Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.28
Liaison David Blodgett
Submission Date March 30, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Babson College
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.89 / 8.00 Asheen Phansey
Director of Sustainability
President's Office
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Parts 1 and 2: Waste Minimization 

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 256.59 Metric tons 215.79 Metric tons
Materials composted 38.95 Metric tons 0 Metric tons
Materials donated or re-sold 11.32 Metric tons 21.56 Metric tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Metric tons 0 Metric tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 900.75 Metric tons 1,524.98 Metric tons
Total waste generated 1,207.62 Metric tons 1,762.33 Metric tons

If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:

A brief description of the residual conversion facility, including affirmation that materials are sorted prior to conversion to recover recyclables and compostable materials:
The Covantea SEMASS facility that incinerates our waste notes that "The facility also recovers nearly 35,000 tons of recyclable ferrous and non-ferrous metals annually from pre-combustion magnets and bottom ash processing." (This does not appear to be fully integrated recovery system, and as such is not claimed under the residual conversion section) https://www.covanta.com/Our-Facilities/Covanta-SEMASS

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, 2005 June 30, 2006

If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:

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):
Oldest solid waste data available and aligns with baseline for GHG emissions.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 1,896 1,417
Number of employees resident on-site 14 12
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 3,471 2,715
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 875.38 694.50
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 3,737.29 2,914.38

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.32 Metric tons 0.60 Metric tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
46.56

Part 3: Waste Diversion

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
25.41

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
25.41

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 No
Tires Yes
Other (please specify below) No

A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
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Optional Fields 

Active Recovery and Reuse

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) :
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Recycling Management 

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?:
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 

Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program (percentage, 0-100):
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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 

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:
Babson uses the Recycle Across America "Mixed Recycling" labels, and has worked to align containers to color standards of blue for recycling and green for compost.

A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Waste Audits have been conducted annually since 2014 to identify contamination rates and opportunities to increase diversion.

A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
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A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
All office furniture is collected by Facilities Management with a priority for re-use on campus. If there is no need on campus, it is sent for re-use through IRN. An annual office supply swap is hosted every summer.

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):
All printing is tracked on campus, and individuals are sent emails letting them know how much they print, how it compares to a previous comparable time span, and how to reduce their printing. Over the past several years, our paper use has been dropping by several percentage points every semester. All printers are set to double sided by default.

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:
Babson's IT department has been working with campus offices to digitize many processes, such as making paperwork from HR available online instead. Additionally, the College has a policy to promote scanning documents and sharing electronically instead of printing copies.

A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Our move-out program is called Slash the Trash. During move-out collection points are made available in the residence halls for common recyclables as well as clothing, electronics, books, food and other reusable items. These are collected by facilities staff and transported to a variety of outlets both internally and externally, with a priority to re-use over recycling. Our primary partner is Goodwill.

A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
The Zero Waste Challenge is an week-long annual competition to produce as little waste as possible. Participants collect all waste that they cannot recycle or compost and carry it with them during the week long competition.

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.