. They were constantly trying out new ways to improve their ability to collect recyclable materials during and after the game. One of their more successful adjustments was to put three recycling bins with people manging them up close to the entrance of the Kibbie Doom. So that when people would go to the game they could put the recyclable materials in them instead of in the trash or one the ground. These are two photos of the same trash can the one on the top is before they implemented this placement of recycling bins the one on the bottom is after words.

Just in case you can’t tell the top one is completely over flowing with garbage, (people were playing trash Tetris in an attempt to “not litter” for 5 to 10 seconds each, but were still unwilling to walk the 30 feet to another trash can), the one on the bottom does have some recyclable materials on it but it is still way better off. All in all the collection was a long interesting and great experience, this is zone 8 singing off.

Kyle Parker-McGlynn

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor flood… well, maybe snow.

campustrash — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 05:18:30 +0000

Collection and cataloguing of artifacts from Zone 8 have faced a multitude of challenges including rain, smell, flood, snow, and quanitity. Every time our group has gone out to collect artifacts from the five designated areas it has rained. Smell relegated the artifacts from the lab to closets in their final stages of drying (let’s face it – wet, smelly trash in a room just makes a smelly room). The week during Thanksgiving break the anthropology building experienced a flood of relatively epic proportions; water from a burst pipe on the roof cascaded from ceilings, walls, down stairs and onto floors. Whoops. Luckily a few group members were still around to rescue drying collections. The final collections could not be completed due to the accumulated fourteen inches of snow in the Kibbie Dome parking lot.

The biggest challenge has been in the management of the quantity of artifacts collected. We have close to 2,000 items in the Zone 8 collection. While this is great for statistical analysis, the sheer volume of fragments is a challenge. We suggest that future studies of this area utilize minimal collection methods, including random sampling and in-field data recording. Additional observations of material depostion by tailgating participants would be more helpful to the campus Sustainability Center in their efforts to identify behavioral patterns and locations for recycling receptacles.

Know we know.

- MPG

No people, no trash, Happy Thanksgiving break classroom zones!

campustrash — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:40:06 +0000

So a break in the academics equals a much needed break in the WNWN collection for zone 5 (classrooms). After all, no people, means no trash, and the buildings will more than likely be locked. Most of the artifact assemblage is small items, but it takes just as long to properly catalog a one inch piece of spiral notebook edge as an entire issue of the Argonaut (U of I student paper). Now begins the difficult task of interpreting the data. By the end of the week we should be caught up on the indexing of the catalog sheets and be able to analyze the artifacts objectively by weight and number of items in any given category.

We’ve run out of time to conduct follow on surveys about student’s views on indoor trash; I presume we would be even less likely to encounter students willing to give us feedback at this academically challenging time of the semester. Alas we have to add this issue to the future research section of our project.

While reading other group’s progress, I had a concern about all of my own interpretations. Can we really know what causes people to leave the artifacts that they do, especially fast food and pre-packaged products? We find food packaging in the classrooms because that is the only option for students who are hungry at the time they are in our zones. I can’t bring my home-cooked meal and dishes to class, all I can do is buy something from the vending machines or the commons, which necessarily comes in a single serve package. So the important thing is not What I find, but Why it was left, and can I really know why someone (who is not myself) left it? Was it on purpose due to Marxist ideas of fetishism in our commodity culture and we simply don’t care? Was it habitus from practice theory, we don’t even think about it? Could it be an ideology of the superiority of culture over nature and our own ode to progress? Or is trash simply trash? Is there such a thing as “just trash”…? Better put your hip-waders on folks, it’s gettin’ deep in here (in theory, in trash, in bull). I’ll keep you posted on what I dig up.

