Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 69.72
Liaison Roxane Beigel-Coryell
Submission Date March 3, 2023

STARS v2.2

California State University, Channel Islands
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 5.92 / 8.00 Roxane Beigel-Coryell
Sustainability & Energy Manager
Facilities Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 189.17 Tons 289.17 Tons
Materials composted 233.70 Tons 356.84 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 298.90 Tons 320.79 Tons
Total waste generated 721.77 Tons 966.80 Tons

A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
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Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Period July 1, 2021 June 30, 2022
Baseline Period Jan. 1, 2018 Dec. 31, 2018

A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
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Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 1,231 1,020
Number of employees resident on-site 13 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 5,580.70 4,315
Full-time equivalent of employees 826.50 520
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 7.60 0
Weighted campus users 5,110.70 3,881.25

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.14 Tons 0.25 Tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
43.30

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
58.59

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
58.59

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 No
Plant materials Yes
Animal bedding No
White goods (i.e. appliances) No
Electronics No
Laboratory equipment No
Furniture No
Residence hall move-in/move-out waste Yes
Scrap metal Yes
Pallets Yes
Tires No
Other (please specify below) Yes

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

The university does recycle electronics, white goods, and cooking oil, however those items are not represented in the figures reported above. The figures reported above only reflect landfilled waste, mixed recycling, yard waste, composted food waste, wood waste, and metal.


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?:
Yes

Does the institution use dual stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
No

Does the institution use multi-stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
No

Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program:
9

A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:

CSUCI has implemented new waste bins with color-coded lids and signs, restrictive openings, and educational signage to help reduce contamination and support proper waste sorting at the point of disposal. The university also hosts waste management workshops at least once a year to educate the campus community about proper waste disposal and waste prevention strategies.


A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:

CSUCI uses digital screens, social media, and class presentations to do outreach including waste reduction tips and the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling correctly. The sustainability Instagram account regularly features sustainability swaps, highlighting ways to ditch disposable items for reusable ones. The sustainability office also created a rack card that highlights 10 sustainable swap ideas, highlighting products such as utensils, menstrual cups, bags, and dryer balls.


A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:

CSU Channel Islands tracks waste totals on a monthly and annual basis to monitor diversion rates and waste generation totals. The campus has a goal to achieve 80% diversion from the landfill by 2040. Periodically the campus conducts waste audits to better understand what the campus waste stream is composed of and to measure the contamination rate in each waste stream. To complete waste audits, we collect waste bags from specific buildings and sort through all waste by hand, making note of which items are being improperly sorted. This information is used to tailor communication and outreach materials to help the population better understand how to properly sort their waste for recycling, composting, or landfill.


A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:

CSU Channel Islands abides by the CSU Sustainability Policy that states the following procurement policies:

1. Campuses shall promote use of suppliers and/or vendors who reduce waste, re-purpose recycled material, or support other environmentally friendly practices in the provision of goods or services to the CSU under contract. This may include additional evaluation points in solicitation evaluations for suppliers integrating sustainable and socially responsible practices.

2. To move to zero waste, campus practices should: (1) encourage use of products that minimize the volume of trash sent to landfill or incinerators; (2) participate in the CalRecycle Buy-Recycled program or equivalent; and (3) increase recycled content purchases in all Buy-Recycled program product categories.

3. Campuses shall continue to report on all recycled content product categories, consistent with PCC § 12153-12217 and shall implement improved tracking and reporting procedures for their recycled content purchases.

4. Campuses shall align procedures with state initiatives to report environmental product declarations for select construction materials, consistent with PCC §3500-3505 and state mandates.

5. Campuses shall promote circular economies2 by seeking to reduce waste when considering materials purchases, including but not limited to, office supplies, equipment, classroom supplies, and promotional and giveaway items by minimizing purchase of items that have a short useful life, are unable to be recycled, and/or are made of unsustainable or carbon intensive materials.


A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:

CSUCI's surplus program manages all used furniture and other property on campus. When an individual has property they no longer need, they place a work order for the property to be taken to surplus. If furniture is broken or in poor condition, it is placed in the correct recycle roll off box (wood, metal). Furniture that is in good condition is stored in a warehouse on campus. This furniture is made available to anyone in search of furniture for their office.

Furniture that cannot be used on campus is placed for sale on an auction site. Every attempt is made to sell furniture before items are recycled or otherwise discarded.


A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:

Various clubs and organizations at CSUCI host clothing swaps several times each year. At the clothing swaps, students and employees are encouraged to bring gently used clothing that they no longer need and are invited to take clothing brought by their peers. The Basic Needs Program also provides students in need with gift cards to local Goodwill locations where students can purchase gently used clothing.


A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:

Printing is controlled by use of student ID card accounts in the Broome Library and other locations on campus. The default is to print double-sided everywhere on campus, where applicable. For employees on campus, printing is charged to each department per impression, encouraging departments to limit paper and ink consumption to reduce their budgetary impact.


A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:

CSU Channel Islands endeavors to make materials available online, rather than printing them, whenever possible. For example, the course catalog is primarily available online, though print and DVD options are available for anyone who may have problems accessing the catalog online. The printed copies of the catalog are printed on recycled paper.

The campus makes the class schedule available online and no longer prints this material; although, the bookstore has this available to students wanting a printed copy through a printed demand service. No directories are printed, due to it being online.


A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:

At the end of the semester, CSU Channel Islands staff communicates the importance of continuing to live green during move-out by donating items that can be reused and providing many recycle bins for those materials that can be recycled. Suggestions of specific items that could be reused or recycled are provided to residents. During the actual move-out week, housing staff helps monitor this process to reduce waste and encourage reuse and recycling. At the end of each school year housing sets up a donation station where students can donate unwanted items and other students can take items for reuse. Housing is also looking into using the items donated that were not picked up again at the beginning of the school year as a donation station for incoming students, particularly for cleaning supplies and other household items that many students need.


A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
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Website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization and diversion efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

All waste generation totals are received from the university's waste hauler through monthly weight reports. The reports detail the total tons of waste hauled for each waste type: trash, mixed recycling, metal, landscaping waste, and food waste.


All waste generation totals are received from the university's waste hauler through monthly weight reports. The reports detail the total tons of waste hauled for each waste type: trash, mixed recycling, metal, landscaping waste, and food waste.

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.