| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 80.73 |
| Liaison | Austin Eriksson |
| Submission Date | Oct. 3, 2024 |
California State University, Northridge
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.89 / 8.00 |
Aspen
Coty Zero Waste and Sustainability Coordinator Energy and Sustainability |
Parts 1 and 2. Waste per person
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 1,194.83 Tons | 320 Tons |
| Materials composted | 548.90 Tons | 110.55 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 54.61 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 1,220.30 Tons | 1,387.76 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 3,018.64 Tons | 1,818.31 Tons |
If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2023 | June 30, 2024 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2014 | June 30, 2015 |
If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:
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 | 2,872 | 2,660 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 22 | 12 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 84 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 29,866 | 32,513 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 3,106 | 3,065 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 1,141 | 3,232 |
| Weighted campus users | 24,680.75 | 24,927.50 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.12 Tons | 0.07 Tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
Part 3. Waste diverted from the landfill or incinerator
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 |
| Electronics | 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) | No |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Optional Fields
Active Recovery and Reuse
Recycling Management
Does the institution use dual stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Does the institution use multi-stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Contamination and Discard Rates
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. This year, the CSUN Zero Waste team started using a software called Zabble to track contamination on a bin-scale. The app takes photos of the waste receptacles and information is recorded on it fullness and contamination. The software has an online dashboard that is used to summarize the highest areas of contamination and what materials the campus is consistently inproperly sorting. Also, once a semester, Athens performs a waste characterization from a 200 lbs sample of each area of campus which gives us an estimated contamination and diversion rate for each stream.
Programs and 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's zero waste website and social media 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. The past year, CSUN had two California Climate Action Corps fellows that were full time Zero Waste Staff. They created several successful projects to reduce waste, particularly food recovery and CSUN student housing move out waste.
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 are done in the spring and fall semesters. They follow a standard information sheet wtih each type of recoverable and non-recoverable material broken down by weight from the 200 lbs sample per campus entity.
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. The CSU Plastics Policy and recent California State Bills are also reguarly advertised and outreach goes out through our website and social media to help educate buyers on such policies.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
CSUN runs a public auction site through Asset Management where the university sells surplus equipment, supplies, etc. The items on this site tend to end up being sold to campus employees, but some are sold to the community as well. Items from furniture, lab equipment, computers, and other misc. items.
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. The CSUN Zero Waste team has also implemented a student housing move out donation drive and Swap & Shop event that takes place during move out in May. This Swap & Shop encouages students to donate usable goods like clothing, mini-appliances, and non-perishable food while "shopping" from other students' donated items.
Associated Students Sustainability began a Thursday Thrift program where a few different student clubs like the Environmental Club put out donated clothing for other students to purchase for a small fee or donate clothing and swap for other items. This program has been a huge success so far.
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. We also promote and recommend the use of Adobe Sign or other digital signature and forms to avoid printing in general. Within Facilities Planning, we purchased a new plotting printer that uses ink balls instead of traditional ink jets that save on ink.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Most campus departments advertise through website, newsletters, social media, and email. This helps keep printing promotional material to a minimum. We have also created a Zero Waste Event guide that helps the campus community plan their events to create less waste, especially printing flyers and posters.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Our Mission:
Our goal was to reduce waste and promote sustainability by intercepting materials typically discarded in the trash during student move out periods. By collecting gently used clothing, non-perishable food items, and reusable mini appliances, we diverted these resources from landfills and instead redistributed them to those in need within our campus community and local organizations.
How it Works:
During the designated donation period, residents of CSUN Student Housing were encouraged to donate their unwanted but still usable items such as clothing, canned goods, and mini appliances. Donation collection stations were set up in residential halls for easy access and convenience. The CSUN Zero Waste team then collected donations, sorted them, and coordinated pickups or delivery with various organizations.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
AS Sustainability began a Thursday Thrift program where a few different student clubs like the Environmental Club put out donated clothing for other students to purchase for a small fee or donate clothing and swap for other items. This program has been a huge success so far.
Website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization and diversion efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.