Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 70.62
Liaison Darcy Coughlan
Submission Date Dec. 22, 2022

STARS v2.2

Coastal Carolina University
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.21 / 8.00 Darcy Coughlan
Associate Director
Sustain Coastal
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 379.42 Tons 325.41 Tons
Materials composted 279.12 Tons 201.54 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold 3.83 Tons 4.32 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 1,713 Tons 1,614.53 Tons
Total waste generated 2,375.37 Tons 2,145.80 Tons

A brief description of the residual conversion facility:

N/A


Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Period July 1, 2021 June 30, 2022
Baseline Period July 1, 2017 June 30, 2018

A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:

FY 18 was selected in an attempt to align baseline years across reporting areas. This makes it easier to report weighted campus users and ensures that we are using consistent data sets to compare baseline and performance years.


Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 4,651 4,236
Number of employees resident on-site 12 15
Number of other individuals resident on-site 2 6
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 9,895 10,112
Full-time equivalent of employees 1,439 1,050
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 347 281
Weighted campus users 9,408 9,229.50

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.25 Tons 0.23 Tons

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

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
27.88

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
27.88

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 Yes
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 that the institution includes in its waste diversion efforts
Oil Filters
Anti-Freeze
Others that are not part of the calculations for this part
E-Waste
Asphalt
Shingles
Brick
Concrete
Drywall
Wood/Scrap
Mixed C&D
Furniture
Household Items
Clothing/Shoes
Non-perishable food


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?:
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?:
Yes

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

A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:

The Green Team consists of student workers that collect the recyclables on-campus in all academic and administrative buildings, as well as during special events, especially athletic events. The Green Team is trained to hand sort materials at the time of collection and when the recyclables are transferred to 8-yard and 30-yard recycling containers. This ensures that contamination is minimized.


A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
---

A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
---

A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
---

A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:

Coastal Carolina University has a formal program in place to exchange office supplies. We currently have a warehouse area in our Procurement office where used office furniture is placed when it is moved out of office spaces. The items are then available to be viewed and picked from by other staff and faculty members. These items fill the needs of many across campus by reusing what the university had already purchased.


A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
---

A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
---

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:

Coastal Carolina University promotes paperless activity by putting student’s schedules exclusively on-line and are only printed if deemed absolutely necessary by the student. The staff directory is also exclusively available on-line. The University has created a forms page that allows most documents to be viewed and completed electronically. We also have a work-order system through SchoolDude that promotes paperless communication between requestor and vendor.


A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:

(Move In) Recycling cardboard and managing the waste that gets generated during move-in each year is a collaborative effort between Campus Environments (Sustain Coastal, Grounds, Custodial Services) and University Housing. Designated cardboard locations are set-up throughout the residence halls on main campus and University Place, and Campus Environments staff are stationed at each location to ensure that cardboard is appropriately recycled. As a result of this annual move-in waste diversion effort, students and their families have the opportunity to recycle vast amounts of cardboard and are also introduced to sustainability at CCU on their first day at the University.

(Move Out) At the end of the academic year, Sustain Coastal organizes and coordinates the Campus Salvage move-out program. Since its first effort in 2008, the program has evolved from grassroots dumpster diving into a well-known structured campaign. It's not just about saving items from the landfill, it's about collecting items to donate to local organizations and helping those in need in our community.


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:
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.