Opening the Bag: Insights from the Waste Sorting Awareness Event at UM
As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen sustainability practices, a public waste sorting event was organised at Maastricht University to examine how residual waste is managed in everyday campus settings. The primary objective was not only to generate data, but to raise awareness by making the sorting process visible to students and staff in a highly frequented location.
Residual waste bags from university buildings were manually opened, categorised, and weighed. The analysis revealed that a substantial proportion of the materials disposed of in residual waste could, in principle, have been recycled or collected separately. These included organic waste, plastic and drink packaging, paper, and even electronic items such as broken headphones and cables. Together, these findings suggest that residual waste often functions as a default disposal stream, even when alternative collection options are available.
Importantly, the findings suggest that mis-sorting is often linked to practical barriers rather than unwillingness. Bins may not always be available, clearly labelled, or conveniently located. When in doubt, people tend to choose the closest option.
More than anything, the event demonstrated how small everyday decisions add up. With clearer communication and better-aligned infrastructure, Maastricht University has strong potential to significantly improve waste separation and move closer to its circular ambitions.
