Columbia University
OP-22: Waste Minimization

This is the earliest year for which we have data to report.

A Recycling Improvement working Group was organized to analyze recycling behaviors in one first year & one senior residence halls. Waste Audits were conducted, dedicated recycling rooms were built, new color coded receptacles were purchased and staged and new signage from The New York city Department of Sanitation was placed

Sustainability Directive: Storeroom Solutions is committed to supporting environmental initiatives that reduces impact on the environment. To this end, all purchasing personnel are directed to: 1. Identify and present to environmentally friendly materials which provide equivalent service and performance 2. Develop supply base that embraces “green” not only in their products but also in their operation and culture 3. Provide quarterly reporting on sustainability initiatives including actual dollars spend

Surplus Reuse when possible is used on campus or given to schools or local non-profit organizations with priority to organizations affiliated with Columbia Community Service. Whatever remains unclaimed goes to the Build It Green, NYC Waste Match program, which includes non-profits in the other four boroughs. Columbia also partners with the Institutional Recycling Network (IRN) where changed out dorm furniture and used equipment – like kitchen equipment is given. In the past equipment has gone to several countries in the Caribbean and to disaster relief in Haiti. More information is on the Columbia Housing, Dining and Environmental Stewardship website. Additionally, the Work/Life bulletin board, similar to an internal Craigslist, allows Columbia staff, faculty, and students to post personal household and office items to buy, sell, swap or reuse. The undergraduate EcoReps program partners with Facilities and Housing for Give and Go Green and Facilities hosts Clean and Go Green.

Course catalogs, schedules, and directories are available only online with only some hard copy catalogs may be available by request. The URL below has links to the academic calendars, course management system, and Directory of Classes/course catalog.

Students, faculty, instructors, and others have a weekly print quota which varies by affiliation. (See the website for details). In addition, all printing is duplex/double-sided by default to reduce paper waste. A locally-developed print queue management system called NINJA that has a queue management workstation at each public printer is used to reduce overprinting. Print jobs are not released for printing until the user logs in at the workstation with their University network ID and password. Thus, unclaimed print jobs are never printed. Also, a quota system is implemented to limit usage. Users needing additional printing have the option of paying online to add pages to their quota. All NINJA printers and their queue management workstations are configured for maximum standby energy savings and to print duplex by default.

Give and Go Green EcoReps, in conjunction with Columbia Housing, have organized a campaign during spring move-out to help make donating stuff to local charities easy during Move-Out. Unwanted items are brought to a drop-off location instead of throwing them in the trash. Items to Donate: Non-perishable food, clothing in good condition, kitchenware, appliances, linens, accessories, books, small furniture, computers, toiletries Supporting Local Charities: Salvation Army, City Harvest, Per Scholas, Goodwill, St. John the Divine and the Broadway Community, Inc. and more! Students are also directed to a link on Green Check-Out tips that cover tips for move out to help reduce their environmental impact and reduce move out stress in the process. Storage, Packing Materials, Craigslist, Packing, and Item recycling and donation. Hosted by Facilities, Clean and Go Green is offered during winter move-out and over the summer for all faculty, staff and students. Similar to Give and GO Green drop-off locations are designated for the recycling and donating of the items listed above but is expanded to include: Reuse/Donation: • Clothing • Textiles & Linens • Non-perishable Food • Coats • Shoes • Books • Small Household Items • Newer, working Electronic Equipment Recycling: • Furniture • Non-working Computer Monitors, Keyboards and CPUs • Paper/Cardboard • Batteries • Non-working Electronic Equipment • Non-working Desk Lamps • Toner Cartridges • Paint Cans Refashion NYC textile recycling bins are provided in several University apartment buildings for faculty, staff and graduate students with signs on bins, buildings, and notes to all tenants to use the bins especially during move-out. Additional information: http://housing.columbia.edu/sustainability http://housing.columbia.edu/check-out/give-go-green

“Recycling Makeover” is a recycling education /recycling consolidation initiative focusing on administration work space and recycling behavior. By removing desk side waste receptacles creating central waste and recycling stations the university hopes to increase recycling numbers.

The Ecoreps perform plate scraping waste audits in the central dining room 3 times a semester and post data.