~Stephanie

the in’s and out’s and what haves you’s of UI trash

campustrash — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 05:42:04 +0000

I’m so glad that collecting finished before the snow started! And before the BSU game around which Zone 7 was used pretty heavily. I noticed RV’s parked along Nez Perce and plenty of tailgaters in the area on my way to the game. Actually, I used this route on my way to and from the game and noticed lots of empty cans and bottles. If this stuff was collected it probably would of skewed our data somewhat given that use of the area was up from normal and also that use of area was pretty much exclusively for drinking. It is interesting to note that there were no trash cans provided in the area. I wonder if the Boise State fans were more likely to litter because it was an away game and a rivalry at that.
On another note, I was glad to have Darren come to class last week and answer some questions we had about are zone. How interesting that a recycling program was in place for the fraterneties in the past and is no longer. Seems kind of backward to me. He also brought up some interesting issues about the ‘politics’ of trash on our campus and ideas on battling it. This project has made me more aware of trash on campus and more aware of the issues on campus surrounding trash.
Darren’s visit also made me somewhat apprehensive that any action will be taken by the university on the issue. It sounds as though some of the university staff who have a large role to play in the solution to this problem may be less than willing to address it fully.
Rachel

Nez Perce Drive – Where Burger Is’nt the Only King

campustrash — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 20:59:45 +0000

As the trash study of Nez Perce Drive continues, the amount of fast food related waste continues to pile up. It is becoming clear that the vast majority of the collection is food related, and of that food the majority is fast food related. Other “junk food” items also comprise the collection though not in such amounts. Such junk food items include, candy wrappers, cookie wrappers and hostess cakes. As we begin our detailed analysis of the materials found along Nez Perce drive we are looking for patterns. We are beginning to see patterns in not only the types of food being consumed but the place it is purchased from. We will eventually be looking at the amount of fast food from each restaurant. So far we are seeing the highest amounts of fast food trash from, McDonalds, Taco Bell and Jack in the Box.

We are also interested in looking at the connection between alcohol related trash and caffeine related trash. It is a common college practice to mix caffeine products with alcohol to produce a drunken adrenaline rush. We have even collected some trash of products that pre-mix caffeine and alcohol. There have been recent studies and publications explaining the dangers of mixing depressants (alcohol) and stimulants (caffeine). We will be looking to see if there is any coralation between the deposition of alcohol and caffeine related waste.

In maintaining our original goal of the project, we continue to observe a large amount of cardboard in and around dumpsters of Nez Perce Drive. We are proposing that people that live or travel along Nez Perce Drive would be more likely to recycle cardboard if it were an option available along the street. We are hoping that by doing this study we will have evidence enough to at least start the process of adding more recycling to this street. Wish us luck!

Shea Henry

Musings

campustrash — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 02:43:33 +0000

As we approach the middle of the Waste Not, Want Not project, things have seemed to petered out for the area around the Arboretum. The participant observation afternoon revealed that this area is used frequently and by many different groups of people for as many different reasons. Our group of four sub-divided into two groups, with one collecting at the south end and the other at the north end. My partner and I have been responsible for the north entrance. Given the relatively large volume of traffic in the area and the presence of only one garbage can within the entrance at the north end, we assumed that perhaps there would be more litter lying around. An opposite view point was that perhaps given the well-groomed and maintained aspect of the area would instill a sense of pride within the users of the Arboretum, with the result of them being more conscious of what they disposed of and where.

Most of our collection is made up of cigarette butts and the total amount of our collections have steadily dwindled over time. After looking at these preliminary findings, a couple of patterns begin to emerge. First, the amount of litter appears to have undergone a drastic decline. I propose a couple of reasons for this phenomena: a) The weather has grown colder causing people to spend less time or visit less often; or b) our first collection was merely the result of an accumulation over a considerable length of time and people generally do not litter purposefully in this area.

Another pattern that seems to appear is the types of materials collected. Over half of our collection (56%) has come from smoking-related objects—cigarette filters. My hypothesis is that a huge reason that we have discovered so many cigarette filters within an area that generally has no other litter has to do with state regulations. The State of Idaho does not consider the discarding of cigarette filters as littering. I believe this plays a large part in how the citizens of Idaho also view cigarettes. People who would never think of throwing a soda bottle or sandwich wrapper on the ground may not even think twice about tossing a used filter.

