Open Collections

Abstract

As a university dedicated to sustainability through initiatives such as “Zero Waste Campus,” UBC is continually looking for ways to improve its sustainability throughout its daily operations. One such area of concern for UBC Operations is the use of plastic bags in the collection of food scraps across campus. Partnering with the UBC SEEDS program through SEEDS sponsor Mr. Bud Fraser, an investigation was conducted pertaining to the “Life Cycle Analysis of Bags Used for Food Scraps Collection” at UBC. Research was conducted using both primary and secondary sources with an emphasis on analysis through the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) approach. Primary sources included a Q&A workshop with Mr. Fraser in addition to a tour of the composting facility, and secondary sources included a wide variety of peer-reviewed and popular sources. A number of environmental, economic, and social indicators were used to help conduct this TBL analysis. The indicators focused on within this report include the GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions per bag at every stage during their lifespan, the amount of water required to make a bag, the economic cost of different bag types, the cost of maintaining compost bins, and the effects that the type of bag has on the daily routines of UBC Operations staff. After assessing and comparing three alternatives to standard plastic bags (paper, compostable plastic, and no bags) using the Triple Bottom Line approach, it was concluded the best course of action would be to discontinue the use of plastic bags and begin to use paper bags as the primary liners for small compost bins. In addition to switching to paper bags, it was concluded that utilizing plastic bags as a security liner and using binder clips to keep the paper bag in place would ultimately result in a system which is ecologically friendly while not a burden on operations staff. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”