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

The performance year was chosen based on the most recent 12 month fiscal period prior to starting work on the STARS report. The baseline year was determined by choosing the 12 month period prior to completing the first STARS assessment.

• Universal Waste: Sacramento State has a universal waste recycling program in which batteries including alkaline, carbon zinc, NiCad, Lithium Ion, Nickel-Metal Hydride... and light bulbs including Fluorescent, Incandescent, High-Intensity Discharge (HID) are collected and properly recycled by an external vendor. • Cardboard: in areas where the campus uses large amounts of cardboard for operations there are designated cardboard recycling compactors and dumpsters to prevent contamination with other materials and properly recycle it. • Construction Materials: For maintenance and small repairs by the campus facilities trades there are designated recycling “trailers” in which concrete, wood, and scrap metal are collected and properly recycled by an exterior vendor. • Electronic Waste: Sacramento State collects Televisions (CRT & Flat Panel), Monitors, Computers, Laptops, Tablets, Printers, Cell Phones DVD/VCRs, Speakers, Keyboards, Mice, Microwaves, Vacuums, Cables & Wires, refrigerators, and sent to be recycled under an external vendor. Additionally, Sacramento State has programs to recycle: Inert Materials, Latex Paints, and Pharmaceuticals.

Sacramento State employs two full-time recyclers who sort through the different recycling materials to ensure the recycling streams are sorted correctly and have zero to low contamination. They also sort through the campus tri-waste bins (compost, recycling, landfill) to ensure disposed items are hauled to the proper facilities. Additionally, Sacramento State has contamination control standards with the campus waste hauler to ensure any contamination found that more than 10% gets reported and addressed. The waste hauler sends pictures of the contaminants, the location on campus, and the date and time found.

Sacramento State has implemented multiple programs and initiatives for waste-related behavior change. • Oscar is an artificial intelligence "Smart Trash bin " that was placed at the university union to help the campus community properly sort their waste. This system detects what is on the user's hand and shows them on a screen which bin to use. Also, the system shows an "X" and makes noise when the user puts the item in the wrong bin. • Hornet Waste Challenge is a game created by the Office of Sustainability in which you can learn how to sort your waste in a fun way. By playing the game students, faculty, and staff can earn points, and win prizes. • What goes where? is the campus's current waste management guidelines to help them understand the campus waste management programs and the proper waste to dispose of especially materials. Education Boards: The campus ASI Green Team, audited the campus eateries and created educational boards with the items used on campus and in which bin the items go. • Waste Dashboard: a waste dashboard page in the sustainability dashboard for the university, shows the campus community the diversion rate for the campus and the waste diversion for most buildings on campus. • Educational Boards: The ASI Green Team which is the sustainability working group within the campus student government. Created educational boards using the items served in the campus eateries to show users where the item goes. • Hornet Trash Talks: the trash talks are 30-minute interactive training in which all campus offices and departments learn about the different recycling programs, how to dispose of their waste, and get any waste-related questions answered.

1. The Office of Sustainability conducted a waste audit and waste characterization study in the fall of 2022 using the contents of 90% of indoor tri-bins to determine which items are the most common items placed in the wrong bin and a better understanding of the campus waste. 2. The Office of Sustainability has conducted several audits to determine which trash and recycle cans should be relocated and removed. 3. The Office of Sustainability standardized all campus bins (indoors and outdoors) to now collect recycling, compost, and landfill materials in all campus areas. 4. Bills and invoices are routinely audited for trends in weight fluctuations and types of materials collected. 5. Spot checks are conducted on the campus' waste and recycling receptacles to reduce cross-contamination of waste and recycling streams. 6. All excess equipment and furniture are audited to determine whether those items are fit for reuse or to be recycled. 7. The Waste & Sustainability Analyst collects waste data monthly from several entities and subsidiaries of the university to determine which waste diversion programs and practices should be implemented on the campus. 8. The Waste & Sustainability Analyst collects waste data monthly from all campus vendors and inputs the data to the campus waste dashboard to track diversion rates and participation from the campus stakeholders. 9. Football game tailgate recycling events are conducted not only to collect recyclable materials but also to determine which and how much materials are being collected. 10. An annual Buy-Recycled report is required by all departments conducting purchases to ascertain how many purchases and the total dollar amount are being spent on products containing recycled content. This report is audited to ensure that sustainable purchase requirements are being met.

