Characterization, Design, and Potential Resource Recovery through an Integrated 5S Model: A Case Study in a Health Sciences Faculty
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37636/recit.v9n4e507Keywords:
Campus sustainability, Integrated waste management, 5S methodology, Biological-infectious waste, Circular economy, Higher educationAbstract
This case study reports the development and assessment of a 5S-based integrated waste management model for a public university health sciences faculty in central Mexico, where municipal, special handling and biological-infectious hazardous waste streams coexist. The research followed a single-case design comprising baseline diagnosis, technical waste characterization, design of an operational model structured around the 5S methodology (Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, Shitsuke), pilot implementation and evaluation. The diagnosis estimated a generation of approximately 2,200 kg of waste per month under mixed-disposal conditions and zero effective recovery, while characterization showed that up to 79% of the stream had recovery potential if segregation were properly applied. The model translated each 5S stage into concrete waste-management actions, including colour-coded stations, internal routes, temporary storage criteria, hazard signage based on the Globally Harmonized System, differentiated containers for biological-infectious residues, and basic records. Evaluation focused on operational order, segregation effectiveness, safety and regulatory alignment with Mexican standards (NOM-161-SEMARNAT-2011 and NOM-087-SEMARNAT-SSA1-2002). The intervention produced a coherent operating architecture that converts the identified recovery potential into routine practice, while reducing exposure risks and improving compliance. The main contribution is a low-cost, replicable faculty-level framework that connects campus sustainability goals with daily operations, particularly in health-related academic settings of resource-constrained public institutions in Latin America.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Iván Avila-Raya, Martha Angélica Lemus-Solorio, Luis Enrique Rosas-Avalos, José Luis Rivera-Rojas, Luis Jesús Villarreal-Gómez, María Esther Carcamo-Escalera, Alfonso Lemus-Solorio
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