| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 54.99 |
| Liaison | Denice Koljonen |
| Submission Date | Feb. 6, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Boston College
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.69 / 8.00 |
gerard
boyle Director Custodial |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 1,085.40 Tons | 1,188.39 Tons |
| Materials composted | 377.20 Tons | 297.75 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 1 Tons | 1 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 2,602.50 Tons | 2,837.08 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 4,066.10 Tons | 4,324.22 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility, including affirmation that materials are sorted prior to conversion to recover recyclables and compostable materials:
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | Jan. 1, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2017 |
| Baseline Year | Jan. 1, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2016 |
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):
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 7,485 | 7,446 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 99 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 13,520 | 13,420 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 3,350 | 3,300 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 291 | 528 |
| Weighted campus users | 14,330.25 | 14,005.50 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.28 Tons | 0.31 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 |
| Laboratory equipment | No |
| Furniture | No |
| Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | Yes |
| Scrap metal | Yes |
| Pallets | Yes |
| 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 (e.g. materials that are actively diverted from the landfill or incinerator and refurbished/repurposed) :
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?:
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?:
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?:
Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program (percentage, 0-100):
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:
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:
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
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):
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):
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:
Course catalogs, schedules and directories are all available online for student and employee use.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
BCClean
Sustainability, community outreach and social awareness come together in the University’s annual BC Clean program. In 2011 Boston College found a solution to the annual issue of what to do with all of the furniture and appliances that are left behind every year when the school year ends and students move out. Through BC Clean, students can donate unwanted items in good condition. This includes clothing, non-perishable food, books, appliances, general household goods and furniture. All donations are collected by local non-profit organizations that distribute them to individuals and families in the greater Boston community. Since the program’s inception, over 228 tons of items have been redirected from waste to local charities.
BC Clean represents three university departments working together, with students, to provide an opportunity to serve others. The three departments are the Office of Residential Life, Custodial Services and the Office of Sustainability. Students and staff run drop-off locations in designated dormitory lounges throughout campus. Students are asked to bring the items they have set aside to these locations. The program is conducted in a manner that is thoughtful to students and parents since moving out is a very busy and emotional time for many.
Since the program started, BC Clean has collected, distributed to community charities, and kept out of landfills the following:
• 155 tons of household goods
• 65 tons of clothing
• 769 refrigerators
• 8.3 tons of non-perishable food items
• 29,200 books
https://www.bc.edu/offices/reslife/lifeinhalls/transitions/eoy_closing/BCclean.html
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Every Bite Counts
BC Dining is excited to support Every Bite Counts (eBC), a student volunteer group, in its efforts to donate food to over 40 nonprofits in the Greater Boston area. eBC was started in 2005 by Associate Director of Food and Beverage, Michael Kann, and freshman at the time, Molly Murphy. Throughout the years, eBC has worked with a variety of organizations including the Greater Boston Food Bank and the Veterans' Shelter; however, their mission to combat hunger has remained the same. eBC is currently partnered with Loving Spoonfuls, a food rescue organization.
The student group separates, packages, and weighs the food Sunday to Thursday nights and then coordinates pick up time with Loving Spoonful, who then delivers the food to homeless shelters, soup kitchens, food pantries, and other community centers and programs in Boston. What started out as a simple question: "What happens to all the extra food in the university's dining halls at the end of the night?" has now turned into an operation of over 40 students working in two of the major dining units on campus with the hopes of incorporating a third. The collaboration with BC Dining and Every Bite Counts has been a successful venture that has improved use of excess food, increased sustainability, and curbed surplus food production. "Every Bite Counts would not be possible without the effectiveness and transparency of BC Dining," said student leader Lynn Patrella. "Boston College Dining was immediately receptive and helped myself and the other student leaders start-up food recovery and eBC again on campus." BC Dining is excited to work with eBC to take the University's mission of "Men and Women for Others" and extend it BC Dining Services.
https://www.bc.edu/offices/dining/sustain0/WasteManagement.html
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Baseline data was taken from Factbook 2013-14, Page 73 Student residence on Campus. Performance data was taken from Factbook 2017-18: FTE, Undergraduates Students Studying Abroad, Number of Student Residents On Site, and Full-Time Faculty and Staff.
BC Clean Info:
https://www.bc.edu/offices/reslife/lifeinhalls/transitions/eoy_closing/BCclean.html
Baseline data was taken from Factbook 2013-14, Page 73 Student residence on Campus. Performance data was taken from Factbook 2017-18: FTE, Undergraduates Students Studying Abroad, Number of Student Residents On Site, and Full-Time Faculty and Staff.
BC Clean Info:
https://www.bc.edu/offices/reslife/lifeinhalls/transitions/eoy_closing/BCclean.html
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.