| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 60.97 |
| Liaison | Natalie Hayes |
| Submission Date | Aug. 6, 2020 |
Bentley University
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.57 / 8.00 |
Natalie
Hayes Associate Director of Sustainability Office of Sustainability |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 373.70 Tons | 168.73 Tons |
| Materials composted | 196.50 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 15.20 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 741.20 Tons | 1,361.36 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 1,326.60 Tons | 1,530.09 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
Our solid waste is taken to the trash to energy Covanta facility in Haverhill, MA. All of our solid waste is burned for electricity at this facility.
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2018 | June 30, 2019 |
| Baseline Period | 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. We created a baseline in order to measure our progress towards a better diversion rate.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 3,313 | 3,330 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 14 | 12 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 5,170 | 4,989 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 978 | 779 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 88 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 5,376.75 | 5,161.50 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.25 Tons | 0.30 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 |
| Electronics | 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:
Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year:
Does the institution use single stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Does the institution use dual stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Does the institution use multi-stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program:
A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
Casella sends Bentley University pictures of every contaminated load so that we can better address sorting problems. Annual recycling audits are also held to assess contamination rates and frequent mistakes. The average contamination rate was calculated by Casella.
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
In Spring 2018, Student Sustainability Leaders performed a Dorm Storm where they would visit all dorms on campus to collect plastic grocery bags for recycling and to inform each residence hall that recyclables cannot be bagged. The program saw recycling spike and maintain higher diversion rates after the program was finished.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Annual audits are performed with Casella to assess recycling mix of contaminants and proportions of recycling materials (paper, plastic, glass, etc.).
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
N/A
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
The Office of Sustainability created an online office swap on our employee portal so that people could exchange supplies at any time for free.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
Give 'N Go is a sustainable move-out program that reduces trash generation, encourages community engagement via student exchange, and promotes donation. The program is run over the course of the move out week with five, staffed drop off locations. Students are allowed to swap at each location as a means to educate the student body about reusing materials.
There is a Bentley Facebook Group dedicated to selling, swapping, and donating goods for reuse.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
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.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Bentley University has moved many essential university functions online including, employee time sheet tracking, human resource paperwork, admissions procedures, student financial services, class registration and the sharing of class materials (via BlackBoard). The university's website is equipped with all essential information that should not require print-outs.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Give 'N Go is a sustainable move-out program that reduces trash generation, encourages community engagement via student exchange, and promotes donation. This program provides a convenient solution to redistribute reusable items that students no longer need or want as they are moving out of their residence halls each May. The program is run over the course of the move out week with five, staffed drop off locations. Students are allowed to swap at each location as a means to educate the student body about reusing materials. All leftover material is donated to local charities.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
The university's Procurement Office works to redistribute as much existing office furniture as possible on the campus instead of throwing used furniture away. If furniture cannot be reused on campus, the office seeks to donate materials to local community colleges and public schools.
Website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization and diversion efforts 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.