| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 49.10 |
| Liaison | David Husemoller |
| Submission Date | March 6, 2020 |
College of Lake County
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.97 / 8.00 |
David
Husemoller Sustainability Manager Facilities |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 79.60 Tons | 84.60 Tons |
| Materials composted | 2.70 Tons | 1 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 48.50 Tons | 24.30 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 27.80 Tons | 39.90 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 158.60 Tons | 149.80 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2018 | June 30, 2019 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2014 | June 30, 2015 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
We perform an annual waste audit in March of each year. We choose midweek days when most students are on campus. We typically only audit one day on the main campus. In March 2018, in between the baseline and performance periods, we completed audits of all 3 campuses and another date during spring break when students were off campus. During years of lighter audits, we apply a multiplier developed during the more complete audit year.
We have separate disposal systems for furniture, electronics, cooking oil, scrap metal etc. We have assembled data for 2019 reuse/auction and recycling, etc. We have compiled data from vendors for weights.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 8,019 | 8,422 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 955 | 1,114 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 6,730.50 | 7,152 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.02 Tons | 0.02 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 | No |
| Animal bedding | No |
| White goods (i.e. appliances) | Yes |
| Electronics | Yes |
| Laboratory equipment | Yes |
| Furniture | Yes |
| Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | No |
| 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:
CLC has comingled recycling at trash/recycling stations, with a compost station added in the cafe for consumers. Coffee grounds are collected and taken to the campus farm for onsite composting. Furniture is offered for reuse in auction and donation to non-profits. Broken furniture is sorted into scrap metal, mixed metal and trash, depending on its material makeup. Cooking oil is collected for recycling. A nonprofit company hires developmentally disabled adults to sort through our e-waste for recycling components. We weren't able to collect data for tires or pallets.
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:
Our custodial services found that we had a 1.3% contamination of recycling rate and about 8.9% rate of recyclables in the trash during their 2018 audit. They weighed the trash and recycling bags and then searched each one to see how the accurately people were sorting waste from recycling. Facilities conducts an annual survey, weighing trash and recycling on the main campus and extrapolates data to the other campuses and during periods of breaks for the annual waste figures.
CLC has an ongoing education campaign to educate the community about proper sorting of waste and recyclable materials, and food scraps for composting in the food service areas.
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
CLC has an ongoing education campaign to educate the community about proper sorting of waste and recyclable materials, now including food scraps for composting. Environmental Club members conduct additional educational outreach at the beginning of the semesters and also during America Recycles Day in November.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
In 2018 our sustainability intern worked with facilities, to conduct an exhaustive survey of waste across all three campuses and also once during break and again during the semester classes. Facilities conducts an annual survey, weighing trash and recycling on the main campus and extrapolates data to the other campuses and during periods of breaks for the annual waste figures. Sustainability manager worked with multiple stakeholders to develop more effective, standardized signage and to post the signage in each classroom. The sustainability intern conducted research to find that the signage actually does improve proper sorting of waste from recycling.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
CLC requires that purchasing of items be done in the most cost-effective manner, which means purchasing in bulk with minimal transportation and packaging costs associated.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
CLC has a strict policy for the disposal of obsolete items such as furniture, electronics, and other equipment. Items must be made available to other departments first, then placed up for auction, then offered to local school districts and non-profits for donation, prior to being given away or disposed of or recycled. Items that can be recycled must be. However, these items were not weighed or included in the totals presented.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
Staff and faculty often post emails to all users seeking items that others might have available or offering to share extra items. With the opening of the SHARE Market in FY20, clothing, food and office supplies are being made available through donation for students.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
CLC is in the process of re-evaulating its printing services. The Central Services Department has conducted exhaustive review of the number and types of printers across the three campuses and is working with Konica Minolta to evaluate cost savings by consolidating printers to multi-functional printers (MFPs). MFPs will help the college to reduce waste by having one common type of refillable ink service rather than having to stock 100s of types of cartridges. Fewer devices will save energy.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
CLC has on-line schedules and directories, available from the landing webpage for the college. Faculty members are promoting the use of open source books through the campus bookstore and library. CLC is transitioning away from Blackboard to Canvas as the platform for instructors and students to view assignments, readings, conduct homework etc. Electronic technology is helping move the college away from dependence on paper.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
NA
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
CLC Purchasing has a website for displaying items being slated for disposal that are available to other departments who may be interested in taking them, prior to auction, donation, recycling, or disposal.
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.