| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 80.07 |
| Liaison | Lindsey Lyons |
| Submission Date | March 5, 2021 |
Dickinson College
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.30 / 8.00 |
Lindsey
Lyons Assistant Director Center for Sustainability Education |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 276 Tons | 172 Tons |
| Materials composted | 99 Tons | 98 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 2 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 363 Tons | 627 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 740 Tons | 897 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, 2019 | June 30, 2020 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2011 | June 30, 2012 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
The baseline was established by the college-wide waste working group to be our fiscal year 2012 (July 1, 2011- June 30, 2012). After a year long waste analysis and consolidation of data collection, the committee realized data gaps. Our data from 2008-2012 did not include accurate compost data and landfill and recycling invoices were missing providing an unequal comparison. Data from 2012-present has been collected in a consistent and comparable manner so FY 12 was established as a baseline year to maintain reporting consistency.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 1,873 | 2,155 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 19 | 26 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 2,071 | 2,349 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 899 | 835 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 2,700.50 | 2,933.25 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.27 Tons | 0.31 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 | Yes |
| 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:
We also recycle college-owned e-waste consisting of batteries, light bulbs, computers, printers and accessories.
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:
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
Dickinson sponsors multiple events each semester focused on waste reduction and diversion that target students, faculty and staff. These are coordinated in conjunction with our Eco-Reps program, which strives to create a community of leaders in sustainability who in turn work to empower others to make sustainable changes in their lives and in their communities through peer education, programming, and outreach. These include anything from residence hall events and campaigns on recycling, to picking portion size in the dining hall, to diversion assistance from our green devil sustainability mascot at large events.
We have large scale collection of college e-waste, plastic film/bags for recycling and clean cardboard for bailing/selling.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Interns in the Center for Sustainability Education conduct waste audits at a campus location at least once per semester. