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Solid waste characterization and recycling potential for a university campus

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 Waste Management 28 (2008) S21–S26

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Waste Management
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/wasman

Solid waste characterization and recycling potential for a university campus

Carolina Armijo de Vega a,*, Sara Ojeda Benítez b, Ma. Elizabeth Ramírez Barreto b
a
Facultad de Ingeniería Ensenada, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Km. 103 Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada, Ensenada Baja California C.P. 22860, Mexico
b
Instituto de Ingeniería, Blvd. Benito Juárez y Calle de la Normal S/N, Col. Maestros Federales, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexicali, Baja California C.P. 21280, Mexico

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Integrated waste management systems are one of the greatest challenges for sustainable development.
Accepted 28 March 2008 For these systems to be successful, the first step is to carry out waste characterization studies. In this
Available online 24 June 2008 paper are reported the results of a waste characterization study performed in the Campus Mexicali I of
the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC). The aim of this study was to set the basis for imple-
mentation of a recovery, reduction and recycling waste management program at the campus.
It was found that the campus Mexicali I produces 1 ton of solid wastes per day; more than 65% of these
wastes are recyclable or potentially recyclable. These results showed that a program for segregation and
recycling is feasible on a University Campus. The study also showed that the local market for recyclable
waste, under present conditions – number of recycling companies and amounts of recyclables accepted –
can absorb all of these wastes. Some alternatives for the potentially recyclables wastes are discussed.
Finally some strategies that could be used to reduce waste at the source are discussed as well.
Ó 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction In Mexico, the municipal authorities are in charge of the clean-

The type of decision making that leads to adequate solid waste
management (SWM) requires a sound understanding of the com-
position and the processes that determine the generation of waste
(Acurio et al., 1997). Special attention should be paid to the waste
generation sources since the characteristics and composition of the
waste differ according to their source (Tchobanoglous et al., 1996).
Considering this, waste management programs based on the
knowledge of the waste composition and on the condition of the
market for recyclables would be more successful than the ambi-
tious programs copied from somewhere else. For this reason, when
proposing waste management strategies these must be based on
the reality of the generating source, thus, it is important to know
both the characteristics of the waste and the recyclables local
market.
Despite the very diverse benefits of a suitable waste manage-
ment system, the setting of a new waste system is not an easy task.
Strange (2002) argues that to face the problems associated with
waste management, different strategies such as plans and pro-
grams, technical standards and mandatory regulations, financial
strategies (taxes and financial incentives) and persuasive strategies
(information campaigns, public relationships and environmental
management systems) must be implemented to minimize waste.
In the Mexican case, some of these strategies have been used to
control the problems of hazardous waste but not all for municipal
solid waste (MSW).
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +52 646 175 07 44; fax: +52 646 174 43 33.
E-mail address: carmijo@uabc.mx (C. Armijo de Vega).
ing services of the cities, including sweeping; waste collection and
transport are part of the duties of the municipality (INE, 1999). This
way, the municipality of Mexicali has its own strategies and regu-
lations; nevertheless, these do not include the valorization, reduc-
tion, and segregation of wastes that could help generators to
improve their waste management practices.
In 2004, the General Law for Waste Prevention and Integrated
Management (SEMARNAT, 2003) took effect. According to this
new law, waste generators are obliged to minimize waste genera-
tion and to valorize and manage waste in an integrated manner.
Among other aspects, this law requires generators to carry out a
basic characterization that allows them to standardize their waste
inventory and helps them to orient and promote waste valoriza-
tion; waste reduction practices and to develop strategies for the
implementation of integrated waste management systems. In spite
that the new law took effect in 2004, to date most Mexican cities,
municipalities and organizations are not prepared to comply with
the new requirements for waste management.
In Mexicali, as in many other Mexican cities, solid waste is not
segregated before collection and processing. In the case of univer-
sities waste is not segregated as well. Municipal services for waste
collection do not provide this service to universities. It is the
responsibility of each institution to contract out this service to a
private company. Considering this, it is clear that reducing the
quantity of wastes that have to be handled, transported and dis-
posed in a landfill could lead to two main results: (1) a reduction
of the institutional expenditure dedicated to waste management
and (2) an increase of the useful life of the sanitary landfill. Besides
these benefits, a reduction in the amount of waste produced by

