Paper & Plastic Product Usage by a Small Research Firm in the PA Bucks-Mont Area
EME 466 Senior Capstone
Kate Robeson-Grubb
December 14, 2022
Community Partner
Founded in 1991, JRA has evolved over a period of thirty years to host both on-site and virtual
research projects with facilities in New York, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and a respondent
database of over 250,000 individuals residing in the United States. Primary on-site research
activities include product testing and in-person focus groups that often host
up to 120 individuals per day.
JRA is a Philadelphia-based market research firm that provides insight
solutions and builds custom insight programs around domestic and international client needs in
order to conduct market-specific and consumer science research.
Philadelphia Facility Manager, TJ Cassel, has agreed to partner with me (a JRA research assistant)
for this capstone project with the goal of developing solutions to reduce the usage of paper and
plastic products and the waste generated through on-site research activities.
Summary
UN Sustainable Development Goals
While JRA is a part of the private sector, businesses, firms, and other entities of the private sector function and hold influence within cities and communities. One particular target, 11.6, states that one goal of SDH 11 is to "By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management" (United Nations, 2022). As an economic contributor to Montgomery County (a Philadelphia suburb), reducing this firm’s waste will lighten their contributions to the already heavily burned municipal waste management system.
SDG 12 is broad in the sense that it encompasses the cycles of consumption, production, and waste. In the Context of this senior capstone, JRA’s primary generated waste is in the form of single-use plastics, non-recyclable paper and plastic products, recyclable paper and plastic products, and food waste—all of which are targets for reduction under SDG 12 (United Nations, 2022).
JRA is conscious of the importance of slowing the progression of climate change, but did not previously possess the resources or specialized knowledge required to begin implementing effective changes to their operations. The objective of this senior capstone is to develop solutions to potentially reduce the paper and plastic usage and waste generated by JRA’s Philadelphia facility.
Deliverables
Final Slide Deck
Additional Materials
References
Nolet, V. (2016). Developing a Sustainability Worldview. Educating for Sustainability: Principles and Practices for Teachers. pp. 61-81. New York. Routledge. Retrieved September 18, 2022 from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2191484/files/137162894?module_item_id=35963323
United Nations. (2022). The 17 Sustainable Development Goals. United Nations. Retrieved September 4, 2022, from https://sdgs.un.org/goals.
United Nations. (2022). Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. United Nations. Retrieved September 4, 2022, from
https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal11.
United Nations. (2022). Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. United Nations. Retrieved September 4, 2022, from
https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12.
United Nations. (2022). Goal 13: Climate Action | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. United Nations. Retrieved September 4, 2022, from https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal13.