By EMF
Location of the Human-Environment interaction
Interaction
My Mapping Mason project focuses on trash that is scattered from some of the bins around campus, specifically the one located outside the Johnson Center facing David King Hall. What makes this bin a problem is that it has no lid, so winds and animals are able to rip garbage right out and scatter it. This litter may have plastics, inks, or other materials that leach out over time.
Resource Characteristics
The environmental factors involved include the local weather patterns, because when and how fast the wind blows will change the amount of trash scattered; animal behavior, because scavengers will scatter the trash themselves, consume it, and become ill;[1] and the local soil and water quality, which may be degraded by some of the chemicals released. While plastics may take a long time to leach into the environment, the ink on product packaging[2] and heavy metals from e-waste[3] are common pollutants that leach faster. The Johnson Center has many stores inside with colorful product packaging, as well as an electronics store.
[1] Katlam 2018
[2] Blanchard 1997
[3] Xu et. al. 2015
Governance Characteristics
The human side of the interaction includes anyone who throws trash in the bin, the employees who empty the bins, and anyone who helps clean the litter. There are no political institutions, but the university as an institution is responsible for campus cleanliness, custodian hiring, and replacing trash bins. They are driven in this situation to provide bins for student well-being, but this is undermined by the open top that allows garbage to escape. Those cleaning the mess may also be motivated by a desire to help the environment.
Social Context
Our views on disposable goods play a role, as well as our access to reusable ones. Food packaging is the majority of garbage I see scattered, probably due to the fact that many dorm residents don’t have access to kitchens, or they are too tired from class to bother cooking. Commuter students are too far from home to cook, so if they are hungry on campus then buying food from a store is their only option. In the JC, many stores are stocked with grab-and-go meals for busy academic life, and this is reflected in the single-use packaging rather than trays or dishware.
What Can We Do?
The easiest solution is to add a lid to the tops of any open trash bins on campus. This would include the ones I pass daily in the A lot that are frequently surrounded by garbage. The better solution, however unfeasible at this point in time, is to fade out our use of disposable goods. That way we would need fewer trash bins overall, leaving fewer chances for garbage to escape into the ecosystem.
University Actions
GMU has employees changing out the bags and cleaning larger litter clumps. Students may even clean litter independently while walking by. However, there is always some left behind, and more is scattered almost every day. Fortunately, many trash cans are already lidded or indoors, making them less of an issue.
References
Blanchard, D. (1997). Ecology and the environment and how they will affect the ink industry. Surface coatings international, 80(10), 476-478.
Katlam, G., Prasad, S., Aggarwal, M., & Kumar, R. (2018). Trash on the menu: patterns of animal visitation and foraging behaviour at garbage dumps. Current Science, 115(12), 2322–2326. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26978598
Xu, X., Zeng, X., Boezen, H.M. et al. E-waste environmental contamination and harm to public health in China. Front. Med. 9, 220–228 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11684-015-0391-1