0956-053X/$ - see front matter Ó 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2008.03.022
S22 C. Armijo de Vega et al. / Waste Management 28 (2008) S21–S26
universities would also have environmental and social benefits
(WWF, 1991).
1.1. Waste management in universities
Because colleges and universities have the moral and ethical
obligation to act responsibly towards the environment, they would
be expected to be leaders in the movement for environmental pro-
tection. Specifically it would be expected that universities would
drive the efforts towards responsible waste management. Besides,
appropriate waste management would bring benefits to the insti-
tution such as a reduction of the financial resources destined to
waste management, but, above all, it would set an example to
the students and the community.
Waste management programs in higher education institutions
in industrialized countries began more than 20 years ago and vary
from voluntary and local efforts to institutionalized programs
(Armijo et al., 2003). Some of the higher education initiatives fo-
cused on recycling and waste reduction have been very successful.
Recycling programs are one of the most popular environmental
initiatives; in the USA 80% of the colleges and universities have
institutionalized waste programs (Allen, 1999). These programs
are based on waste characterization studies. One characterization
study carried out at Brown University revealed that the 45% of
the wastes generated in that institution were recyclables. Brown
University has had a waste management program since 1972 and
at present recycles 31% of its wastes (Brown University, 2004).
Other examples are those at Colorado State University and at the
University of Florida which recycle 53% and 30%, respectively (UF
Sustainability Task Force, 2002). As a part of their waste manage-
ment practices, some universities such as Rutgers University and
Brown University bring their food waste to local farmers who use
it as food for pigs and goats (UF Sustainability Task Force, 2002).
It is important to note that in the USA it is mandatory that colleges
and universities implement waste reduction and recycling
strategies.
One of the few papers that published the results of waste man-
agement programs in universities of developing countries is the
one written by Mbuligwe (2002). This author reported a waste
recovery potential of 71% in three institutions of higher education
in Tanzania. Mbuligwe also mentions that, in an unofficial manner,
the institutions studied practice reutilization of food waste by
delivering it to cattle growers who use the waste as animal feed.
This practice reduces the expenses for waste management
significantly.
In Mexico, it is known that many universities have waste man-
agement programs. The Tecnológico de Monterrey began a waste
program in 1992, and since then variable amounts of aluminum
and paper have been recycled (Tecnológico de Monterrey, 2007),
but no reported data exists concerning the percentage of diverted
recyclables from the total waste stream. Other Mexican institu-
tions such as ITAM, UNAM and the University of Guadalajara are
reported to have waste management programs but no reported
data about the composition of the waste or the recycling potential
in those institutions were found.
The only published result of a characterization study in Mexican
Universities is the one from Maldonado (2006) who reported the
solid waste composition of the Research Center of Advanced Stud-
ies-Mérida (CINVESTAV). The author states that through a waste
segregation program in 2003, the institution reduced the quantity
of waste disposed in the landfill by 67% and this represented great
savings to the institution (Maldonado, 2006).
The lack of characterization studies in Mexican universities sug-
gests the need to research and to document waste composition in
order to have the necessary data to propose better handling and
management alternatives for solid waste. In this sense, the primary
aim of this paper is to reduce the gap between the need for this
type of study and the demands imposed by the recent Mexican reg-
ulations for solid waste. The main purpose of this study was to
determine the quantity, quality and recycling potential of the
waste generated in one of the four campuses of the Autonomous
University of Baja California (UABC). The data generated by this re-
search would produce the necessary information to set up an inte-
grated waste management program.
2. Method
The study on solid waste in the UABC Mexicali I Campus con-
sisted of three main stages: (1) estimate of the daily solid waste
generation, (2) solid waste sampling and characterization of sam-
ples, and (3) data capture and analysis of the amounts and types
of wastes generated at the Campus.
2.1. Estimate of the daily solid waste generation
In view of the fact that, before this study was carried out, no
data on solid waste generation within the campus had never been
kept in the UABC, this information had to be an estimate.
The estimate of daily generation was carried out based on the
weight of solid waste collected by the private company which pro-
vided its services to the UABC. All the waste generated at campus
was collected by the private company. In order to determine the
weight of the solid waste generated within the campus, first the
weight of the empty truck had to be known. The difference be-
tween the weight of the full truck and the empty truck provided
the weight of the load. Later, on 45 different occasions, the truck
was weighed with the full cargo of solid waste from the campus.
That information was used to calculate the average weight of each
load. With the information on the average weight of the loaded
truck and the number of times a week the truck was filled with
UABC’s solid waste, it was possible to estimate the daily generation.
2.2. Sampling and characterization of the sample
The samples were taken from three different points of genera-
tion: (1) academic and administrative buildings (including labora-
tories), (2) gardens and corridors, and (3) the community center
(store, dining room and cafeteria areas). These three points are rep-
resentative because they cover all the activities carried out at the
campus. The characterization of the solid waste was carried out
using the modified methodology for the characterization of house-
hold waste proposed by Buenrostro-Delgado (2001). Samples were
taken during 14 consecutive days (excluding Sundays); the sam-
ples on the first 2 days were trial samplings. This trial sampling
helped to unify criteria for data collection and for the identification
of the solid waste. The results from the solid waste analyzed during
the following 12 days are the ones reported in this article.
The characterization data were collected by using the format of
data collection by sub-products. This format was structured with
the categories considered by the College and University Recycling
Council (CURC, 2001) as shown in Table 1.
The CURC categories shown in Table 1 were used taking into
consideration future comparisons with the results from similar
studies carried out in other universities.
2.3. Data recording and analysis
The weight of each category of waste was recorded in a data-
base. The database was structured with the categories and sub-cat-
egories shown in Table 1. The weight percentage for each sub-
category was calculated using the following equation:
 C. Armijo de Vega et al. / Waste Management 28 (2008) S21–S26 S23

