Approaches to Education
Asynchronous Session
Featured A Review of On-pack Recycling Labeling Research: Assessing Consumer Education Strategies and Packaging's Role in Building a Better Recycling System View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Alyssa Harben, Prudence Villanueva, Jonghun Park
In order to include the general public in efforts to meet recycling goals, on-pack recycling instructions are a necessary form of consumer education. As documented in literature of nutritional labeling and drug facts labeling, not all label designs are equally effective. As more and more regulatory bodies move to improve the recycling system with policies that include labeling regulation, insight into effective on-pack recycling label design attributes is needed. A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted of articles published in English between January 2002 and October 2022 from Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. The databases used were Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and GreenFILE. Search topics for each database included: “recycling labeling” OR “recycling label” OR “consumer recycling education” OR “recycling instructions” OR "on-pack recycling label". Two researchers independently reviewed 267 articles found and evaluated their inclusion into a shortlist of 20 articles. Any disagreements about article inclusion were decided by the research assistant. Final review resulted in 8 articles being included in the comprehensive assessment. Due to the limited number of relevant studies, more research investigating the efficacy of different design alternatives for on-pack recycling labels is needed. This need will only be more urgent as the popularity of ‘truth in labeling’ recycling label laws increases.
Zero Waste Art for Environmental Education: The Case of Nanshan Nature Art Festival in Shenzhen, China View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Meiqin Wang
This paper investigates the significance of Nanshan Nature Art Festival (NNAF) as a public environmental literacy project that merges art education, environmental education, and youth education. Founded in Shenzhen, China, in 2018, the annual NNAF embodies a collaborative endeavor of government environmental agencies, civic organizations, educational institutions, and public art practitioners in addressing one of the most pressing demands of our time: environmental protection. Its core program, “Zero Waste Nature Art Competition” directly tackles a long-neglected issue of contemporary cultural production: the art world’s contribution to the ecological crisis, manifested in lavishly equipped artist studios, energy-intensive artworks, and direct environmental pollution from art-related trash, among others. As climate change, resource depletion, pollution, and trash accumulation have become increasingly shared experiences of humanity, the environmental footprint of artistic practices can no longer be ignored. Departing from the conventions of the contemporary art world that produce detrimental environmental consequences is the development of ecological art, in which artists take into serious account the material impacts of production, exhibition, and final disposition of their artworks. Nature art promoted at NNAF is such kind of artistic endeavor in which the organizers uphold “reduce, reuse, and recycle” as the three “R” principles in selecting award winning artworks. In advocating for these principles in various public programs such as exhibitions and workshops, NNAF foregrounds ecological value as the foundation of artistic creations and aesthetic appreciations, and, via which, calls for a more holistic understanding of human-nature relationship and a more sustainable way of living.
Grassroots Climate Justice Innovation Theory: How Feminist-led Grassroots Movements are Transforming Climate Action View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Diana Seales
This paper delves into the emerging concept of climate justice and its intricate connections with social inequalities contributing to climate change. Through in-depth interviews with Indigenous feminist climate activists, the employed methodology unveils a resounding call from grassroots advocates for a profound paradigm shift towards a novel political and economic reality that places paramount importance on the world's most vulnerable populations. To actualize this transformative vision, climate activists propose integrating diverse perspectives and recognizing the interwoven nature of environmental justice concerns, encompassing gender equity and Indigenous resilience. A prevalent thread through these interviews underscores the imperative of transitioning towards an economic framework founded upon Indigenous principles, feminism, and resilience. By amplifying the voices and narratives of marginalized communities and drawing insights from established theories such as feminist and de-colonial perspectives, we can actively steer ourselves toward a trajectory marked by fairness as we strive for a sustainable future. The paper accentuates the pressing urgency for collective action and a resolute political resolve to confront the complex challenges of climate change and social inequality. Through a concerted effort to harmonize these spheres, we can aspire to forge an equitable and just path, thereby fostering a sustainable world for generations to come.
Crosscutting Environmental Education in Higher Education Programs Worldwide View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Ana Sanchis, Juan José Rodríguez Peña
The subject of Sustainability is taught in a wide variety of higher education institutions (HEIs) nationwide. For a long time, the subject of Sustainability has been taught as an optional course in many higher education institutions in the country. This subject has been gaining traction, although in programs outside the natural sciences it becomes an optional subject that does not reflect the profound need for change in environmental and sustainability matters. This work aims to establish the relevance of cross-cutting environmental education in Higher Education study programs in Mexico, allowing the interaction of areas of knowledge, ideas and needs to unfold the potential of undergraduate students to solve national environmental problems, through the three axis of sustainability: environment, economy and society. To achieve the objective, 42 decision makers and employees from all productive sectors and hierarchical levels were asked about the relevance of hiring human resources with transversal knowledge of sustainability, in all professional areas. The most important observation is that human resources with a deep transversal knowledge of the environment are required in all areas of study and professional applications. Entrepreneurs, decision makers and operatives surveyed agree that personnel who can solve problems in a multidisciplinary manner are required, making the best use of the resources available to organizations.
