| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 62.57 |
| Liaison | Kylee Singh |
| Submission Date | Feb. 16, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
California Polytechnic State University
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.13 / 8.00 |
Eric
Veium Energy & Sustainability Analyst Facilities Management & Development |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Parts 1 and 2: Waste Minimization
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 730 Tons | 1,391 Tons |
| Materials composted | 2,367 Tons | 1,456 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 90 Tons | 114 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 1,993 Tons | 3,242 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 5,180 Tons | 6,203 Tons |
If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:
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Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | Jan. 1, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2015 |
| Baseline Year | Jan. 1, 2008 | Dec. 31, 2008 |
If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:
In order to report for CSU Sustainability policy the 2008 baseline was established because it is the earliest date with consistent and reliable data available.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 7,377 | 5,362 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 14 | 14 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 1 | 1 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 20,213 | 19,777 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 2,387 | 2,229 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 18,798.75 | 17,849.50 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.28 Tons | 0.35 Tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
20.71
Part 3: Waste Diversion
61.53
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
61.53
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 | No |
| Cooking oil | Yes |
| Plant materials | Yes |
| Animal bedding | 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 |
| Tires | Yes |
| Other (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
In addition to the standard items that are recycled on campus there are also efforts to ensure mattresses from university housing are recycled and concrete and asphalt from demolition projects are properly disposed of.
Optional Fields
Active Recovery and Reuse
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Recycling Management
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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?:
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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?:
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Contamination and Discard Rates
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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
Cal Poly recognizes that a comprehensive Zero Waste program is fundamental to advancing campus sustainability. Waste reduction is an area of significant opportunity for student engagement and cultural change. The core messages of campus cultural value and personal responsibility are captured in the program’s logo and motto: “Cal Poly Zero Waste, It’s in your Hands!” Throughout the years, Cal Poly has excelled in managing waste streams that are under Facilities’ direct control. Facilities Management has implemented numerous successful programs to manage the diverse waste streams generated on our campus including animal waste, green waste, pre-consumer food waste, furniture and surplus equipment, construction and demolition waste, and others. These programs have consistently diverted over 70% of waste from landfill. The consumer waste stream - the waste placed in trash or recycle bins by individual faculty, staff, and students on a daily basis - has proven to be much more challenging to improve. For decades, Cal Poly has had a basic consumer waste recycling program which has focused on making recycling bins and collection service available across campus. Unfortunately, this generally passive program has resulted in approximately 80% of consumer waste going to landfill. State mandates, CSU policy, and increased awareness by the campus community leadership have driven a need to develop a comprehensive Zero Waste program with a commitment to flipping the consumer waste diversion rate from 80% landfill to 80% diversion by 2020. In early 2015, operations staff from Facilities, University Housing, ASI, Campus Dining, the Green Campus Program, and Zero Waste Club came together and formed a Zero Waste Collaborative to tackle the problem, pursuing two initial strategies:
• A Zero Waste pilot program was designed to quickly implement Zero Waste collection at several different locations, representing a major cross section of the campus including six freshman dorms, Kennedy Library, the University Union, and The Avenue central dining commons. The pilot focused on design and testing of triple-stream collection infrastructure (compost, recycle and landfill), safe materials handling methods, descriptive signage, and educational messaging.
• The Collaborative also focused on waste produced in “special streams” from large events such as commencement and summer new student orientation programs, engineering labs and architecture studios, housing move-in and move-out, and sporting events. Twice in the last year, senior level Environmental Engineering students in a Pollution Prevention class have evaluated these special streams and designed solutions for the campus to implement.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
In addition to strategies developed by the Zero Waste Collaborative, the Zero Waste Club and Green Campus team are hosting educational outreach activities for peer to peer cultural behavior change. Over the past year, club members worked closely with Facilities and Campus Dining, performing regular waste audits at The Avenue to identify the effectiveness of improved 3D signage created and installed by the Zero Waste Club, as well as tabling at events across campus to educate students. Future initiatives include a Material Reuse Depot on campus and a drive to eliminate single use bottled water and plastic bags from all campus locations.
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:
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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):
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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:
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A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
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A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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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.