Waste Disposal on Campus

Through our visual survey of waste disposal on campus, we have found that The University of Texas at Austin has little consistency in its trash cans and recycling bins. We believe that this lack of clarity leads to people not easily recognizing where to throw their different types of trash away. Although there are many different types of recycling bins that are all making a good effort, the system is not united and recycling on campus is not yet intuitive.

There are also issues with the signage on or around the recycling bins. Again, there is no unity and many signs are unclear and difficult to quickly decipher.
Another problem with waste disposal on campus is the ratio of trash cans to recycling bins. There are some areas around the 40 acres, such as outside the Business school, that have a dozen trashcans in sight yet no place to recycle.
Results of inconsistency, inconvenience of the placement of bins, and confusion about what types of waste goes where leads to unwanted items being disposed of in the wrong ways.
Below are a few examples of the efforts being made by groups on campus. These signs were found just above or next to recycling bins, which means they are communicating to the people who are already recycling and making the effort.