Consulting Case Study: Improving UMD's Sustainability
The University of Maryland's Department of Facilities Management had a highly inefficient system to get buildings compost bins. After consulting with this office, we streamlined the process, decreasing time from 2.5 hours to only 30 minutes.
Click images on right to view award-winning poster and final business report.
Scope
We need help: The University of Maryland's Department of Facilities Management wanted to develop a more effective strategy to find ideal locations to place these compost bins.
Challenges
Too much work; too few staff. The University of Maryland employed only one Recycling Coordinator to single-handedly lead this project.
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Students don't compost. Data suggested that UMD students did not compost regularly even when presented with an accessible option. Students were unaware of the unsustainable impact of their actions.
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It's a trade-off. Fewer compost bins would mean more compost per bag, but students won't go out of their way for a compost bin. We had to balance reducing the number of bags while still maximizing the amount of compost per bag?
Approach
Make them do it: Outsource key steps to building managers.
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Organize requests: We created a data input online form so the facilities team can see who requested use of services first.
Results
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We reduced the time taken to place compost bins from 2.5 hours to 30 minutes (an 80% decrease).
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Our success can be measured throughout campus. Following our consulting project, the number of compost bins across campus skyrocketed.
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Our final deliverable received the award, "Best Poster"