Table 1 Table 2
Data sheet for the collection of data of the solid waste categories (adapted from CURC, Recycling potential for waste sub-categories
2001)
Waste sub-categories Recycling
Code Academic unit potentialb
Weight of bag (g) Date
1 2 3
Paper and cardboard (g) Plastics (g) Organic (g)
Paper and cardboard Colored bond paper, newspaper, magazines, e
White Containers1a Food waste
cardboard
Colored Containers2a Leaves and grass
Other e
Newspaper Containers 3–7a Trees and branches
Plastics Containers 1 and 2a e
Magazines Other containers
Containers 3–7, plastic bags a e
Other cardboard Plastic mixed Harvest waste
Containers without number, various types of e
Bags Organic mixed
plastic
Foam
Organic Food waste, leaves and grass, tree branches e
Metals (g) Glass (g) Hazardous (g) Organic, various types e
Aluminum cans Bottles clear Cleaner Metals Aluminum, tin, metal, various types e
Tin Bottles green Glass Glass green, amber and clear e
Metal mixed Bottles amber Batteries Other e
Other types of glass Construction/ Gravel, rocks, wood and other e e
Reactive agents Demolition
Hazardous Batteries e
Construction/demolition Other (g)
Reactives, insecticides e
Gravel and sand Insecticides
Other Sanitary waste, other e
Rocks Sanitary waste Other (describe)
Wood Other (describe) a
Refers to the number inside the recycling symbol which appears in the plastic
Other containers. Containers 1 = PET, Containers 2 = HDPE, Containers 3–7 the rest of the
Observations recyclable resins. Modified from Ojeda-Benítez et al. (2000). This table is structured
a according to the local recyclables market in the city of Mexicali.
Refers to the number on the recycling symbol printed on the plastic bottle. b
1 = Waste for which there exists a recycling market, 2 = Recyclable waste for
Containers 1 = PET, Containers 2 = HDPE, Containers 3–7 for the rest of the recy-
which there does not exist a local market, 3 = Non-recyclable waste.
clable resins.

 
PL
PS ¼  100 ð1Þ Table 3
PT Composition (% by wt.) of solid waste generated in the UABC buildings, gardens and
community center
where PS (SP) is the sub-category percentage, PL is the amount of
sub-category in kg, and PT is the total weight of sample in kg. Waste categories Buildings (%) Gardens (%) Community center (%)
After obtaining the weight and, in order to find out the recycling Paper and cardboard 43.6 7.5 23.3
potential of the waste, each sub-category was classified according Plastics 6.7 3.0 8.2
to the categories presented in Table 2. Organic 10.2 80.0 54.1
Metals 2.5 0.4 4.5
Glass 3.6 1.7 4.6
3. Results Construction/demolition 1.8 0.2 1.9
Hazardous 0.3 0.2 0
3.1. Waste generation rate Other 31.3 7.0 3.4
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00
The average weight of one full truck waste cargo was 1000 kg
(±0.15, a = 95%); one trip was made to the sanitary landfill per
day, with a full waste cargo. The solid waste generation rate for coming from gardens, the largest proportion is represented by
the UABC Mexicali I Campus was, on average, 1 ton/day taking into potentially recyclable waste (80.12%). The same thing applies in
account the three generation sources analyzed. the case of waste from the community center (53.72%).
In order to represent the previous results more clearly, the
3.2. Waste characterization percentages are presented in Fig. 1 according to the recycling cat-
egory. As can be seen, when solid waste is analyzed in its totality,
In total, 4800 kg of waste were segregated, of which, 2567 kg the recycling proportions shown are very similar between
originated from samples taken from buildings, 1360 kg from gar- categories.
dens, 238 kg from the community center, and 673 kg from un-
known origin as the bags did not have a source identification.
As the daily waste generation rate estimate was 1 ton, an aver-
age of approximately 0.4 ton of waste was characterized per day.
This corresponds to 38.3% of the waste generated each day. The
waste analyzed from the three sources provided the results shown
in Table 3.

