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A quarter-mile from pig racing and horse riding at the Washington County Fair, a small group sits in the shadow of four brown trash bins digging through garbage.

Irene Ruef nears the bottom of a bag. "It's getting soupy in here," she says with a laugh.

"Oh, I just love chewing gum," says Aymie Reynolds, avoiding it as she picks out items and adds them to a yellow bin of compostables.

Researchers call these nose-plugging events "waste sorts," a way to separate garbage by category and estimate how much can be recycled or composted. The sorts could turn the stomachs of even eco-friendly Portlanders, especially on a scorching day at the fair.

But for students in the Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling class at Portland State University, they are an academic endeavor. Students spend the summer studying waste habits at events like outdoor concerts, taking pictures, reaching into trash cans and recycling bins and analyzing their number, placement and use. They dissect the event setup and even the maintenance staff's habits.

At one event, they critiqued how recycling bins were not immediately next to trash cans -- the ideal way to encourage recycling by making the two equally easy for people to find.

Ultimately, the class is centered on civic engagement, as students partner with Gresham and Hillsboro to provide research and advise the cities on the benefits of better waste management.

Whether reading about landfills or digging through garbage bins, one thing's for sure -- these students aren't going green to be trendy. They chose this course from PSU's dozens of capstone courses -- all undergraduates must take one to graduate -- despite the "ick" factor.

Shanna Eller, class instructor and the director of the campus' Community Environmental Services, says the public tends to have an "out of sight, out of mind" attitude toward trash.

"No one really wants to touch the garbage. There's a squeamishness," she says. "It's a luxury to not have to deal with our waste."

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the 10 students file into Clay Building Room 201. They go to great lengths putting their beliefs to practice. One totes a glass jar of juice. Another two grasp clear glass mugs of coffee -- borrowed from a local coffee shop after convincing the barista they'd return the mugs after class.

While a photo slideshow plays on a projection screen, the students sit in a circle and discuss the history of waste. They exchange tips on finding eco-friendly products at wallet-friendly prices. One recommends a store that pumps shampoo right into your reusable container.

And gaps in the waste management of Portland -- a leader in sustainability -- illustrate there's a need for improvement in all cities.

"Sometimes it works against us," says Moonrose Doherty of Portland's green reputation. "We stopped before we got to the finish line."

Reynolds pinches a page of her notebook with two fingers, noting that people often forget it came from a tree. "It's a resource that we've taken, and having it go to a landfill and be buried doesn't make sense," she says.

The first week of class, students had to collect all their personal waste, except medical and bathroom waste. They toted the trash to class and analyzed how much they threw away -- and how much they could have recycled or composted.

Now, they hope to spread their zeal for reuse in the metropolitan area. They want local consumers to cut down on waste even through little things, like avoiding the apple wrapped in plastic. With their research, they hope communities will move toward compostable or limited-waste events.

Eller describes events such as Gresham's Art Walk or Hillsboro's Tuesday Market as educational opportunities.

"These public events are the face of the city," she says. "If people are not offered the opportunity to recycle at these events, they are not taught the importance of sustainability and conservation."

When sorting waste, students say they often get confused stares or curious looks but they often hear, "Way to go," too.

John Michael, a business major, admits he entered the class with his own stereotypes. "I had some thoughts about the people who'd be in it," he says. "That's changed a lot."

The class's local partnership has brought PSU alumna Karen Guillen-Chapman full circle. Guillen-Chapman, now Gresham's recycling coordinator, says her city will apply for state grants after reviewing the report. With the grants, Gresham aims to better equip community events with recycling bins and workers. When cities hold multiple summer events -- as often happens -- bins can be difficult to come by.

Unlike energy alternatives and water conservation, waste badly needs academic attention, Guillen-Chapman says. "I don't think many people get a degree and say, 'I want to go and work in garbage,' like they say, 'I want to go and work in water conservation,'" she says.

"When we look at a green economy and green jobs, I think it's important not to forget that recycling was part of the original environmental movement," Guillen-Chapman adds. "And it still is an important part."

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http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/08/hold_your_nose_class_is_in.html