Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 72.81
Liaison Austin Eriksson
Submission Date Nov. 29, 2021

STARS v2.2

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

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.02 / 8.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Parts 1 and 2. Waste per person

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 856.51 Tons 320 Tons
Materials composted 360.75 Tons 110.55 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold 44.07 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 976 Tons 1,387.76 Tons
Total waste generated 2,237.33 Tons 1,818.31 Tons

If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:

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 Jan. 1, 2019 Dec. 31, 2019
Baseline Period Jan. 1, 2014 Dec. 31, 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:
The baseline was used because this is the most accurate historical data available.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 3,081 2,660
Number of employees resident on-site 24 12
Number of other individuals resident on-site 82 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 32,470.81 32,513
Full-time equivalent of employees 3,260 3,065
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 178 3,232
Weighted campus users 27,522.86 24,927.50

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.08 Tons 0.07 Tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
0

Part 3. Waste diverted from the landfill or incinerator

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
56.38

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
56.38

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 No
Furniture Yes
Residence hall move-in/move-out waste Yes
Scrap metal Yes
Pallets Yes
Tires No
Other (please specify below) No

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

Active Recovery and Reuse

Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year:
0.94 Tons

Recycling Management 

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

Contamination and Discard Rates 

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

A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
CSUN's waste hauler, Athens Services, operates a MRF capable of sorting both municipal recycling and municipal waste. Both CSUN's landfill-bound material and recyclables are sorted by Athens to recover materials that were placed in the incorrect bin.

Programs and Initiatives 

A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
CSUN has done extensive education surrounding its zero waste plan. Presentations are regularly requested and delivered at guest lectures, department meetings, orientations, and other forums. CSUN also launched its new zero waste website which includes a zero waste pledge which can be taken by any campus member. This site also includes videos, infographics, and other resources to teach viewers about waste issues and simple actions they can take to reduce their waste generation.

A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
The University works with our waste hauler to perform campus wide waste audits twice a year. These typically are done in the spring and fall semesters.

A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
The University has an Environmentally Preferred Purchasing Policy in place that not only covers environmentally conscious products, but also emphasizes the need to reduce purchases and reduce waste.

A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Associated Students Recycling runs a sale/exchange program for students and employees, which is used for personal belongings and consumable office supplies. Students can post personal belongings for sale, while employees can post campus-purchased items that don't have a campus asset tag, which can be claimed for free by other employees for continued use on campus. This program led to the reuse of over 1,800 items by employees in 2019.

CSUN also runs a public auction site through the where the university sells surplus equipment, supplies, etc.

A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
Information about CSUN's peer-to-peer exchange program is shared at presentations to students and employees. It is also promoted on CSUN's sustainability website, and shared via CSUN's peer-to-peer employee educators, the Sustainability Champions.

A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
CSUN purchased and installed 94 new duplex printers for the campus printing labs as well as new print management software. This new system allows uniform printing quota for all students and limits them to 100 pages per semester. There are also signs by every printer and on the computer screens with messages to think before they print.

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials 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:
---

Website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization and diversion efforts 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.