Overall Rating | Gold |
---|---|
Overall Score | 71.36 |
Liaison | Michael Chapman |
Submission Date | Sept. 20, 2023 |
Nova Scotia Community College
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
Status | Score | Responsible Party |
---|---|---|
6.13 / 8.00 |
Martha
MacGowan Project Assistant- Sustainability Facilities & Engineering |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Materials recycled | 46.60 Tons | 252.90 Tons |
Materials composted | 75 Tons | 162 Tons |
Materials donated or re-sold | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 202.60 Tons | 302.30 Tons |
Total waste generated | 324.20 Tons | 717.20 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date | End Date | |
Performance Period | Sept. 5, 2022 | Sept. 5, 2023 |
Baseline Period | Sept. 7, 2011 | Sept. 7, 2012 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Number of students resident on-site | 309 | 180 |
Number of employees resident on-site | 2 | 0 |
Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 12,817 | 10,215 |
Full-time equivalent of employees | 1,945 | 1,619 |
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 926 | 70 |
Weighted campus users | 10,454.75 | 8,868 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.03 Tons | 0.08 Tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
In the waste figures reported above, has the institution recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold the following materials?:
Yes or No | |
Paper, plastics, glass, metals, and other recyclable containers | Yes |
Food | Yes |
Cooking oil | Yes |
Plant materials | Yes |
Animal bedding | No |
White goods (i.e. appliances) | Yes |
Electronics | Yes |
Laboratory equipment | Yes |
Furniture | Yes |
Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | Yes |
Scrap metal | Yes |
Pallets | No |
Tires | Yes |
Other (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year:
Does the institution use single stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Does the institution use dual stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Does the institution use multi-stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program:
A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
Waste audits are conducted bi-annually (once a semester) at every NSCC campus. At many campuses, students participate in the audits and assist with sorting. Students then take on waste diversion as a class project. They will have education sessions on campus, including information booths at lunchtime, students stationed at waste sorting stations to assist with sorting, and social media campaigns to promote waste sorting.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Waste is weighed for each category to determine the campus' diversion rate (what percentage of total waste is being diverted from landfill), capture rate, and waste reduction rate. NSCC follows the Recycle Council of Ontario's Standard Waste Auditing Method.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
3.1.7 Sustainable Procurement
Sustainable Procurement involves a holistic approach to obtaining the best value for goods and services. NSCC, where economically viable and operationally feasible, shall ensure that sustainable procurement criteria are embedded in all purchasing decisions. Sustainable criteria may include, but are not limited to:
Environmental Considerations: Greenhouse gas impact, waste impact, recycled content, re-usability/ end-of-life disposal requirements.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
NSCC also has "dump-and-run" stores for its three student housing sites for students to donate unwanted items during move-out, which allows other students to take things for move-in the following year. Items can include clothing, books, furniture, and appliances.
Many NSCC campuses have clothing closets, and employees and students are encouraged to donate clothes that the campus community can take from when in need.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
• 10 cents/page for black and white laser output prints;
• 50 cents/page for colour laser output prints;
• Costs of plots will be based on plotted area.
If a student uses all their printing credits, purchasing additional credits from the Campus Business Office [or Campus Bookstore] during regular office hours is possible. A minimum purchase of $5 is required.
The college also has all printers set at default double-sided, black-and-white printing college-wide.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
For NSCC staff, the College uses "Connect," an intranet service that provides all forms, documents and information the staff requires. These files are not printed and distributed.
This year the College's Annual Sustainability Report is 100% electronic with no printed copies available. Many other major public reports are going in this direction.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
The College also follows a multi-tiered disposal system, and staff assist students during moving in/move to out to properly sort their waste. All plastics and cardboard are recycled by NSCC.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization and diversion efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Since the baseline, NSCC has observed a drop in the total waste produced. This can be attributed to our efforts to educate individuals on waste diversion and reduction, as evidenced by our data. For the 2022/23 audit period, the most recent data indicates a significant reduction in waste quantities, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and our implementation of a flex work policy. Many of our employees now work remotely, either full-time or part-time, and a greater portion of our students participate in online learning, which was previously conducted entirely on campus. With fewer individuals on-site, we have noticed a decrease in waste quantities.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.