Initiatives at the Wada Research Group

Before the project began, SFC had only two types of trash cans: one for general waste and one for cans, bottles, and PET bottles, which meant that resources were not being properly collected. Starting in fiscal year 2023, we began separating resources such as plastics and used paper, and at the same time, we considered the design of trash cans that would make sorting easier. In fiscal year 2024, we will revamp the placement and design of trash cans on campus, and are working to change the behavior of students, faculty, and staff through poster displays based on survey data on waste separation status.  

In addition to redesigning the trash cans, this fiscal year we used posters to promote separation and nudges to encourage PET bottle sorting. As a result, the separation rate improved by 34% for burnable waste, 33% for plastic waste, and 15% for PET bottle waste, a significant improvement compared to before.

In the cafeterias and restaurants on the SFC campus, many menus use meat, which poses problems such as high CO2 emissions and a significant environmental burden on water during the production process. Additionally, there is a lack of options for vegans and halal diets, which affects many, including international students. Therefore, we collaborated with the Cafeteria "Lady Bird" to develop and offer a vegan menu focused on local production for local consumption.  

Over the fall semester of fiscal year 2024, we sold salad bowls (20 servings) a total of six times at the on-campus Cafeteria LadyBird. We sourced vegetables from a nearby JA direct sales outlet, had Lady Bird prepare them into salads, and our team members held a sales event at the store. Through this initiative, we contributed to promoting vegetarian menus and reducing environmental impact. In the next fiscal year, we aim to further build the relationship between SFC and the local community by having people eat local ingredients.  

Cafeteria Lady Bird continued to offer returnable containers this year, following last year's initiative. This fiscal year, by providing them with the vegan salad bowls, we aimed for a synergistic effect in improving user awareness. This allowed us to convey the importance of environmental issues to a larger number of users and encourage behavioral change.

To reduce lighting and air conditioning energy consumption in classrooms on campus, in addition to the nudge-based posters from fiscal year 2023, we conducted a demonstration of an incentive system to promote Cool Share / Warm Share. At SFC, many students use empty classrooms in small groups outside of class hours, leading to a situation where large classrooms are air-conditioned for just a few people. Therefore, we implemented an initiative to save energy by discouraging individual use of classrooms and guiding students to study rooms and the Media Center, thereby consolidating the demand for electricity for lighting and air conditioning.  

Twenty-three students participated in the campaign, and through this initiative, their awareness regarding the use of empty classrooms improved. The increase in students actively using study rooms and the Media Center contributed to reducing electricity consumption at SFC.

At SFC, there is a challenge in that the relationship between the surrounding community and students is weak. Furthermore, despite being in a nature-rich location, many students commute from urban areas and have few opportunities to interact with nature and the soil.  

In conjunction with the registration of a Nature Coexistence Site at SFC, we engaged in an exchange with Oyama City to learn about site management methods and techniques for community collaboration through cooperation with an already registered site in the city.  

Oyama City Workshop: Scene of management work