| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 56.91 |
| Liaison | Natalie Hayes |
| Submission Date | July 9, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Bentley University
OP-22: Waste Minimization
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.31 / 5.00 |
Natalie
Hayes Associate Director of Sustainability Office of Sustainability |
Waste generated::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 180 Tons | 168.73 Tons |
| Materials composted | 158 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials reused, donated or re-sold | 21.88 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 877 Tons | 1,361.36 Tons |
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 3,343 | 3,330 |
| Number of residential employees | 12 | 12 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 5,117 | 4,989 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 718 | 779 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 0 | 0 |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2012 | June 30, 2013 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2010 | June 30, 2011 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
Bentley only started tracking solid waste tonnage in FY2011. As such this year has been adopted as the baseline year.
A brief description of any (non-food) waste audits employed by the institution:
A brief description of any institutional procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
N/A
A brief description of any surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
The Office of Sustainability with the coordination of faculty and staff Eco Reps holds two Office Swaps per year. This is an opportunity for all departments to reuse and recycle office supplies with other departments.
A brief description of the institution's efforts to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
More and more departments such as Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Services have individually made a transition to paperless, online processes. The university's website is equipped with all essential information that should not require print-outs.
A brief description of any limits on paper and ink consumption employed by the institution:
Each Bentley student gets an annual printing balance based on part or full time status. Additional printing balance must be paid for outside of tuition. The maximum black and white copies allowed for full-time students are 800 per semester for $40. Fewer copies are allotted if printing in color. Faculty and staff must also take responsibility for their printing through the Copy Center which much be incorporated in each department's budget.
A brief description of any programs employed by the institution to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Give 'N Go is a sustainable Move-Out Program that reduces trash generation, encourages community via student exchange, and promotes donation. It provides a smart, convenient solution to redistribute reusable items that students no longer need or want. There are four drop off locations staffed by faculty and staff Eco Reps open during the last week of final exams. This program was launched in 2010 and typically collects 900 lbs of material annually.
A brief description of any other (non-food) waste minimization strategies employed by the institution:
A brief description of any food waste audits employed by the institution:
A food waste audit was conducted in 2011 to analyze the percentage of municipal solid waste that is made up of organic material.
Starting in the fall of 2012, all food waste, both pre- and post-consumer, is taken to a composting facility for sorting. It is a rough estimation that about 80% of the waste taken to this facility is organic and compostable.
The Office of Sustainability and Sodexo have held "weigh the waste" days to audit the amount of post consumer organic waste generated in the Seasons dining hall. This event serves both as an audit and a food waste educational campaign.
A brief description of any programs and/or practices to track and reduce pre-consumer food waste in the form of kitchen food waste, prep waste and spoilage:
In 2013 Bentley's food service provider, Sodexo, implemented "Lean Path" a program and online tool used to track pre-consumer food waste through kitchen prep and spillage.
A brief description of programs and/or practices to track and reduce post-consumer food waste:
Starting in the fall of 2012, all food waste, both pre- and post-consumer, is taken to WeCare composting facility for sorting. It is a rough estimation that about 80% of the waste taken to this facility is organic and compostable.
A brief description of the institution's provision of reusable and/or third party certified compostable to-go containers for to-go food and beverage items (in conjunction with a composting program):
Dining services provides compostable plates and cups for to go food and beverage items.
A brief description of the institution's provision of reusable service ware for “dine in” meals and reusable and/or third party certified compostable service ware for to-go meals (in conjunction with a composting program):
The main dining hall in the Student Center is purely dine-in, so reusable service ware (trayless) is the only option. There is no dine-in option at the other dining hall, but all to-go containers are either recyclable or compostable.
A brief description of any discounts offered to customers who use reusable containers (e.g. mugs) instead of disposable or compostable containers in to-go food service operations:
Faculty, staff and students who bring their reusable mugs to Einstein's, Dunkin' Donuts, or Starbucks franchises on campus, receive 25 cents off of beverage purchase. This applies to both cold and hot drinks.
A brief description of other dining services waste minimization programs and initiatives:
The website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization initiatives is available:
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.