Teaching with trash: archaeological insights on university waste management

Abstract

Abstract The archaeological study of modern trash on an American university campus can yield valuable insight into how both human and environmental processes contribute to the accumulation and distribution of litter. The Campus Trash Project, run by the University of Idaho, utilizes archaeological methodologies to evaluate the effectiveness of university waste management policies designed to curtail litter on campus. As this case study illustrates, the discipline of archaeology can make significant contributions to the reduction of campus trash while providing students with the necessary practical skills required to become professional archaeologists upon graduation.