| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 75.39 |
| Liaison | Stephanie MacPhee |
| Submission Date | Feb. 5, 2025 |
Dalhousie University
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
5.98 / 8.00 |
Stephanie
MacPhee Executive Director Office of Sustainability |
Parts 1 and 2. Waste per person
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 278 Metric tons | 387 Metric tons |
| Materials composted | 386 Metric tons | 535 Metric tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 23 Metric tons | 10 Metric tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Metric tons | 0 Metric tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 515 Metric tons | 699 Metric tons |
| Total waste generated | 1,202 Metric tons | 1,631 Metric tons |
If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | April 1, 2023 | March 31, 2024 |
| Baseline Period | April 1, 2013 | March 31, 2014 |
If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:
The 2013-2014 waste baseline is used as more accurate waste data was available (than in 2009-2010). In 2013-2014 some data provided by companies was still industry averages. The data was supplemented with audit data to enhance the accuracy and reduce bill weights supplied. The University has switched waste processing systems and now receives scale weights for most material, so data is very accurate for the Halifax campuses. Dalhousie merged with a college in 2013 (Agricultural campus). Waste data for this campus started to be collected in 2016-2017 – this was added to the HFX campus waste baseline data. The AC campus is smaller campus about 15% of the bld size of all Dalhousie buildings. Agricultural waste is collected (e.g. biomass waste used as fertilizer) but excluded from these numbers.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 2,539 | 2,259 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 7 | 9 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 5 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 19,161 | 15,685 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 6,091 | 5,592 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 393 | 160 |
| Weighted campus users | 19,280.75 | 16,409.75 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.06 Metric tons | 0.10 Metric tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
Part 3. Waste diverted from the landfill or incinerator
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 | No |
| Pallets | No |
| Tires | No |
| Other (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Scrap metal, pallets and tires we consider in the C&D category which is outlined in the next credit.
Dalhousie's waset sorting guide can be found here: https://www.dal.ca/about/mission-vision-values/sustainability/campus-initiatives/operational-sustainability-plans-and-initiatives/sustainable-procurement-and-waste-management-/waste-management.html
Optional Fields
Active Recovery and Reuse
Recycling Management
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?:
Contamination and Discard Rates
A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
The University has standardized waste bins and signage to direct users in sorting their waste. Recycling bins in public spaces are always coupled with paper, composting, and garbage bins to minimize contamination. Signage has icons and simple language e.g. plastic bottles, beverage containers. At the Halifax campuses, recycling and composting streams are hand sorted to remove contamination.
Programs and Initiatives
The Office of Sustainability has posters that encourage the campus community to refuse disposable items and think about the waste they produce. We post frequently to social media about waste reduction and sorting news or initiatives on and off campus. Waste reduction and contamination reduction events are organized for Ecolympics and Waste Reduction Week. Recent educational videos about the process has been created. Waste management is a topic area in the Sustainable Event Program. On-campus vendors have signage advertising discounts for bringing your own mug. A program called “Mug Library” provides reusable mugs for campus members in a food court area. Waste training is offered by the Office of Sustainability and we work with Food Services to train back of house food services staff on best practices around waste reduction and diversion.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Dalhousie completes pre- and post-audits of a sample of buildings from campuses to assess waste stream contamination surrounding waste bin standard implementation. Audits are conducted as part of class projects or organized as a separate event. After each auditing period, we produced reports comparing contamination rates among streams and buildings. These reports included significant qualitative descriptions of the materials found in each stream and theories as to why certain materials were being properly or improperly sorted.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
The Office of Sustainability has a Sustainable Purchasing workshops and Tips sheets on reduction that provides guidance on how to reduce waste. https://www.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/dept/sustainability/Sustainable%20Procurement.pdf
Dal's Office of Sustainability also published a Sustainable Waste Management and Procurement Plan in 2022:
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
All Goods are re-distributed at the University through an internal reuse program as outlined in the purchasing policy under surplus goods. The University surplus good re-use policy and program diverts several goods annually. https://www.dal.ca/dept/procurement/surplus-materials.html
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
Every year student societies organize clothing swaps. https://events.dal.ca/event/1697-clothing-drop-off-for-upcoming-clothing-swap#!view/all
An annual event - dump and run creates space for students to donate material at the end of the year that they are not using. Other students and community members access these goods at a charity day where money from the sale is provided to local charities. The event was shut down during COVID and was recently replaced this Fall (2024) with a pop-up Free Store event run by the Office of Sustainability with support from student staff and student volunteers. Gently used items were collected during residence move out in Spring 2024 and were offered for free to incoming students during orientation week.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Printing is limited because students have to pay for each item they wish to print- there is no 'free' printing for students in computer labs and libraries. At campuses, multi-function devices provided through a supply agreement with Dalhousie are automatically defaulted to double-sided on set up.
Through the paper policy, Dalhousie aims to reduce the number single-use printing devices on campus in favor of more efficient and cost-effective multi-use devices (for example, photocopy machines that also print and scan).
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Dalhousie publishes all course catalogs, course schedules, and directories online by default. Physical copies of the course catalog, however, are available upon request. Dalhousie has a paper policy that outlines offering requirements for offering materials electronically rather than printing. https://www.dal.ca/content/dam/www/about/leadership-and-governance/university-policies/paper-policy.pdf
Other sustainable practices around paper can be found here:
All procurement bids and processes are online.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Regular waste is sorted and diverted into recycling streams wherever possible by custodial services. Items left behind during residence move out are sorted, stored and offered for free to student in the Free Store. Items collected include small pieces of furniture, small appliances, household goods, kitchenwares, unopen toiletries and cleaning products, school supplies, textiles and clothing. Anything left over is donated to local charities.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Other waste minimization strategies include use of the four bin system (PROG - paper, recyclables, organics, and garbage) to collect, separate and dispose of waste. Yard waste is also collected and diverted from the landfill. Lab specific waste management guidance and signage is available.
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.