| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 73.93 |
| Liaison | Jim Dees |
| Submission Date | April 19, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Appalachian State University
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.38 / 8.00 |
Jennifer
Maxwell Resource Conservation Manager Physical Plant Administration |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 864.19 Tons | 400 Tons |
| Materials composted | 180.40 Tons | 25 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 90.39 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 1,851.52 Tons | 2,241 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 2,986.50 Tons | 2,666 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility, including affirmation that materials are sorted prior to conversion to recover recyclables and compostable materials:
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2016 | June 30, 2017 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2004 | June 30, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
FY 2005 was the first year that data was collected and recorded for waste reduction and recycling.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 5,873 | 4,803 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 28 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 3 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 18,099 | 13,812 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 3,002 | 2,564 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 897 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 16,631.25 | 13,482.75 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.18 Tons | 0.20 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 |
| 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:
cardboard, book, shedded confidential paper, sawdust, batteries
Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year (e.g. materials that are actively diverted from the landfill or incinerator and refurbished/repurposed) :
Does the institution use single stream recycling (a single container for commingled recyclables) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
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?:
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?:
Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program (percentage, 0-100):
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:
audits, sorting and trainings, signage, color-coded bins
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives, e.g. initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices such as signage and competitions:
audits, sorting and trainings, signage, color-coded bins
participation in Recyclemania
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
The university conducted a comprehensive solid waste and hazardous waste audit on campus in 2013.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
Information Technology Services:pharos printing system and print management solution, sharp copier initiative,
Purchasing: inkjet and toner cartridge purchasing program
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Our mission is to dispose of property declared surplus by using agencies through transfers or sales to other agencies, political sub-divisions, qualified non-profit
tax-exempt organizations,sale to the public or by recycling in a manner that provides the most benefit to North Carolina and its citizens.” -Robert A. Riddle
State Surplus Property Officer
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):
Trader-Yo's
Free Store
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):
Students are required to pay for the pages they print 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:
Course catalogs, course schedules, directories and the registration process are all available online. The application and deposit processes are online only. We do not do paper applications or receive deposits by postal mail.
ASU Learn and Open QWAQ are online applications
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
The Don't Throw It Away campaign collects gently used items from students who either no longer need or want, or don't want to take them home.
In the fall, those items are sold to incoming freshmen, transfer students and returning students who are looking for bargains to help outfit their dormitory hall room or apartment. The sale also is open to the public.
The BIG sale, as it is called, donated the money collected to local charities. In fall, the BIG Sale netted over $20,000 for area charities, and the Don’t Throw it Away campaign kept approximately 72 tons of waste out of the area landfill. This program has grown over the years thanks to generous volunteers.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Appalachian made a zero waste commitment with goal of reaching 90% diversion by 2022. Through this commitment we have instituted the minibin recycling system in order to bring awareness to individual consumption habits and reduce waste. We have removed trashcans from classrooms as another way to promote connection to individual habits and consumption. We began a zero waste stadium initiative this football season and work with concessions to divert waste through recycling and composting efforts. We continue to work upstream in order to minimize the waste produced on campus.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.