This summer, the Emerson College sustainability team has been hard at work implementing a new initiative designed to improve waste sorting and sustainability practices across campus. Drawing from feedback gathered during focus groups, a waste audit, and sustainability events held in the spring semester of 2024, the team has created updated waste signage in collaboration with Emerson’s Office of Communications and Marketing that will help students, faculty, and staff easily navigate the process of sorting their waste. Campaign recommendations from a collaboration with student-run marketing agency EmComm were also used to help advance this initiative.
The new signage, which will be installed across campus by the time the fall semester begins in September, is being strategically placed in dorms rooms, dining halls, classrooms, offices and other high-traffic areas. In addition to new trash, recycling, and compost signs for bins, we have also revamped the labeling of residential trash rooms and included additional information about recycling on posters on the doors.
Since focus groups emphasized the need for clarity and visual appeal in sustainability communication, the new signage was designed to be both informative and accessible. It provides clear guidelines for disposing of trash, recycling, and compost and features bold graphics and concise instructions to make sorting waste as seamless as possible. This includes specific examples of what items belong in each bin, such as food scraps for compost, recyclable plastics and paper, and non-recyclable items for trash. The new design even features photos of specific items often found on our campus, including the compostable paper cups found in the DH and the ubiquitous white and blue Amazon mailers (which should go in the trash!). The aim is to remove any confusion and ensure that sorting waste becomes a simple and intuitive process for the entire campus community.
By installing this signage across campus, the sustainability team hopes to improve waste diversion rates and contribute to a more sustainable campus culture. When trash is placed in recycling or compost bins, it can contaminate the entire bin and lead to all of the contents going in the trash. On the other hand, when recyclables or compostable goods end up in the trash, we miss out on the opportunity to reuse the materials in the case of recyclables or create energy from the waste through anaerobic digestion in the case of compostables. By improving our waste sorting, we can minimize contamination and save useful materials for reuse.
Our new signs are an essential step in creating better sustainability communication at Emerson College and encouraging everyone to adopt eco-friendly habits that allow our campus to reduce waste amounts and promote a cleaner environment.
As we prepare to welcome students back to campus next month, this project represents significant progress toward the college’s long-term sustainability goals. With greater awareness and tools in place, the entire Emerson community will be equipped to contribute to a greener future.
Check out the new signage below!
