In 2018, the United States generated 37.4 million more U.S. tons of paper and cardboard material compared to in 1960 (EPA, 2020). As the United States produces a disproportionate amount of packaging waste every year when accounting for population size, it has become increasingly difficult to mitigate waste production, lessen the environmental impact of generating more paperboard materials, and move towards a more ethical circular economy. In efforts to adopt the principles of a green economy, deviate from the linear supply chain model, minimize packaging waste, and encourage more sustainable lifestyles, we developed a business centered around a circular, service based model called Room & Cardboard. Our initiative collects cardboard waste generated in and around the ASU community and repurposes it for dorm-style furniture available for students to rent throughout the school year. Using cardboard, we have built prototypes for two products (desk lamps and shoe racks) that are sturdy, visually pleasing, and recyclable. Our initiative helps to reduce cardboard packaging waste by upcycling cardboard waste into products that will increase the lifespan of the cardboard material. At the end of the product’s life span, in cases of severe damage, we will turn the product into a seed board made with blended cardboard paste that can then be used to plant a succulent we will make available to students to buy as dorm decor. The feedback on our initiative through online surveys and in-person tabling has generated enough traction for Dean Rendell of Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University to consider a test-drive of our products in the upcoming Fall semester.

In this experiment, the viability of gunshot residue (GSR) was examined. This was done through the very rarely researched intersection of forensic firearms analysis and forensic entomology. The question being resolved is if GSR can reliably be detected from secondary evidence transfer of GSR laden carrion onto flies and their larvae. While it is know that secondary and tertiary GSR evidence can be transferred by way of handshakes, no such research has been conducted on flies or their pupae. Findings indicated varying levels of detection of GSR on evidence. GSR could reliably be detected on fly bodies and their legs, but not on their pupae. This research is significant as it provides previously unknown information on this line of research and provides the groundwork for further research on this topic in the future.

Collective human attitudes influenced by macro-forces that impact environmental issues are partially correlated to our behaviors for the good and the harm of the planet. In this thesis, I will explore how collective human attitudes contribute to pro-environmental behaviors, common and pre-existing frames of mind on major conservation dilemmas, and finally suggest future directions on how humans could be inclined to take on more environmental responsibility through an increase in human-environmental connectivity. It is found that humans are largely driven by institution structures, education, and social influence. In conclusion, more efforts should be placed to further analyze these structural incentives for pro-environmental behaviors and use them to make environmental stewardship more accessible for all people and diverse circumstances. This can be done by evaluating the human dimensions of what influences human attitudes and behaviors, how to use these forces to systematically influence pro-environmental choices, applying these structural forces to main conservation issues, and further incorporating moral discourse into the environmental research in order to appeal correctly to all aspects and perspectives. Only when human connectivity is understood in relation to the natural sciences will we be able to make positive change in the direction of a healthier Earth.

Arizona is number one in the nation for the most food waste sent to landfills according to a study by LawnStarter® (Ardoin, 2021). This unsustainable practice of food disposal has the potential to be mitigated with the use of black soldier flies (BSF) (Stratiomyidae: Hermetia illucens) as currently explored by Arizona Worm Farm (AWF). BSF larvae consume the food waste allowing a more sustainable method of disposal. In addition, these larvae can be a food source for livestock. In order to improve AWF’s current program, analysis of the facility, climate, food sources, organization, and pest identification was conducted. A series of tests were designed to determine the effectiveness of, and to make improvements to, existing feeding protocols and food sources. These included nutritional analysis of the larvae, feed conversion tests, and pH analysis and moisture content examination of the standard diet of spent brewer’s grain. Environmental parameters were improved through a new organizational system, a new light source for mating, new methods for controlling humidity, and sealed enclosures for pest prevention to increase efficiency and productivity of the program. The previous open water source for adults resulted in higher mortality rates than a new system which allows for the adults to receive moisture on a cloth and reduces the risk of drowning. This study led to the development of a comprehensive protocol that will improve and grow AWF’s program by reducing mortality of adults from pests, open water, and dry conditions. Other BSF programs will be able to use this for guidance in order to raise BSF on a large scale, as a food source and for waste reduction in their own communities.