| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 53.57 |
| Liaison | Noah Upchurch |
| Submission Date | March 3, 2023 |
Catawba College
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.16 / 8.00 |
Hannah
Addair Sustainability Specialist Center for the Environment |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 49.10 Tons | 63.10 Tons |
| Materials composted | 32.83 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 2.50 Tons | 1.50 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 6.20 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 347.71 Tons | 246.45 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 438.34 Tons | 311.05 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
Catawba College Dining Services employs Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions for filtering and converting used cooking oil into biodiesel. Filta technicians come to Catawba's campus to micro-filter used oil, which increases its lifespan. This process reduces the original oil disposal rate by approximately 50%. Once micro-filtered oil has been used to its fullest extent, Filta technicians return to campus and take the remaining oil for conversion into biodiesel at Filta's facilities.
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | June 1, 2021 | May 31, 2022 |
| Baseline Period | June 1, 2009 | May 31, 2010 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
Fiscal Year 2010 was selected as our baseline year because it provided the most complete data across each reporting field. Limited information from the College's waste utility, which has changed over time, made this year the best for data quality selection.
The baseline year occurred prior to implementation of post-consumption compositing of food waste from the campus dining hall, which is why the composted materials are 0 tons in the baseline year.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 688 | 679 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 16 | 16 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 8 | 8 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 1,126 | 1,305 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 251 | 314.33 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 175 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 1,085.50 | 1,396.25 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.40 Tons | 0.22 Tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
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) | Yes |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Other materials Catawba College has recycled, composted, donated, and/or re-sold include:
-Furniture
-Clothing/Shoes
-Batteries
-Lightbulbs
-Paint
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?:
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?:
Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program:
A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
In the last two years, all faculty and staff have been given Yeti mugs and reusable water bottles to help reduce drink cup and water bottle use on campus. All student-athletes receive reusable water bottles. The College will be starting a program to provide reusable water bottles to all students beginning in the fall of 2023. The College is also completing replacement of most campus water fountains with combination water bottle filling stations and fountains as part of an overall project to eliminate the use of bottled water.
Aluminum cups are being substituted for non-recyclable drink cups at our campus restaurant as well as at informal catering events on campus. Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to either keep and reuse their cups for personal use, return them to a bin where they can be washed and reused for upcoming events, or recycle them once they have reached the end of their life.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
The College conducted waste audits prior to the Covid epidemic. We plan to reinstitute waste audits and also are examining ways to work with our waste and recycling contractors to better understand our sources of waste.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
Catawba College purchases cleaning supplies in bulk to reduce the amount of associated packaging and number of deliveries. We also use plant-based plates and cutlery in our catering services and offer reusable containers for to-go meals in our dining hall.
The College also uses biodegradable caps and gowns for our graduation ceremonies.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Catawba College has an informal program for exchanging office supplies and furniture. If faculty or staff have unneeded office furniture or supplies, they send an email notifying all employees. Unneeded items typically are claimed quickly, which helps reduce our waste and lower expenditures.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
The College uses all-employee emails for this purpose.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
None currently.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Almost all student forms are available online and printed copies are only provided upon request. Student schedules, faculty/staff directories, course catalogs, campus maps, campus updates, and newsletters are available in a digital format. The Student and Employee Handbooks are also available through our website. IT Help Tickets and Facilities Service Requests are submitted online rather than on paper.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
During the move-out process, Catawba College's Office of Student Affairs partners with Goodwill Industries to provide donation bins for any unwanted clothing items, shoes, small appliances, etc. that the students may want to donate before leaving campus for the summer. Not only does this help to prevent more unnecessary items from entering the landfill, but it also helps to give back to the community.
Recycling containers are available near residence halls for cardboard and other recyclables generated during move-in or move-out as well as normal recycling needs during the year.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Please see the description of our partnership with Goodwill Industries above.
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.