| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.21 |
| Liaison | Jeremy King |
| Submission Date | Sept. 19, 2022 |
Denison University
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.33 / 8.00 |
Jeremy
King Campus Sustainability Coordinator Office of the President |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 82 Tons | 142 Tons |
| Materials composted | 95 Tons | 22 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 42 Tons | 2 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 627 Tons | 836 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 846 Tons | 1,002 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, 2020 | June 30, 2021 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2004 | June 30, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
The baseline year was chosen because it is the earliest year for which we believe we have accurate data. Active programs for recycling and waste reduction have been in place since the mid-1980s.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 1,893 | 2,021 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 10 | 6 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 5 | 2 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 2,253 | 2,099 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 751 | 576 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 365 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 2,460 | 2,515 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.34 Tons | 0.40 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 | 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 | Yes |
| Other (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
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:
The institution uses a variety of approaches for recycling depending on the location on campus. All academic and administrative buildings have single stream or dual stream recycling bins and these are collected and processed at our on campus sorting facility. We bale and sell these materials. Recycling in residence halls and other student venues is generally single stream and collected in recycling dumpsters. This material tends to be the most contaminated. We have increased signage and put lids on these dumpsters to limit contamination and are slowly starting to deploy smaller dual stream recycling containers in residence hall areas. Our Facilities building utilizes multi-stream recycling as do our dining halls.
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:
We've done trash and recycling audits of bins by both dining facilities and by student residence halls to identify and quantify materials going into the trash and into the recycling. These audits are not comprehensive, but have helped to inform decision-making around what areas are in need of process improvements. The most recent audit was done by a group of students and the Office of Sustainability in September 2021 and was an audit of waste and recycling coming from our student union.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
We are currently working on some new procurement policies to reduce waste on campus - these are not yet in place.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Both the Purchasing Office and the Office Services Department coordinate the collection and distribution of surplus items on campus. Specifically, the Purchasing Office coordinates a surplus sale each year and oversees the re-purposing and re-use of furniture, equipment, and specialty items on campus. Office Services offers a "Free-Cycle" program on campus whereby staff and faculty can donate and take surplus office supplies.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
In the basement of our main administrative building adjacent to the mailroom, Denison has a free-cycle table whereby items can be left and taken by anyone in the campus community.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Each academic year students are allotted 1200 duplex prints. Prints in excess of this are charged $0.04 for single-sided printing and $0.03/side for duplexed prints. All campus printers default to duplex (double-sided_ printing. Inkjet printers are not supported by the college financially or by tech support.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
The Registrar's Office puts course catalogs and schedules on-line as standard practice. Student and employee directories are no longer printed and are available on-line as well.
Nearly all Accounting and Human Resources forms are now available online and able to be submitted electronically.
Directories are all online in the MyDenison platform.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Operation Move-Out occurs annually at the end of the academic year. Denison partners with Goodwill to provide collection pods across campus whereby students can voluntarily discard usable items in these pods.
For Move-In we designate areas for cardboard recycling to capture as many boxes as possible.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Denison maintains a surplus warehouse and campus offices and departments are often directed to the warehouse first, before buying new items.
In Facilities we have a designated area where pavers, stones, trash and recycling bins are stored so that they can be re-used and re-deployed.
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.