Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 48.10
Liaison Jen Jones
Submission Date March 3, 2023

STARS v2.2

College of Charleston
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.82 / 8.00 Katie Doherty
Zero Waste Manager
Center for Sustainable Development
"---" 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 154.35 Tons 163.85 Tons
Materials composted 94.35 Tons 25.48 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold 9.45 Tons 5.18 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 584.40 Tons 1,113 Tons
Total waste generated 842.55 Tons 1,307.51 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 July 1, 2021 June 30, 2022
Baseline Period July 1, 2012 June 30, 2013

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:
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Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 3,269 2,993
Number of employees resident on-site 1 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site 1 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 9,986.30 10,537
Full-time equivalent of employees 1,530 1,724
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 9,455.72 9,944

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.09 Tons 0.13 Tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
32.23

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:
30.64

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
30.64

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 No
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 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:
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Recycling Management 

Does the institution use single stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
No

Does the institution use dual stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Yes

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:
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A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
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Programs and Initiatives 

A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
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A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
The Center for Sustainable Development received a grant from Siemens to hire a firm to conduct a professional and comprehensive campus-wide waste audit. In March of 2022 SCS Engineers sorted through landfill trash from the entire campus, reporting their findings and making comprehensive recommendations for opportunities for waste diversion.

A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
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A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
The Central Warehouse stores good-quality furniture, goods, and other equipment for campus use. Before making a new purchase faculty and staff can browse the gently used offerings at the warehouse instead of purchasing new.

A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
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A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
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A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
The College has moved to managed print services to centralize printing and eliminate individual, desk-top printers. This has helped to reduce unnecessary printing. https://procurement.cofc.edu/documents/Managed%20Print%20Services%20Program%20FAQ.pdf

A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
The Center for Sustainable Development conducts robust cardboard collection during move-in and an extensive donation program during move out, titled Mindful Move-in/Move-out. Collection stations are set up at or near each residence hall and staff and volunteers ensure items are recycled/reused rather than thrown into the landfill.

A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
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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.