3.3. Recycling potential of university solid waste

Based on the results presented in Table 3 and the recycling clas-

sification in Table 2, it is evident that a large proportion of the
waste generated in the UABC Mexicali I Campus can be recycled
or is potentially recyclable. This is shown in Table 3 where it can
be seen that within the total waste generated in buildings, the cat-
egory of paper and cardboard represents the larger percentage
(33.02%) of recyclable waste in the locality. In the case of waste Fig. 1. Waste percentages (by wt.) according to the recycling category.
S24 C. Armijo de Vega et al. / Waste Management 28 (2008) S21–S26
4. Discussion
The characterization of solid waste is the first step in the plan-
ning of integrated waste management. Knowing the composition
of the waste allows for defining the strategies for separation, col-
lection and frequency of collection for recycling.
The results of this study brought to light two important aspects:
(1) the high recovery potential of waste for its recycling and (2) the
challenge its integrated management implies.
The waste from the UABC presents a high recovery potential
both in the case of waste generated in buildings and waste from
gardens and the community center. The larger proportion of waste
is found within the recyclable and potentially recyclable categories
which, as a whole, represent 55% in the case of buildings, 88% in
the case of gardens and 85% in the case of the community center.
Next, the results will be discussed individually according to the
generation source.
4.1. Waste generated in buildings
Of the waste generated in the administration and academic
buildings, the larger proportion is represented by paper of which
33% is potentially recyclable. This percentage could be higher if,
from the moment it is generated, paper did not get mixed with
other waste such as leftover food, which contaminate paper mak-
ing it unfit for sale to recyclers. It is important to point out that,
besides its recycling potential, waste such as paper has a high
reduction potential. For example, white paper found in the UABC
waste had been used in most cases only on one side of the sheet,
which shows that the reuse of paper in the UABC is practically
non-existent.
When alternatives for the management of waste are sought, be-
fore recycling is considered as an option, ways to reduce waste
should be considered. Reuse is one of these strategies and, in the
case of the UABC, if white paper were to be reused, in the best of
cases, the generation of paper waste could be reduced in half. To-
gether with the above, if other methods of communication were
encouraged, such as the use of the electronic media, the generation
of wastepaper could be reduced even further. In some universities
in the USA, in order to reduce the generation of paper waste, there
are campaigns to promote the reutilization of brown envelopes,
the reutilization of the unused side of paper to make rough copies
or memorandums and reports, the use of electronic mail as the
main channel to communicate information, and the use of printers
that print on both sides. The majority of these strategies can be ap-
plied immediately and they would reduce considerably the con-
sumption and disposal of paper.
Taking into account the present absence of these strategies at
the UABC and considering the large amount of waste paper gener-
ated in buildings, it is recommended to place bins to separate used
paper. These bins should be placed in the administrative offices,
mainly next to the photocopying areas. The placing of receptacles
for used paper should be accompanied with information cam-
paigns or posters near the waste paper bins.
Sanitary waste was the second largest component in the waste
generated in buildings. Due to its nature, this type of waste cannot
be recycled or reused; nevertheless, strategies can be devised to
create awareness to reduce the waste of sanitary nature.
4.2. Waste generated in gardens
In the case of gardens, the component with the highest weight
is the organic waste. This type of waste consists primarily of
remains from plants as a result of the weekly pruning and grass
mowing activities. At present, there are no companies in Mexicali
that receive this type of waste in an orderly and systematic fash-
ion; therefore, this type of waste was considered as potentially
recyclable. Yet, this is a type of waste that is generated in a peri-
odic, orderly and clean fashion. Pruning and mowing are carried
out twice a week by gardeners. Plant wastes are deposited in
receptacles only by gardeners; unlike other types of waste, like pa-
per, which is generated throughout the day, by different people
and is deposited in various types of receptacles. The way in which
organic waste is collected from gardens is simpler than other types
of waste, thus the strategies for its reutilization call for a simple
system as well. Some Mexican universities are starting to use the
waste generated in gardens such as the Universidad Michoacana
de San Nicolás Hidalgo (Michoacan University of San Nicolas Hidal-
go), which proposed to use the organic waste to produce compost
to help programs for reforestation and maintenance of green areas
within the campus (Sánchez-Yáñez et al., 2005).
4.3. Waste generated in the community center
In the case of waste originating in the community center, the
largest amount came from organic waste generated from leftovers
