Circularity and sustainability within waste management in universities: case study of waste management plans (WMPs) in Brazilian public universities
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
ISSN: 1467-6370
Article publication date: 15 October 2021
Issue publication date: 26 April 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to discuss to what extent are WMPs practical tools for circular and sustainable waste management in universities, presenting, therefore, a case study of the usage of WMP in the Brazilian public universities and comparing this scenario with the international context.
Design/methodology/approach
The WMPs were identified by online search and analyzed according to qualitative indicators (spatial-temporal distribution, year, extent and virtual availability), and through circularity and sustainability criteria, using a proposed checklist.
Findings
Even being mandatory instruments, only 17% of the 103 public universities in Brazil had a WMP identified, and, among these plans, 55% were restricted to healthcare services waste, only 15% covered all university campuses. Although most of the available plans indicate measures for more sustainable waste management (e.g., recyclable waste collection on campus), they lack specific deadlines for presented goals on waste management, treating waste management at a more emergency pace than in well-structured long-term planning.
Originality/value
Numerous studies have discussed waste management strategies for universities worldwide, but few have addressed the usage and structure of WMPs. A case study of the Brazilian situation in light of the international scenario is of great value in understanding the differences between universities in terms of waste management, and with strong potential to support the structuring of more solid environmental policies in universities, especially in developing countries.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Brazilian Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for the scholarships’ numbers 132388/2020–0 and 140233/2020–2 granted for the first and second authors, respectively.
Citation
Ottoni, M., Fonseca, D.L. and Pertel, M. (2022), "Circularity and sustainability within waste management in universities: case study of waste management plans (WMPs) in Brazilian public universities", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 23 No. 4, pp. 960-979. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-02-2021-0064
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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