The University's Procurement office includes the promotion of sustainable purchasing on its website and includes the following info: 1.The University encourages its current suppliers to carry and promote sustainable products as part of their catalogs. 2. The Procurement office encourages its buyers to consider purchasing green products in lieu of other products. 3. Several benefits--environmental, monetary, and otherwise--are outlined on the Procurement website. 4. Additionally, the following tips are included to help a buyer make the most sustainable purchase: consolidate orders, use of electronic catalogs, buy items containing recycled content, double-sided printing, choosing renewable resources, opting for non-hazardous materials, buy local, look for energy efficient models, buy only what is needed and, finally, to spread the word to others to buy green. 5. Links to the EPA's Environmentally Preferred Purchasing website are available, the federal government's sustainable buying guidelines page, as well as CalRecycle's Buy Recycled Campaign page. Additionally: 6. All vendors registered with the CSU must have all products sold as containing recycled content (some exceptions are outlined) much certify said products with the CSU to prove the recycled content. 7. Procurement requires certain purchases such as metal, paper, paint and more to contain certain amounts of recycled content. A page on their websites outlines the products and the required recycled content percentages. 8. A Buy-Recycled audit report is required of all campus departments conducting purchases to report the dollar amount spent on said recycled content purchases. 9. Facilities Management's work order program requires that all requests for purchasing made through the program record whether or not the purchase is green and if the purchase contains recycled content

Hornet Surplus is a free service that provides campus departments and offices access to view and request reusable goods that are currently in storage at the surplus warehouse. This reuse program prevents usable materials from becoming waste and saves departments and the university money. After 4 weeks surplus items not acquired by other campus departments are listed for public sale through Public Surplus. https://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/browse/home https://hornetsurplus.csus.edu/#/ Books can be donated to the Friends of the Library by any member of the campus community or the general public. Those books are then resold by the Friends of the Library which raises funds going for the Library. On a limited basis, when old office supplies are collected for recycling, if said office supplies are in good usable condition, those office supplies are reallocated. Books can be donated to the Friends of the Library by any member of the campus community or the general public. Those books are then resold by the Friends of the Library which raises funds going for the Library.

Hornet Surplus: Hornet Surplus is an online platform for all Sacramento State employees in which they can find all available surplus furniture and office supplies. This is a free service that provides campus departments and offices access to view and request reusable goods that are currently in storage at the surplus warehouse. This reuse program prevents usable materials from becoming waste and saves departments and the university money. Benefits to the campus community: - Receive free furniture and office materials - Avoid the high cost of new furniture and disposal costs - Free up warehouse storage space - Avoid sending good items to the landfill/incinerator Hornet Reuse: Hornet Reuse was a waste pilot project in the form of a mobile app that connects students, faculty, and staff for the exchange of items for free. Hornet Reuse contributed to a remarkable 3% increase in waste diversion, effectively diverting valuable resources from landfills and reducing carbon emissions associated with production and disposal. This achievement aligns perfectly with campus sustainability objectives and sets a positive example for other institutions seeking to enhance their environmental stewardship. Furthermore, the app's role in fostering social equity and genuine connections within the Sac State community cannot be overlooked. By encouraging collaborative consumption and sharing, Hornet Reuse creates a platform for individuals to engage with each other, reinforcing a sense of unity and community engagement. Hornet Reuse is currently being rebuilt and it will be relaunched for the semester of Fall 2024.

• The university's printing stations charge by the page for print jobs, discouraging frivolous or excessive paper and toner consumption. • Paper towel dispensers have pre-cut amounts to discourage overconsumption of paper towels. • The Reprographics Department uses a toner-saving printer that distributes less ink on a page and does it in such a way as to make it easier to remove ink during the recycling process. • All office printers are default set to print double-sided. • Multiple departments have transitioned to online forms to avoid printing.

1. The University as a whole, and its many Departments, Divisions, and other subsidiaries, routinely utilize websites, social media, and other online avenues as a means to make available information for its customers. These sites routinely provide interactive opportunities, i.e. forms, by which said customers may apply for a program, conduct monetary transactions, request work, etc. 2. SacCT, the Canvas Learning Program, is utilized by Academics as a virtual blackboard and classroom forum for the students. Students can discuss with classmates, take instruction from professors, register for classes, take quizzes and tests online, and receive their grades without ever needing to print. 3. The campus utilizes an online universal directory by which contact information for faculty, staff, and other campus entities can be located. There is no printed version of the directory. 4. The campus employs a virtual course catalog where students can search for potential classes. This has led to a significant reduction in the need for printed catalogs. 5. Campus staff utilize a shared drive on which qualified members store and share files, thus negating the need for printed hard copies. 6. Facilities Management employs an online software program (AiM) on which the campus community can request work. This program has negated the need for paper forms. 7. The campus allows qualified members to access their workstations remotely, thus negating the necessity of printing files and other documents when working remotely. 8. All the University's business operations switched to online verification of work hours. Previously, each employee received a printed form of their hours worked by which they would verify their hours for their paychecks. Now, most of the campus community can verify this information online without the need for paper hard copies. 9. The Procurement Department has created a virtual online shopping center filled with approved vendors. This eliminates the need for any printed catalogs of approved vendors and their products. 10. Many departments including financial services, budget, procurement, HR, and Accounts payable have transitioned to online forms and e-signatures to avoid paper consumption.

1. During move-in/move-out events, extra 4-yard recycling bins are located on-site. 2. Special recycling stream collections are created for these events. These special collections have included but are not limited to battery and e-waste collections. 3. On-site Housing staff are trained to help residents recognize opportunities for recycling during move-in and move-out. 4. The University, Office of Sustainability, and Housing all utilize social media to encourage residents to recycle during these events. 5. Extra notices (posters, flyers) are located throughout Housing to direct residents to recycling receptacles and to which items can be recycled. 6. In their moving-in instructions to new residents, Housing indicates which non-recyclable packing items should be avoided (Polystyrene and plastic film), and also announces that recycling will be part of these events. 7. To decrease the amount of appliance waste at move-out events, Housing has employed a program to rent personal refrigerators to residents.

