بررسي وضعيت توليد و مديريت پسماند در دانشگاه صنعتي اصفهان با رويكرد دانشگاه سبز و پايدار

Higher education institutes, due to their scale an‎d diversity of activities, are often regarded as small cities, an‎d their internal operations, particularly in the section of waste management, result in significant environmental impacts. Consequently, comprehensive waste management poses a fundamental challenge to achieving university sustainability. This research was developed with the objective of quantitatively an‎d qualitatively assessing the waste generated at Isfahan University of Technology (IUT) an‎d proposing strategies for improving its management in line with the “Green an‎d Sustainable University” model. In this regard, the investigation of the waste generation rate across the university’s key sectors was prioritized. The study methodology was based on the fieldwork an‎d data collection over a period exceeding one year (October 2023 to December 2024) from various sectors, including administrative centers, the university resturant, laboratories, student residence, faculties, an‎d the construction wastes. Final waste management an‎d reduction strategies were proposed through interviews an‎d data analysis. The findings indicated that the total volume of wet an‎d dry waste generated across the university is approximately 2 tons daily, which in most cases is disposed of without segregation. Furthermore, construction wastes accounted for the largest proportion at 82%, while the lowest generation rate was observed in infectious waste from the health sector. The per-student generation rate for wet an‎d dry waste was estimated at 181/8 g/day. The volume an‎d diversity of this waste, including special materials such as sewage sludge, complicate management challenges an‎d necessitate the adoption of comprehensive solutions, especially source segregation, as the most fundamental method for mitigating health hazards an‎d realizing economic benefits from recycling. The research results prioritized waste management based on waste composition. These results emphasize the necessity of focusing on effective management of construction wastes an‎d composting of wet waste, alongside the innovative utilization of sewage sludge. This shift is crucial to direct waste streams away from lan‎dfilling toward the circular economy an‎d processing technologies. The long-term success of this plan is dependent on education an‎d cultural development to change the behavior of the university community, as well as continuous monitoring an‎d reporting. Ultimately, this research succeeded in providing a foundation for achieving overarching goals, including developing the university into a “Green, Sustainable, an‎d Zero-Waste Model,” establishing a platform for research an‎d development in modern waste management stan‎dards, an‎d fostering public awareness. By systematically implementing comprehensive policies an‎d stakeholder participation, IUT can serve as a successful model for other higher education institutions in the country. The final practical recommendations include establishing a “University Innovation an‎d Recycling Center,” implementing a “Green Scoring System” to incentivize staff an‎d students, an‎d defining “Joint Research-Applied Projects” to solve operational challenges.

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مسعود طاهريون

محمد نعمتي ورنوسفادراني , محسن سليماني امين آبادي