Recycling Processes in Need of Reform Nationwide
The United States as a whole is in need of an upgrade to their recycling models, and in that same sense, so do many universities and companies. There has been an interest in implementing new bills that support recycling or composting since the 1990s, however there has been very little action for recycling that isn’t waste management. According to Lindsay Williams, who wrote “THE UNITED STATES’ RECYCLING MODEL IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF A MAKEOVER”, the United States has been dealing with municipal waste since the 1890s. However the US has fallen behind in their efforts to keep that waste out of the streets for good, Williams says that, “Many of these laws have served to mitigate hazardous waste concerns, but none of them have addressed the deficiencies of the United States’ recycling program” (Williams, 326). Williams' article is a description of the recycling model that the US used to follow, the one that is currently being followed, and the ways that the US population can be more involved in recycling and betterment of the environment in our societies. Williams’ argument for improving the system before placing blame on consumers is pointing in the same direction that our project will be taking. Williams says that if the United States wants to take action, they need to adjust laws that affect manufacturing, which would reduce the amount of packaging for products, making recycling more accessible.

Building a Sustainable Framework in Academic Institutes

In order for recycling methods to be effective, they must be implemented within the practices of everyone in the Drew community. In an article titled “Sustainable Integration of Solar Energy, Behavior Change, and Recycling Practices in Educational Institutions: A Holistic Framework for Environmental Conservation and Quality Education”, author Abdulrahman Altassan gives an insightful framework for implementing sustainability education programs within academic institutions. This framework shifts the role of students as active contributors of waste into leaders of a sustainability movement within their communities. The first step towards building a sustainable framework was researching the preexisting procedures and knowledge students had in various educational institutions.  A thorough literature review was then conducted to assess what educational resources were already present in these academic institutions. The last steps in building the framework were simulation and economic analysis. This framework is composed of both quantitative and qualitative research in order for all factors and methods of sustainability to be included.

Implementing the Framework to Increase Student Involvement 

The framework itself is holistic in nature and seeks to get students involved with sustainability practices in an active way. Altassan goes on to say, “Moreover, the proposed framework extends its impact beyond the school environment. By inspiring students to embrace sustainability practices, schools influence families, communities, and the broader society. This ripple effect is crucial in achieving a more sustainable future and aligns with global efforts to combat climate change and enhance environmental preservation” (Altassan, 2023). While the framework in the article was primarily created to integrate solar energy into schools, the framework itself can be applied to waste management at Drew and in other educational institutions. By educating and involving students in every step of the recycling process, we have the opportunity to create a campus wide system of sustainable reuse and disposal of waste.

Altassan, Abdulrahman. “Sustainable Integration of Solar Energy, Behavior Change, and Recycling Practices in Educational Institutions: A Holistic Framework for Environmental Conservation and Quality Education”, Sustainability (2071-1050), October 2023, Vol. 15 Issue 20, p15157, 26p. MDPI. Sustainable Integration of Solar Energy, Behavior Change, and Recycling Practices in Educational Institutions: A Holistic Framework for Environmental Conservation and Quality Education. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.  

Williamson, Lindsay. “THE UNITED STATES’ RECYCLING MODEL IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF A MAKEOVER.” HeinOnline, pp. 295-326. heinonline.org/HOL/Page?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals%2Fwjpl33&id=309&men_tab=srchresults. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.