Sacramento State has an outdoor and indoor three-stream waste collection bin for compost, landfill, and recycled material. All campus bins have appropriate signage and a waste sorting guide accessible to students, staff, and faculty to easily determine how they can use the tri-waste stream bin system. Hornet Surplus is a program that facilitates the reuse of all university property such as office supplies, furniture, lab equipment, and more. The surplus aspect of the app allows staff to view and request items currently available in the surplus warehouse, without ever visiting the warehouse, effectively making it easier to request free used office furniture, than to buy new. During the first three months alone, the app saved $150,000 through cost avoidance and the redeployment of office furniture from campus surplus. This is a testament to the fiscal prudence the app encourages. Hornet Reuse has also contributed to a remarkable 3% increase in waste diversion, effectively diverting valuable resources from landfills and reducing carbon emissions associated with production and disposal. This achievement aligns perfectly with campus sustainability objectives and sets a positive example for other institutions seeking to enhance their environmental stewardship. Furthermore, the app's role in fostering social equity and genuine connections within the Sac State community cannot be overlooked. By encouraging collaborative consumption and sharing, Hornet Reuse creates a platform for individuals to engage with each other, reinforcing a sense of unity and community engagement Single-Use Plastic Policy - The California State University Chancellor created a single-use plastic policy that eliminates plastic water bottles, straws, Styrofoam, and plastic carrier bags on all of their university campuses. The ASI Green Team at Sac State took the policy even further by passing a resolution to ban all single-use plastic on campus. Hornet Hydration Stations - In addition to the Chancellor’s policy and the green team’s resolution Sac State Sustainability has implemented the use of water stations at all major events on campus. These water stations have a 125-gallon tank capacity that is equivalent to: • 1,000 16oz water bottles. • 3,000 Paper cups • 25 Five-gallon water coolers Water Bottle Refilling Station - Water stations in every building for reusable water bottles. BYOM Incentive Program - Created an incentive program for bringing your own coffee mug. Reusable Dishware in Campus Dining - The main dining commons use all reusable dishware, cups, utensils, and more. Reusable takeaway containers were also implemented. Confidential shredding recycling – All confidential documents on campus get shredded and recycled under California law parameters and we received recycle certificates for the material. Tire Recycling- Tires from campus vehicles and carts get collected and recycled under California law parameters and we received recycle certificates for the material. E-waste- Sacramento State also promotes the recycling of Electronic Waste and ink cartridges from printers. Universal Waste: • Batteries – A device consisting of one or more electrically connected electrochemical cells designed to receive, store, and deliver electric energy. This category includes nickel/cadmium, lithium, lead/acid, and alkaline batteries. • Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) – A picture tube or vacuum tube used to convert an electronic signal into a visual image. These CRTs provide the “display” in most computer monitors, televisions, and oscilloscopes. According to the EPA Waste Wise Program, the glass in these CRTs can contain as much as 27 percent lead. • Thermostats – A temperature control device that contains metallic mercury in an ampule. • Lamps – Bulbs, or tube portion, of an electric lighting device. Examples of waste lamps that are regulated as universal wastes are fluorescent, high Campus Universal Waste Management Program - 2 - intensity discharge, neon, mercury vapor, high-pressure sodium, and metal halide lamps. Composting: Sacramento State has an onsite compost facility The BAC Yard (Bioconversion & Agricultural Collaborative). At the BAC Yard, we compost a significant portion of the campus greens and food waste. Composting at the BAC Yard happens via Vermicomposting, Hot Composting, or Windrow Composting. Vermicomposting is an in-vessel composting system that uses worms to break down food waste. The worms break down the waste and supply us with nutrient-rich worm castings. Hot Composting mixes food waste from on-campus eateries and coffeehouses with leaves. The mixture is placed in small piles and turned regularly. Windrow Composting is the process of collecting campus leaves and other green waste in a long narrow row. The row is water and covered with a large tarp, then turned regularly with a tractor.

Waste Sorting Guide: https://www.csus.edu/experience/innovation-creativity/sustainability/_internal/_documents/waste-sorting-guide-final2.pdf Zero Waste Event Guidelines: https://www.csus.edu/experience/innovation-creativity/sustainability/_internal/zero-waste-event-guidelines1.pdf Hornet Waste Challenge: https://csusacramentoca.recycle.game/ Hornet Surplus: https://hornetsurplus.csus.edu/#/ Waste Dashboard: https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiNTNlZDc5MmUtZDFiZC00MzFmLTg5NDYtNTdlNmI0ZjA0YzZlIiwidCI6ImI2YjQ5MDAxLThiM2YtNDNmYS05OWExLTcwNmU4YzdlMzU5OCIsImMiOjZ9&pageName=ReportSection