WASTE MANAGEMENT IN A SCHOOL RESTAURANT

Abstract

Nowadays, the amount of waste generated and its proper final destination is one of the greatest environmental issues. The higher education institutions are an important source of waste due to its diversity of teaching, researching and extension activities undertaken by academic world. The university restaurant supplies meals to the university community and ends up generating a kind of waste similar to the domestic waste, but in a bigger amount. The aim of this study was to investigate the gravimetric composition of the waste generated in the school restaurant of a higher-education institution in southern Brazil and provide a diagnostic of the current waste management. The data were obtained through a characterization process of the solid waste generated in one week; an interview with the responsible managers and direct observation of the local structure. It was found non-existence of a Management Plan for Solid Waste, as well as a lack of practices relative to its management. The waste segregation is impaired due the lack of specific and labeled bins, besides the overworked employees. Along the experimental period it were characterized 547,068 Kg of solid waste, in which more than 80% were organic waste. The paper concludes that the organic waste could be treated by composting. It is recommended the formulation and implementation of an integrated management plan for solid waste in order to provide adequate infrastructure for waste management in the school restaurant.