of prepared food or from the waste generated during food prepara-
tion. This waste is generated throughout the day and is deposited
mixed with all different types of waste inside the same bin. As is
the case of waste originating from gardens, there is no company
within the locality which takes this type of waste, so, at present,
it is practically impossible to give this type of waste a destination
other than the sanitary landfill. Another option could be individual
farmers or garden owners but in this case they would need to be
trained on how to make compost out from the food waste. The pro-
cessing of recyclable and reusable waste can be carried out within
its own premises. One common practice among some universities
to use the organic waste from their gardens and dining room areas
is to make compost, either within the university campus or out-
side. For example, Ithaca College, in the USA, uses 5 tons of food
waste every week to produce compost. This represents approxi-
mately 13–15% of its total waste generated (REMP, 2003). Appala-
chian State University, also in the USA, puts food waste in a
composting system which uses close to 2 tons of waste per year
(N.C. Project Green, 2004). Following these examples and consider-
ing that the UABC has adequate space and trained staff, a compo-
sting system could be implemented to use both the waste from
gardens and the waste from the community center.
Other studies on university waste have proven that waste is put
to profitable use to a high degree in educational institutions. In the
study by Mbuligwe (2002) on waste management within three
academic institutions in Tanzania, the results reported were simi-
lar to the ones reported in this study; a recovery potential and
reutilization of waste from 71.6% to 86.8% was achieved. The
author does not mention the situation of the local recyclables mar-
ket in Tanzania; yet, he does mention that there are reuse practices
carried out in an informal way, mainly of food waste delivered to
pig farmers who use this type of waste as animal feed, thus reduc-
ing significantly the feeding costs. In the case of organic waste
within the UABC, practices such as that mentioned by Mbuligwe
(2002) in Tanzania, could be used. Considering the fact that in
the suburbs of Mexicali and its valley, there are numerous farms
where goats, pigs, and cows are raised, it is clear that those places
can be potential consumers of the food waste generated in the
community center in the UABC Mexicali I Campus. The commercial
exploitation of solid waste has been considered within the Mexican
solid waste management regulations. It must be mentioned that
this kind of practice is also carried out in universities in industrial-
ized countries.
In developed countries, waste recovery programs for its recy-
cling began in the Universities 20 years ago and, in some cases,
 C. Armijo de Vega et al. / Waste Management 28 (2008) S21–S26
even earlier. As stated before, in the USA, it is compulsory for
schools and universities to have waste reduction and recycling pro-
grams. For example, Culler (2003) reports that the State of South
Carolina, through its Solid Waste Management Act, approved in
1991, recommends that all the government agencies, as well as
schools and universities, recycle their waste, measure that reduc-
tion, set recycling activities in motion and make an annual report
of all those activities. Another example is provided by Kentucky,
where, by means of Acts KRS-224.10-65 and KRS-160.294, schools
and universities are obliged to recycle aluminum, paper and corru-
gated cardboard (KPPC, 2004).
Taking the information in the previous paragraph into account,
it becomes evident that, although the recovery and recycling po-
tential percentage of waste in the UABC is very high, it is easy to
turn the potential into profit. The recycling programs in the USA
universities mentioned above have benefited from many years of
experience. Together with this, a series of policies and programs
have been issued to guide and encourage the putting in action of
programs for waste reduction and recycling within the higher edu-
cation institutions. In Mexico, the case is different, yet, with the re-
cent events concerning the regulation and management of solid
waste policies (new law), it is hoped that the foundation for an
integrated waste management will be established. Among the
few reports about waste management in Mexican universities
and research centers, it is important to mention a study published
by Maldonado (2006) which reports on the waste generated in the
CINVESTAV-Merida, a reduction of 67% of the mass of waste was
achieved through a management program. This example is a testi-
mony of the great impact this type of program can have.
Although the new General Law for Waste Prevention and Inte-
grated Management will be flexible in its application, depending
on the type of waste generator, it is quite specific about the oblig-
atory nature of the Plans for Integrated Waste Management which
takes into account the reduction and recycling of waste. Because of
this, now more than ever, it is most convenient to have data about
the amounts and types of waste generated in educational institu-
tions and to implement waste management plans.
4.4. Importance of studying solid waste management on higher
education institutions
Independently of the legal environmental pressure, universities
