HOW TO IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT OF RESIDUES AT THE UNIVERSITY

A project proposal presented by

Keren Vanessa Perez Ruiz

Leidy Ramirez Suarez

Sirley Sanchez Mosquera

Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Sede Medellín

Professor: Alejandra Jimenez

Inglés IV

January, 31
Introduction & Problem Statement

The adequate management of residues is an important challenge for the Universidad

Nacional de Colombia - Campus Medellín. Although the university has recycling containers

and other resources, many people do not use them properly due to lack of knowledge or

indifference. This generates a problem in the separation of recyclable and non-recyclable

residues, affecting the possibility of an efficient management of these on campus. This

problem involves the entire university community, including students, professors and

administrators, as residues are generated daily in different areas of the campus, such as

classrooms, cafeterias and hallways. Solving this challenge is essential because it not only

helps to protect the environment, it also encourages social responsibility and teaches

sustainable practices that everyone can take into their daily lives.

The solution to improving the separation of residues must focus on strategies that

combine education, motivation and action. This involves making people aware of the positive

impact that their collaboration can have on the environment and the community. It is essential

that these initiatives are constant and adapted to the needs and dynamics of the university

community, making the appropriate use of the containers a habit.

General Objective

To put in place education, awareness, and participation strategies to improve waste

management and sorting at the National University of Colombia - Medellín Campus. This

will help build a culture of sustainability and environmental responsibility within the

university community, ultimately aiming to boost the rate of correct separation of recyclable

and non-recyclable waste on campus.

Specific Objectives

1.​ To identify the main reasons behind the improper waste sorting on campus,

taking into account factors like lack of knowledge, disinterest, and shortcomings in the

available infrastructure.

2.​ To actively involve students, faculty, and staff in waste management and

create a shared commitment that strengthens environmental awareness across the university

community.

3.​ To encourage a sense of shared responsibility, fostering a culture where

everyone on campus plays an active role in reducing, sorting, and properly disposing of

waste.

4.​ To continuously assess the impact of the strategies we put in place, adjusting

our actions based on the needs and dynamics of the campus. This will ensure ongoing

improvements in waste separation and handling.

Plan of Action: Improving Waste Management

Proper waste management is a challenge in any community, since misclassification

can generate negative environmental impacts. To address this problem, it is essential to

implement strategies that encourage education and active participation of students. The

following are some effective measures to optimize the waste management system.

1. Problem diagnosis

Online and in-person surveys will be conducted with students, faculty, and

administrative staff to evaluate their knowledge of waste sorting and disposal practices. The

data collected will be analyzed to identify areas for improvement. if this data is not collected,

statistical analysis to understand the behavior of the problem will not be possible.

2. Implementation of competitions and incentives

Competitions will be organized between faculties or student groups to encourage

proper waste sorting. Incentives such as certifications, funding for sustainability projects or

public recognition will be offered to the best performing participants.

3. Training and designation of waste ambassadors

Students, faculty and staff will be selected and trained as Waste Ambassadors to

educate the community on proper waste management. These ambassadors will conduct

awareness campaigns and provide guidance on best practices for waste sorting.

4. Development of a dynamic waste management system

A flexible waste management system will be designed and continuously improved

based on community feedback. Technologies such as QR codes and mobile applications will

be incorporated to provide real-time assistance for waste sorting.

Management plan

Table 1

management plan: improve management of residues

Activity Duration In charge Budget (COP)

Conducting a problem 2 weeks Research team $ 1,500,000

diagnosis (students and
faculty)

Organizing 1 month Sustainability $ 2,000,000

competitions and committee, student
incentives organizers

Training and 3 months Sustainability $ 3,000,000

appointing Waste coordinator and
Ambassadors faculty

Developing a dynamic 1 month IT team and $ 4,500,000

waste management sustainability
system committee

Running awareness Ongoing (6 Waste Ambassadors, $ 1,000,000

campaigns months) communication team

Conducting initial 1 month Research committee, $ 1,200,000

waste audit environmental team

Maintaining and Ongoing Waste coordinators, $ 500,000

improving the system technical support
team
Conclusions

The improper waste management at the National university of Colombia-Medellin campus is

due to a lack of knowledge and commitment from the community. This project aims to
promote a culture of sustainability through education, incentives and an optimized waste
management system.
The action plan includes problem diagnosis , competitions,training “Waste Ambassadors” and
the implementation of technology to improve waste sorting. With a structured budget and
continuous monitoring, the project’s success will depend on the active participation of the
university community and the ongoing adaptation of strategies.

References:

Organización de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente. (2019). Waste management
outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean. United Nations Environment Programme.
[Link]

Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible de Colombia. (2020). Política Nacional para

la Gestión Integral de Residuos Sólidos (PNGIRS). [Link]

World Health Organization. (2018). Waste and human health: Evidence and needs. WHO
Regional Office for Europe. [Link]
 Learning task 10 - Project task 2 - A project proposal draft - Summative assessment
10%
Student's name: Date:
Needs Outstandin
% The student is able to Poor Fair Good Total
improvement g
Write an introduction including a
11-1
20 description of the problem, a solution 1-4 5-10 15-17 18-20 14
4
and its expected benefits.
Write objectives to delimit the expected 11-1
20 1-4 5-10 15-17 18-20 15
outcomes of a project 4
Write a plan of action to detail the
11-1
20 steps to achive the proposed 1-4 5-10 15-17 18-20 14
4
objectives.
Use language choices worked in the
course such as: (1) sentences in simple
present and simple past, e.g. People living in
apartment buildings produce more
11-1
20 Greenhouse Gas.; (2) conditionals, e.g. If 1-4 5-10 15-17 18-20 10
4
people didn’t solve that problem, the world
would have severe consequences. (3)
quantifiers, e.g. There are fewer green areas
in our cities and proper grammar.
Use capitalization and punctuation
10 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10 10
properly.
10 Include references using APA style. 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8 9-10 0
Final Grade 63
Comments:
It is a good exercise in terms of planning and content. Regarding your writing ability,
it is difficult to judge your text since it is evident you used mechanical tools to write
it. I hope you can improve it for your final task.