A UU Living Lab carves the path to a zero waste campus

Utrecht University plans to be zero waste by 2030. With research and teaching laboratories, restaurants, and hundreds of offices, this is no small task. Delving into the complexities of waste management on campus, insights from ‘living lab’ research connecting research, education and operations hope to shift the university’s waste management paradigm.

“Our research highlights that waste ending up in landfills, incineration, or even low-quality recycling is simply mismanaged material,” says Merilin Raidma, who led the study as part of her thesis research for the Master’s Sustainable Business & Innovation.

Seeing separated waste bins on campus during my first year made me wonder what happens to what we throw away.

“Seeing separated waste bins on campus during my first year made me wonder what happens to what we throw away,” begins Merilin Raidma, a student on the MSc Sustainable Business & Innovation. Being a large multidisciplinary university with over 35,000 students and 8,500 employees there is indeed a lot that ends up in the organisation’s waste and recycling system, though it is definitely not a case of out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

As part of its wider circularity goals, by 2030 Utrecht University aims for none of its waste to be incinerated or go to landfill, and has set up the Zero Waste Programme to make this ambitious goal a reality. A fundamental part of this initiative is experimentation and learning. With the help of the university’s living lab hub UULabs, education, research and operations have been brought together to create a testing ground for zero waste on campus.

A Master’s thesis with tangible local impact

By the time it came to her thesis, Raidma knew she wanted a thesis topic that could have real and tangible local impact. “Many items have the word 'recyclable' or 'recycle me' on them,” she explains, “but having a background in chemistry made me curious about how much of these materials can be and are really recycled and what kind of products they become in the future.” She was in luck. As part of the Zero Waste Living Lab, Li Shen, an assistant professor at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development was looking for an Master’s student to help the university investigate where its waste comes from, how it’s managed, and come up with ideas for how this could be done better.  

For Shen, actionable science is the core spirit of a multidisciplinary research institute like the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, as well as Utrecht University as a whole. “We have a strong track record in delivering actionable science for important societal actors such as policymakers, industrial R&D and investors. But what about contributing our knowledge to our own community?”

Raidma and Shen worked closely with Evi Aangenendt from Facilities Service Centre (FSC), the operations department responsible for providing services such as catering, room hire, cleaning, waste removal, and building maintenance. For Aangenendt it’s extremely valuable to work with students on the operations side of the university. “Students have new perspectives on sustainability issues and are equipped with the latest knowledge to help us. They’re often also very enthusiastic about participating in real-world research for their own university.” Real-world is the key word here, and this also led to some challenges.

We have a strong track record in delivering actionable science for important societal actors such as policymakers, industrial R&D and investors. But what about contributing our knowledge to our own community?

Navigating challenges 

Raidma used Material Flow Analysis (MFA) for her research, a methodical approach to studying the movement of materials within a system. “Scoping our campus waste was not straightforward,” explains Shen. It is difficult to define the UU campus and divide up waste responsibilities when so many facilities are shared with other entities. “The library is used by all faculties and students, for example, and who is responsible for the waste generated by the SPAR supermarket and the pizzeria?” 

Waste contamination and recycling inefficiencies 

The research revealed that residual waste—waste that cannot be recycled or composted—from across Utrecht University’s faculties, as well as hazardous waste primarily from the Faculty of Science pose the greatest challenges. “Significant quantities of waste are sent to incineration due to contamination, and there are recycling process inefficiencies that decrease the amount of recovered materials that can be recycled or reused,” says Raidma.  

Raidma’s research didn’t stop there. She then looked at potential mitigation strategies through interviews and desk research. “Reducing single-use items, enhancing waste separation, promoting circular procurement, and fostering collaboration with external partners for innovative solutions are all really important approaches,” she says. “The solutions already start with the purchasing department.” Raidma also found that the university had a poor understanding of its own waste composition and had shortcomings in the way it communicates its waste policies throughout its large organisational structure.   

Universities as the R&D Department of society 

For Raidma, this experience has shown her that reaching circularity and a zero waste campus means a change in mindset. “We must think in terms of material, and not waste,” she says. “What ends up in landfills, incinerators, or even low-quality recycling is simply mismanaged material”. 

Questions were asked to our waste processor that no one had ever asked before. We now know which types of waste must be better separated so that they can be processed at a higher quality.

Back at operations, Evi Aangenendt says her department has learned a lot about how the university’s waste is processed. “Questions were asked to our waste processor that no one had ever asked before,” she exclaims. We now know which types of waste must be better separated so that they can be processed at a higher quality. “The study also yielded clear comparisons between faculties, which will aid our communications of waste management strategies with these important organisational units”. 

“Universities are the R&D Department of society,” reflects Li Shen, “but also an example of what the future could look like: a living lab. This study has illustrated how we should take that lead, using our strong and diverse research capabilities to not only transform our university’s waste management practices but set a global example in material management.”