cannot afford to ignore the environmental issues caused through
their operations; the case of solid waste being one of them. Inte-
grated waste management programs within the educational insti-
tutions will teach the community how, with very simple, but
constant and organized practices, it is possible to alleviate the
problems caused by inadequate management of solid waste. This
type of example can create a synergistic effect through which lar-
ger sectors of the population will put waste management programs
into action.
More attention must be paid to solid waste characterization
studies and solid waste management (SWM) on campuses since
higher education institutions are a special case of study because
(1) not much has been reported on this issue, (2) being autono-
mous to a great extent, campuses can accommodate innovative
SWM approaches that can trickle down to other communities later,
(3) since SWM on campuses involve students at various levels it
can serve to sensitize as well as informally train them in good
SWM practices, and (4) SWM practices adopted by higher educa-
tion institutions have a great potential of being adopted by sur-
rounding communities because these institutions generally are
held in high esteem.
The utility of waste characterization studies is justified for the
obvious benefit for the planning and implementation of waste
management strategies. The comparisons of quantities, types of
S25
wastes, and waste management practices between institutions
are important for various reasons: (1) to serve to establish a refer-
ence framework for future studies, (2) to share strategies for sam-
pling methods, (3) to share strategies for SWM plans and
strategies, and (4) to be internationally acquainted of the advance-
ment on this type of research and set the ground for future studies.
4.5. Sampling method
Various authors (Buenrostro-Delgado, 2001; Shah, 2000; INE,
1999) have reported that there is a seasonal variability in the com-
position and the amount of municipal solid waste (generation
increasing during the hot season). The waste analyzed in this study
was generated within a university; nevertheless, one should as-
sume that there will be variations all along the year similar to
those reported for municipal solid waste. This is so because,
although the academic and administrative activities in the Campus
are the same all year round (except during vacations), there is a
marked difference in temperature between summer and winter
in Mexicali; this difference of temperature between seasons can
be up to 35 °C or more, reaching temperatures of up to 50 °C during
July and August.
During the warm season, there is a greater consumption of bev-
erages and bottled water. This implies a greater generation of
waste from the containers in which they are sold. On the other
hand, tree pruning and grass mowing is more intensive during
May and August, which lead to a greater generation of waste from
gardens. It is believed that, if the sampling is carried out during an-
other time of the year, the proportions of waste will change, so, if
there is a desire to find out the trend of each one of the categories
all along the year, at least one sampling per season should be car-
ried out. The study herein reported was carried out during the
month of October; therefore, the results of the characterization
are valid only for the time in which the study was made or for
the months with similar climatic conditions.
Concerning sample collection, a simpler way would have been
to use the quartering method proposed by the Mexican Standard
NMX-AA-015-1985 (SECOFI, 1985). The methodology proposed
by this norm consists of taking, from the waste disposal site, a
quarter of the waste produced during one whole day, to be ana-
lyzed. If this sampling had been carried out in this way, all the bags
with waste would have had to be opened, the contents mixed to-
gether to homogenize it and a sample taken from there to trans-
port it to the waste analyzing site. Alternatively, the waste could
have been mixed together at the final disposal site, which in turn,
would have implied problems for analyzing the samples as the site
does not have the facilities for carrying out analyses. Yet, the quar-
tering method would have guaranteed that complete samples of
the totality of waste generated during the whole day would have
been taken. Therefore, the use of this method is recommended
for characterization studies within the rest of the UABC Campus.
5. Conclusions
The daily generation of solid waste in the UABC Mexicali I Cam-
pus, is 1 ton.
The waste from the UABC shows a great potential for reutiliza-
tion. The larger proportion of waste is found in the recyclable and
potentially recyclable categories which, as a whole, represent 55%
in the case of buildings, 88% in the case of gardens and 85% in the
case of the community center.
The local recyclables market can absorb the portion of waste
considered as recyclable.
The portion in the potentially recyclable category could have a
different destination other than the disposal in sanitary landfills.
S26 C. Armijo de Vega et al. / Waste Management 28 (2008) S21–S26
The possibility of delivering food waste to cattle raisers and the uti-
lization to produce compost with organic waste was discussed.
Different strategies should be implemented on campus to reuse
waste such as used paper.
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