Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.71
Liaison Alex Davis
Submission Date Feb. 28, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Arizona State University
OP-23: Waste Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.68 / 3.00 Betty Lombardo
Manager
University Sustainability Practices
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

None
Materials diverted from the solid waste landfill or incinerator:
2,100 Tons

None
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator :
7,205 Tons

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A brief description of programs, policies, infrastructure investments, outreach efforts, and/or other factors that contributed to the diversion rate, including efforts made during the previous three years:
Arizona State University's stated goal for zero solid waste is 2015. To reach this goal the University has developed the following diversion programs: • Traditional consumer recycling programs diverting all grades of plastics, paper, glass, aseptic containers, and metal. • Special Recycling programs for electronics, batteries, CD's, sneakers, cell phones, toner cartridges. • Paying Arizona Correctional Industries $5 per mattress to recycle old residence hall mattresses. • Paint reclamation and diversion. • Campus Harvest - Harvesting food grown on the Polytechnic and Tempe Campuses for use in the dining facilities and the surrounding community. • SunSET - http://www.asu.edu/sunset to promote material and supply sharing between departments. • Composting landscaping waste at a local farm.

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A brief description of any food donation programs employed by the institution:
Since 2011, Arizona State University’s primary food service provider, ARAMARK, has a food donation program set up with WasteNot locally through the national Food Donation Connection network. While there is little surplus food in their operations due to production planning and a Food Waste Fundamentals program, what might exist is picked up from the Memorial Union by WasteNot and distributed to local shelters and institutions where needed. Their current Food Donation partnership with Food Donation Connection and Waste Not follows their corporate best practices regarding the handling of surplus food.

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A brief description of any pre-consumer food waste composting program employed by the institution:
Arizona State University’s primary food services provider, ARAMARK, started the Green Bin program through its Sun Devil Dining service during spring semester 2013 to collect pre-consumer food waste composting at nine food service locations on the ASU Tempe campus: Barrett Residential Restaurant, Hassayampa Residential Restaurant and Palo Verde (Devil’s Greens & Devil’s Diner) and five specialty coffee locations. The pre-consumer food waste composting program focuses on the collection of all organic waste generated from meal preparation including fruit and vegetable peels, egg shells, bones and meat ends, and compostable paper products. Sun Devil Dining has also partnered with ASU Grounds/Arboretum on the Grounds to Grounds program to compost coffee grounds on campus.

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A brief description of any post-consumer food waste composting program employed by the institution:
In collaboration with US EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge, collection and pickup of compostable food items began on November 15, 2012 at dining halls in Barrett (The Honors College) and Hassayampa Academic Village on the Tempe campus. During Spring 2013, the program phased in Palo Verde (also on the Tempe campus) and athletic events in Wells Fargo Arena. By 2015, the collection and pickup of compostable food items will occur in all food service areas, including dining halls, food courts, athletics venues, outdoor patios near food service, at strategic locations for special events, and in kitchenettes.

Does the institution include the following materials in its waste diversion efforts?:
Yes or No
Paper, plastics, glass, metals, and other recyclable containers Yes
Food donations Yes
Food for animals No
Food composting Yes
Cooking oil Yes
Plant materials composting Yes
Animal bedding composting No
Batteries Yes
Light bulbs Yes
Toner/ink-jet cartridges Yes
White goods (i.e. appliances) Yes
Laboratory equipment Yes
Furniture Yes
Residence hall move-in/move-out waste Yes
Scrap metal Yes
Pallets Yes
Motor oil Yes
Tires Yes

None
Other materials that the institution includes in its waste diversion efforts:
Lab glass, sports equipment, Styrofoam, polystyrene, books, wood, and construction and demolition debris.

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.