Assessment of AUB Students' Behavior Towards Single-Use Plastics: Findings and Recommendations

Abstract

Defined as “items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled” (UNEP, 2022), Single-Use Plastics (SUPs) due to their low-cost, versatility, and flexibility are hard to withstand. Major advocates for reducing or banning SUPs have been universities (GreenMetric, 2023). At the American University of Beirut (AUB) efforts have been made to reduce such drastic waste production on campus (AUB, 2021), thus its rank as first in Lebanon for environmental sustainability. However, these approaches are not enough, as AUB’s carbon footprint (divided by total population) has remained static at 1.29 since 2018 (AUB, 2018; AUB, 2021). Thus, the need for this study aiming at evaluating the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of AUB students towards SUPs, identifying barriers and facilitators, and providing recommendations for future interventions.