Washing Away Waste

Abstract

Waste reduction strategies are an intricate part of the sustainable practices currently being initiated at Dalhousie University. The on-campus residence laundry facilities therefore offers a possible opportunity for further waste reduction strategies to be implemented, with the additional benefit of raising awareness regarding Dalhousie’s scent-free policy. This report explores the feasibility and desirability of retrofitting the current Howe Hall laundry washing machines with an automatic laundry detergent-dispensing apparatus, utilizing an eco-friendly, hypoallergenic and locally manufactured laundry detergent, Down East, from Bebbington Industries. In order to gauge the level of desirability among students, a probabilistic multistage cluster sampling technique was utilized via an online and self-administered survey, to obtain a representative homogenous sample of the residency students. In order to determine the feasibility of the laundry initiative, face-to-face interviews with the residence facilities manager and the owner of Bebbington Industries were conducted. Results of the data collected via the hundred and one surveys, have demonstrated that the majority of residency students utilized the on-campus laundry facilities and are primarily in favour of the laundry initiative coming into fruition. Furthermore one quarter of the residency students indicated of disposing their laundry containers in the garbage stream, rather than recycling stream, thereby elaborating on the need to reduce unnecessary waste from on-campus laundry facilities. Further information is required to accurately determine the feasibility of this laundry initiative for Dalhousie residencies.