Sustainability Literacy in ITU
Sustainability literacy of our students was evaluated through a questionnaire. The questionnaire measured the ability to learn and retain key concepts of sustainability by our students.
The aim of this study was to understand public knowledge about; current waste management practices, zero waste management approach and their attitudes towards to reaching zero waste management goal in the Ayazağa campus of Istanbul Technical University
(ITU).
Participants
Questionnaires were prepared and sent to students, academic and administrative staff. It was completed by 1994 people.
Table 1. Participants Profile
| Participants Profile ( n= 1994) | |
|---|
| Gender | number | % |
| Female | 838 | 42.0 |
| Male | 1156 | 58.0 |
| Grade | |
| Undergraduate Student | 1311 | 65.7 |
| Graduate Students | 259 | 13.0 |
| Academic Staff | 256 | 12.8 |
| Administrative Staff | 163 | 8.2 |
Other
(cleaning staff, security etc.) | 5 | 0.3 |
| Age | |
| 18-25 | 1384 | 69.4 |
| 26-35 | 370 | 18.6 |
| 36-45 | 112 | 5.6 |
| > 45 | 128 | 6.4 |
| Unit | |
| Faculty of Civil Engineering | 212 | 10.6 |
| Girls Dormitory | 51 | 2.6 |
| Dining-hall | 1710 | 85.8 |
| Student Affairs Building | 21 | 1.1 |
Questions
Table 2. Existing WM system in the campus and public knowledge (%)
| Do you know that there is a WM system at the university? | Faculty of Civil Engineering | Girls Dormitory | Dining-hall | Student Affairs Building | Total |
|---|
| Yes | 35.8 | 21.6 | 23.1 | 52.4 | 24.7 |
| No | 64.2 | 78.4 | 76.9 | 47.6 | 75.3 |
| Are you pleased with the current WM strategy of the university? |
| I am not familiar with WM at the university. | 72.6 | 72.5 | 83.9 | 47.6 | 82.0 |
| It doesn't matter to me how the WM is. | 0.0 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| I am pleased about WM | 12.7 | 9.8 | 8.2 | 38.1 | 9.0 |
| I am not pleased about WM | 14.6 | 15.7 | 5.7 | 14.3 | 7.0 |
Results
According to results, approximately 75% of the participants do not have a knowledge about existing waste management system in the campus. Participants remark that insufficient numbers and inappropriate locations of recycling containers are the main causes
for low rate recycling in the existing waste management system. 41% of participants have not heard about zero waste management before. However, they are willing to participate zero waste management activities even if it will cause a change on their
daily habits. They suggest wider usage of e-learning system and undergraduate sustainability courses, seminars, additional recycling containers located appropriate locations, and installation of recycling drop-off centers for specific wastes as a
future zero waste management strategy. The university has planned the zero waste management system in the campus based on these outputs and the zero waste management system was later launched.
Please read the full publication here.