Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 42.65
Liaison Winnie Kwofie
Submission Date April 19, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

California State University, East Bay
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.62 / 8.00 Loralyn Perry
Energy & Utilities Manager
FDO - Energy Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Parts 1 and 2: Waste Minimization 

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 731.95 Tons 1,734.10 Tons
Materials composted 405.20 Tons 0 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 1,391.69 Tons 1,004.20 Tons
Total waste generated 2,528.84 Tons 2,738.30 Tons

If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:

A brief description of the residual conversion facility, including affirmation that materials are sorted prior to conversion to recover recyclables and compostable materials:
Cal State East Bay has individual waste receptacles and dumpsters on campus for compost, recycle, and landfill waste. Compost and landfill items are collected by Waste Management and taken to the Davis Street Transfer Station in San Leandro, CA for additional sorting and disposal. Recycling is collected by Caraustar, reviewed for contamination, and distributed to various recycling centers in the area.

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2017 June 30, 2018
Baseline Year July 1, 2013 June 30, 2014

If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:

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):
Baseline year 2013-2014 for STARS was chosen in alignment with CSUEB initial Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GHG). The GHG Inventory coincides with waste generated on CSUEB campuses.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 1,562 1,457
Number of employees resident on-site 5 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 2 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 13,735 13,369
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 1,894 1,346
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 12,115.50 11,400.50

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.21 Tons 0.24 Tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
13.10

Part 3: Waste Diversion

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
44.97

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
44.97

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 Yes
Furniture Yes
Residence hall move-in/move-out waste Yes
Scrap metal No
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:
Cal State East Bay has a program for repurposing unwanted items. Items are first posted to a centralized website for sale, if items are not sold the campus tries to donate the items, if items cannot be donated they are sent to recycle or landfill. During the data collection process for this credit, the person responsible for this information was out of the office on long-term leave. Therefore, a data point was not submitted.

Optional Fields 

Active Recovery and Reuse

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) :
---

Recycling Management 

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?:
Yes

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?:
No

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?:
No

Contamination and Discard Rates 

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:
---

Programs and Initiatives 

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:
Some signage regarding waste reduction was posted in the Pioneer Heights residence halls.

A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Fall 2015 conducted a comprehensive campus waste audit of the Hayward and Concord campuses in accordance with Cascadia Consulting Group. In Winter 2015, completed a food waste audit in the Dining Commons.

A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
In accordance with the CSU Sustainability Policy, Cal State East Bay promotes the use of suppliers and 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.

A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Procurement Services handles all resale, repurposing, or donation of all surplus items on campus.

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):
An inter-campus email listserv called "MassMail" is regularly used by campus staff to share items that are available for exchange and reuse.

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):
In correlation with making materials available online, Cal State East Bay promotes and practices low consumption of paper and ink. Double sided prints are standard practice when materials must be printed on paper. There is also a cost for printing on campus.

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:
All forms and bulletins with Cal State East Bay are made available online. Departmental communication between staff and faculty members are performed electronically using tablets and smartphones.

A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Cal State East Bay’s student housing residents have the opportunity to unload unwanted reusable items and find some new treasures at FreeFest during Spring move-out. This program, hosted by Student Housing and supported by the Office of Sustainability, allows students to donate useful items and shop for items that their neighbors have discarded, free of charge. Items can be donated at El Dorado Hall or in the bins around Pioneer Heights. The event is for residents only, though anyone in the Cal State East Bay University community may attend the Friday of move-out. Accepted items include clothing, electronics, cleaning supplies, kitchenware, books and office supplies. Items that will not be accepted include undergarments, bathing suits, makeup and brushes or combs.

A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
The Procurement Office handles all surplus items. Items are first posted for sale, then if not sold are donated. If a donation is not possible, items are recycled. Sending suprlus items to the landfill is a last resort.

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:
Weighted Campus User in performance year for OP 19 differs from IC 3, because IC 3 indicates the current year as the performance year (AY18/19) and OP 19 indicates performance year for AY17/18 in alignment with most current dataset available when this credit criteria was completed.

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.