Date of Defense

12-4-2024

Date of Graduation

12-2024

Department

Geography

First Advisor

Justin Gish

Second Advisor

Lisa DeChano-Cook

Abstract

In 2018 alone, the United States added 830,000 tons of single use takeout containers to landfills. The City of Kalamazoo’s Community Sustainability Plan calls for a reduction of waste going into landfills, so single use takeout containers were targeted as an item to reduce for implementation of this goal.

Research was conducted on the feasibility and interest of adding reusable takeout container options to downtown Kalamazoo food establishments. This involved a survey of Kalamazoo residents which garnered over 1,100 responses and a survey of downtown food establishments, which displayed interest from both parties. However, even with the strong initial interest, funding available, and ease of adding reusables, businesses have been slow to adopt. This thesis will detail how the program was started, identify barriers to implementation, and offer suggestions for other municipalities who might wish to pursue this work.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access

Reusable Container Thesis Presentation.pdf (2753 kB)
Defense Presentation

Share

COinS