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Romanian Students’ Environment-Related Routines during COVID-19 Home Confinement: Water, Plastic, and Paper Consumption

Author

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  • Vasile Gherheș

    (Department of Communication and Foreign Languages, Politehnica University of Timisoara, 300006 Timisoara, Romania)

  • Mariana Cernicova-Buca

    (Department of Communication and Foreign Languages, Politehnica University of Timisoara, 300006 Timisoara, Romania)

  • Marcela Alina Fărcașiu

    (Department of Communication and Foreign Languages, Politehnica University of Timisoara, 300006 Timisoara, Romania)

  • Adina Palea

    (Department of Communication and Foreign Languages, Politehnica University of Timisoara, 300006 Timisoara, Romania)

Abstract

The disruptive force of the COVID-19 pandemic is lessening in power and plans are being made for the postcrisis period, among which increasing the sustainability of higher education is of significant importance. The study aims at establishing students’ existing environment-related routines during their home confinement, as a basis for applying green measures to campus living once academic life is resumed with the physical presence of students. The collected data rely on self-reported information provided by 816 students from Politehnica University of Timisoara (Romania), collected via an online, anonymous survey. The novelty of the approach is that household environment-related routines are investigated during a crisis period, with the possibility to build upon the results to implement tailored measures to encourage or diminish environmentally relevant consumption by young, highly skilled individuals. The students display a moderate awareness of environmental issues and indicate consumption routines that may be steered towards an increased sustainability-conscious campus life, through the combined intervention of the university, city administration, and stakeholder involvement. The findings are used to explore the possible directions for action towards increasing or contributing to the territorial sustainability in the socio-ecological context of Timisoara, the largest university city in the western part of Romania via educational, managerial and policy interventions.

Suggested Citation

  • Vasile Gherheș & Mariana Cernicova-Buca & Marcela Alina Fărcașiu & Adina Palea, 2021. "Romanian Students’ Environment-Related Routines during COVID-19 Home Confinement: Water, Plastic, and Paper Consumption," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-24, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:15:p:8209-:d:607348
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mihai Răzvan Niță & Miruna Arsene & Giorgiana Barbu & Alina Gabriela Cus & Mihail Ene & Ramona Mihaela Serban & Constantin Marian Stama & Larissa Nicoleta Stoia, 2021. "Using Social Media Data to Evaluate Urban Parks Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-15, October.
    2. Mariana Cernicova-Buca & Gabriel-Mugurel Dragomir & Vasile Gherheș & Adina Palea, 2023. "Students’ Awareness Regarding Environment Protection in Campus Life: Evidence from Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-18, November.

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