Integrating Community Service into Student Learning: A Model Event of a Plastic Waste Cleanup

Plastic recycling has gained increasing attention due to the negative impacts of improper plastic waste management and its end-of-life outcomes. Despite growing research and educational efforts on sustainability, the integration of community service into student learning experiences remains limited. To address this gap and promote sustainable practices among the younger generation, a cleanup outreach event is developed in conjunction with pre- and post-cleanup lectures. The lectures covered the knowledge of plastic waste and recycling, relevant policies, and advancements in sustainability within industry and academia. The waste cleanup activity, held at Biloxi Beach and Hattiesburg, Mississippi, provided students with hands-on experience in addressing local plastic pollution and connected classroom learning to real-life plastic waste issues. Integrating community service with educational content provides an approach to learning about sustainable practices while raising awareness of societal needs and future technological opportunities.