Zero waste management example in educati̇on for sustainability: Sakarya University

As a result of the increasing population and changing world standards, there is a shrinkage in vital areas and a depletion of our resources due to the frequency of use. While we still have difficulty managing our resources, it does not seem possible to leave a sustainable life to future generations. With a more livable world, we should give more importance to the "Zero Waste" issue in order not to have problems with resources in the continuation of our generation. In this study, the establishment of Zero Waste management and Life Cycle Analysis were examined by considering various factors. For this, the wastes generated at the university and their amounts were examined and a characterization study was conducted. In addition, a survey was conducted to measure awareness, knowledge and behavior in the field of zero waste. The order of the amount of wastes from the central canteen in our university from large to small has been in the form of glass, plastic, and paper. It was observed that 26% of the waste was glass, 19% plastic and 16% paper. It was observed that 89% of the dining hall wastes originated from meal residues and 8% from plastic water bottles, ayran pots and bread bags. In addition, upon the results of the survey; It is observed that approximately 62% of the recycling bins available at our university raise awareness by students. But about 14% of students are not aware of these boxes. Based on this information, more education and information activities should be carried out for students, academicians and employees at our university on zero waste. In order to raise awareness for students at our university, ergonomic and attractive recycling boxes should be supplied to each floor of the classrooms where they are trained. Alternative actions suggested to be taken within the university; • Trainings for awareness should be increased, • Visual perception in individuals should be focused on and waste separation application studies should be supported • University waste days and sustainability events should be organized • Activities and lesson planning that can be applied both theoretically and practically and that will attract attention in individuals should be made If the steps specified in the articles are implemented, the existing positive awareness will gain additional momentum in a positive direction. Thanks to this momentum, the existing toxic effect in the ecosystem will decrease and individuals will take a step towards leaving a more livable world for the next generations. The thesis includes a life cycle analysis, utilizing the Simapro 9.5.0.2 software version. To evaluate the analysis calculations and impact assessment parameters, the CML-IA method was employed. Furthermore, the study investigates various imp