Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
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Overall Score | 73.17 |
Liaison | Megan Litke |
Submission Date | Feb. 28, 2018 |
Executive Letter | Download |
American University
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion
Status | Score | Responsible Party |
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3.23 / 8.00 |
Hannah
Moskowitz Sustainability Analyst Office of Sustainability |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Parts 1 and 2: Waste Minimization
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Materials recycled | 430.28 Metric tons | 747.07 Metric tons |
Materials composted | 126.88 Metric tons | 0 Metric tons |
Materials donated or re-sold | 27.98 Metric tons | 0 Metric tons |
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Metric tons | 0 Metric tons |
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 1,247.44 Metric tons | 994.59 Metric tons |
Total waste generated | 1,832.58 Metric tons | 1,741.66 Metric tons |
If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:
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Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date | End Date | |
Performance Year | May 1, 2016 | April 30, 2017 |
Baseline Year | Jan. 1, 2005 | Dec. 31, 2005 |
If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:
The waste generation baseline was adopted in calendar year 2005 and was chosen based on the data available.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Number of students resident on-site | 3,895 | 3,200 |
Number of employees resident on-site | 13 | 0 |
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 12,504 | 10,000 |
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 2,756 | 2,500 |
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 871 | 0 |
Weighted campus users | 11,768.75 | 10,175 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.16 Metric tons | 0.17 Metric tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
9.03
Part 3: Waste Diversion
31.93
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
31.93
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 |
Laboratory equipment | Yes |
Furniture | Yes |
Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | Yes |
Scrap metal | Yes |
Pallets | Yes |
Tires | Yes |
Other (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Clothing, Ewaste, vehicle batteries, lamps, batteries
Optional Fields
Active Recovery and Reuse
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Recycling Management
No
Does the institution use dual stream (two separate containers for recyclables, e.g. one for paper and another for plastic, glass, and metals) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
Yes
Does the institution use multi-stream recycling (multiple containers that further separate different types of materials) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
No
Contamination and Discard Rates
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A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed, e.g. efforts to minimize contamination and/or monitor the discard rates of the materials recovery facilities and mills to which materials are diverted:
Our waste on campus is very actively managed. We have a 6 person crew who's primary role is to ensure that the recycling on campus is managed appropriately, with the lowest levels of contamination possible. Each staff member is trained on how to spot contaminated bags of recycling or compost and is empowered to "reject" bags to ensure entire loads are not rejected. Our Zero Waste Manager reviews all weight tickets from our waste haulers to ensure that they are taking the materials to the appropriate processing facility and that the facilities are in line with our Zero Waste Goals.
Programs and Initiatives
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A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
American University works with multiple environmental science labs per year to do waste audits on campus. This data is used to asses contamination rates and determine additional areas for improvement. Our Zero Waste Manager also tracks all waste produced by the university monthly to make sure all waste streams are performing appropriately.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
AU’s Zero Waste Policy calls for the university to strive for zero waste sent to landfills and incineration through refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost efforts.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
American University collects and stores surplus furniture, which is redistributed to other campus users. When this material is too much to keep in storage, it is shipped to a facility where the items are sold at a low cost to community members. There is no formal reuse program in place for office supplies.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse (e.g. of electronics, furnishings, books and other goods):
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A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption (e.g. restricting free printing and/or mandating doubled-sided printing in libraries and computer labs):
Black and white printing is $0.10 per page and color printing is $1.00 per page. Double sided printing is the default in the library and computer labs on campus.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials (e.g. course catalogs, course schedules, and directories) available online by default rather than printing them:
To reduce the amount of paper used, New Student Programs has eliminated the thousands of informational fliers it previously distributed to freshmen in favor of a digital format. The campus directory is available online and campus members may opt not to choose not to receive a print copy of the annual update.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Facilities Management, Office of Sustainability, and Housing and Dining coordinate a move-out program in the residence halls each spring. Clothes, shoes, unopened food, unused toiletries, household items, electronics, textbooks and more are collected, tested, cleaned, and sorted to be sold or donated after student move-out. In the past, we have managed to collect 4 (30yd) pods worth of move-out items. 2 of these pods (6,930 pounds) filled with clothes, shoes, and textiles were sold, donated, or recycled off-campus. In the fall, the Project Move-In sale was implemented where parents and incoming students bought these reusable items for a lower cost and helped divert a significant amount of waste from landfills. Over $5,000 was raised and contributed to the Student Zero Waste Club. This money was used to fund student scholarships for conferences.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Members of the AU Student Zero Waste Club started a move-out program in the residence halls each spring and a followup move-in program in the fall. Clothes, shoes, unopened food, unused toiletries, household items, electronics, textbooks and more are collected, tested, cleaned, and sorted to be sold or donated after student move-out. In the past, we have managed to collect 4 (30yd) pods worth of move-out items. 2 of these pods (6,930 pounds) filled with clothes, shoes, and textiles were sold, donated, or recycled off-campus. In the fall, the Project Move-In sale was implemented where parents and incoming students bought these reusable items for a lower cost and helped divert a significant amount of waste from landfills. Over $5,000 was raised and contributed to the Student Zero Waste Club. This money was used to fund student scholarships for conferences.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.