Sustainable Solid Waste Management Strategies for Higher Education Institutions: Diponegoro University, Indonesia Case Study

Effective solid waste management strategies are recognized as efforts to achieve campus sustainability. The university campus is currently considered the center of various activities involving students, lecturers, staff, and other parties contributing to the consumption pattern of energy, water, and other resources. This study aims to estimate the quantity and compositions of waste generated on the Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) campus, identify the causes of waste generation, evaluate the relationships between variables through statistical analysis, and recommend possible strategies to reduce solid waste generation. The results show that the simultaneous contribution of the student-gender ratio, student awareness level, administrative staff background, and green space amounted to 67.7% of the waste generation at UNDIP. Therefore, these four factors need to be a concern for campus authorities in their efforts to handle campus waste. Student awareness in particular was determined to be the only factor that significantly affects solid waste generation. UNDIP may implement proper environmental education through sustainability courses in each faculty to reduce solid waste in higher education institutions since it has the most significant impact. Outcomes of this study could be used as a reference to develop sustainable campus strategies, recycling plans, and comprehensive waste management in higher education.