Columbia University is the first urban university to pilot with the NY Department of Sanitation Organics Collection Program to collect prep waste and front of the house closing leftovers.

Columbia Dining adopted a 100% trayless policy in all dining halls in the Fall of 2009. Dining has determined an average saving of 3,000 gallons of water daily as well as approximately 50 pounds of wasted food per meal by removing 1,400 trays. The food removed from the waste stream not only has environmental benefits but it reduces the amount of food used and increases the amount of unserved food from Columbia donates each week to City Harvest, a non-profit agency whose mission is to end hunger in New York City and the surrounding boroughs. Columbia's donations have actually decreased to City Harvest, as the University is producing a significantly less amount of food waste than ever before. Additional URL about Columbia's trayless dining program: http://www.environment.columbia.edu/newsandprofiles/traylessdiningatjohnjayyieldsimpressivegreenbenefits

Columbia Dining provides reusable eco-containers for to-go food. In all dining halls, students who wish to carry out food are able to do so with reusable plastic containers. Each student who buys a meal plan receives a free token that he or she can exchange for an eco-container. When the student returns to the dining hall, he/she can receive a new eco-container or exchange it for a token. The containers, made of polypropylene, are made in the USA. They are microwave and dishwasher safe, with microbial protection that controls stains and odor-causing bacteria. At the end of their useful life, the containers are recyclable. Additionally, Columbia hands out BPA free, made in NYC, recyclable at end of life reusable water bottles to all first year undergraduate residential students to reduce the purchase of disposable cups and bottles. Students can fill these with the beverage of their choice at the dining halls when they are taking meals to go.

Columbia Dining provides reusable eco-containers for to-go food.  In all dining halls, students who wish to carry out food are able to do so with reusable plastic containers.  Each student who buys a meal plan receives a free token that he or she can exchange for an eco-container.  When the student returns to the dining hall, he/she can receive a new eco-container or exchange it for a token.  The containers, made of polypropylene, are made in the USA. They are microwave and dishwasher safe, with microbial protection that controls stains and odor-causing bacteria. At the end of their useful life, the containers are recyclable.  Additionally, Columbia hands out BPA free, made in NYC, recyclable at end of life reusable water bottles to all first year undergraduate residential students to reduce the purchase of disposable cups and bottles.  Students can fill these with the beverage of their choice at the dining halls when they are taking meals to go. All other take away containers are BPI Certified and compostable.

At all Blue Java Coffee Bar locations, customers who purchase a Blue Java mug receive a discount for all coffee or tea beverages purchased when they bring their mug. In addition, students and staff receive coffee refills for $0.99 with their Blue Java mugs or any outside reusable mug. In John Jay Dining Hall only reusable beverage containers are available when dining in house. Additionally, Columbia hands out BPA free, made in NYC, recyclable at end of life reusable water bottles to all first year undergraduate residential students at no cost to reduce the purchase of disposable cups and bottles. Students can fill these with the beverage of their choice at the dining halls when they are taking meals to go.

Dining recycles all of its cooking oil, glass metal plastic and containers, mixed paper and cardboard, all delivery pallets are returned to the vendor, and a composting pilot with the City of New York Department of Sanitation as well as the in-house Rocket composting.

Tonnage numbers are estimates based on the best available information provided by the city of NY for average waste and recycling Collection Methods The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) picks up the majority of Columbia’s waste and recycling through a collection system on the Morningside Campus and for all residential buildings at CUMC. All buildings within the Morningside Campus enclosure bring waste, plastic, glass, metal, paper, and some cardboard to a centralized location where the DSNY picks it up. LDEO hauls their recycling to the Rockland County Solid Waste recycling center. *Columbia University Medical Center values are included below, to supplement the main submission for Morningside campus. CUMC's parameters are not included in the main area tally because the GHG emissions baseline years are different, therefore we formally report everything quantitative for the Morningside main campus, with the CUMC numbers explained in the public notes section, in order to include this campus in our submission. CUMC statistics: 2011: Trash 1,116.79 tons Recycling: 29.47 tons 2013: Trash 702.02 tons Recycling: 300.85 tons