~Carolyn Temple

WNWN: The Arboretum North Entrance Update

campustrash — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 17:38:31 +0000

The Arboretum has been studied by our group on a weekly basis, in terms of survey and collection and cataloging of artifacts. In addition to survey and collection, weekly and periodic participant observation of the Arboretum’s north entrance zone has been conducted. To date, I have visited and conducted research the Arboretum a total of 6 times: Participant observation beginning September 10, 2010; and weekly survey and collection as a team beginning September 23, 2010. Participant observation on Fridays has been conducted for the basis of determining activity trend patterns over the fall shift in weather and day length during presumed peak times of use.
As initially suspected, the type of artifacts collected thus far has consisted primarily of tobacco related products, specifically cigarette butts. The frequency of distribution of these and other types of artifacts have nearly all been isolated to areas around structures, such as the information kiosk and bench areas within our study zone. However, it may very well be the case that these patterns of artifact accumulation are directly related to eolian (wind) processes.
The methodology involving the planning of observation time is used in order to get a sense of activity patterns at the Arboretum north entrance zone, both at a set time (Friday sunset hours), and periodic times (generally afternoon hours). Climate has been taken into account for the purpose of the study, and temperature and weather are two factors that have been recorded for the basis of tracking activity use frequency as related to environmental conditioners. This data will be statistically correlated with both the material record and spatial patterning of artifacts to determine the distribution and frequency of trash deposition on the basis of environmental factors, gender, and group configurations.

Clayton Pleasant

challenges

campustrash — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 18:37:48 +0000

Since the beginning of this project, I’ve noticed a very strange phenomenon associated with our research. When we need to go out for collection, it rains. It generally goes something like this, “It’s a collection day…oh, and gee look, it’s raining.” The rain, believe it or not, is actually not what I’m going to write this blog update on. I just thought it’s an interesting (and annoying) little tid-bit.

However, to continue on in this theme of challenges, I thought I’d use this blog to update on one of our most recent challenges to our research. A couple weeks ago, group member Mary Petrich-Guy and I set out to do a mid-week collection of our zone (Zone 8). As soon as we arrived we noticed that something was amiss. The cement blocks used for parking were moved. Our group had been using these cement blocks for determining quadrants for collection areas. Needless to say, it was tragic. It took both of us about ten minutes to stop pounding our fists on the ground (and fifteen minutes to stop crying). Actually, we weren’t that devastated. However, it did present us with a problem that needed to be solved.

Group member Kyle came to the rescue with his GIS skills. During the previous collection (Oct. 24th), Kyle plotted the points of the quadrants and then transferred those points to a map. We now have an objective way of determining where the quadrants are. Problem solved.

-Mary Kienholz

Zone 6S-Arboretum Update

campustrash — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 01:30:18 +0000

When we walk through a garden, sanctuary, or in this case an arboretum, we like to enjoy its aesthetics. Could you imagine destroying such a place by littering? Walking through these places while smoking? This is some of the questions my team is trying to answer. We are also trying to find if the litter we find is deliberately placed or because it is wind blown from dumpsters near by.
The “WNWN” project is going slow for the south entrance of the Arboretum, these past few weeks. The first collection we did we collected approximately 14 items, mostly cigarette butts, now a days we are lucky to collect anything at all. It seems to me that my teammates’ thoughts about how people perceive beauty are valid. We assume that people are less likely to litter in environmentally aesthetic areas where people frequent because they want to enjoy it in the future. The litter we do pick up seems to be blown over into the grass on the edge of the gravel parking lot.
Cigarettes butts are a common item at the south entrance of the Arboretum. It is possible that before people go for a walk in the Arboretum or afterwards, extinguishes their cigarette butts in the gravel. If you walk through the gravel parking lot, you can find lots of cigarette butts lying around. The gravel is not very pretty so people may not care, and extinguish them out in the lot.
More recently, we have not collected much of anything at the Arboretum. I believe this could be because of the cooler weather we are having. We have also had some rainy days in the forecast. When the weather is unfavorable, people are less likely to walk around outside to view nature. I also believe that as soon as snow falls we will find nothing at all because the Arboretum will be impassable, since the Arboretum is not plowed in the winter months according to the University of Idaho maintenance department. The weather may be my teams’ biggest obstacle with this project.