Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
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Overall Score | 60.78 |
Liaison | Jessica Bowen |
Submission Date | March 4, 2019 |
Executive Letter | Download |
Aquinas College
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion
Status | Score | Responsible Party |
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6.07 / 8.00 |
Jessica
Eimer Bowen Director of Sustainability Center for 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 | 60 Tons | 35 Tons |
Materials composted | 46.60 Tons | 0 Tons |
Materials donated or re-sold | 1.60 Tons | 0 Tons |
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 49.70 Tons | 242.90 Tons |
Total waste generated | 157.90 Tons | 277.90 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 | July 1, 2017 | June 30, 2018 |
Baseline Year | July 1, 2005 | June 30, 2006 |
If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:
This is when the Center for Sustainability was established and therefore, when the tracking of waste generation rates began.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Number of students resident on-site | 790 | 791 |
Number of employees resident on-site | 8 | 0 |
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 4 | 0 |
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 1,469.30 | 1,888 |
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 410 | 289.30 |
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
Weighted campus users | 1,612.98 | 1,830.73 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.10 Tons | 0.15 Tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
35.51
Part 3: Waste Diversion
68.52
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
68.52
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:
Aquinas offers "Terracycle" recycling (for snack bags, candy wrappers, brita water filters, granola and energy bars, cheese packaging, personal beauty items, and cereal bags) across campus.
Optional Fields
Active Recovery and Reuse
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Recycling Management
Yes
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?:
No
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:
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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:
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A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
Our college culture is rooted in frugal spending. We only buy when absolutely necessary and trade whenever possible.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
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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):
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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:
Aquinas has made a switch to more resourceful multi-function machines. These machines allow students and faculty to scan, print, and make copies more efficiently than the old machines. One notable function of these machines is the ability to scan documents, convert them into .pdf format, and email them in order to provide a digital copy of the document. The multi-function machines are set to environmentally friendly defaults, including better margins, reduced toner usage, and double-sided printing automatically. Overall, our wish is to reduce the amount of printing necessary and paper used on campus, and these new machines can help us do so.
Aquinas Faculty members are also encouraged to use the online "Course Connect" system for online viewing of syllabi and other course materials, rather than printing the documents.
Our assembly meetings are also "paperless," with agendas and supporting meeting materials view-able on a projector, rather than printed.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
A large amount of trash tends to be generated during move-in, so the Zero Waste Team is present in full force. In addition to the recycling and composting bins in place, additional Goodwill donation bins are added to all of the residence halls, apartments, and houses. Signs are hung on the trash room doors to remind students of these special collections, and encourage re-thinking of waste disposal habits.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
All residence halls, apartments, and houses on campus have composting, recycling, special recycling (styrofoam, e-waste, batteries, ink cartridges, and goodwill collections) in place. Composting and recycling is also available on every floor of ever building on campus, and one special collection area is available in each building. All trash cans have also been removed from classrooms (with the exception of a few rooms like art studios), to encourage personal responsibility for waste and get us closer to our zero waste goals.
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.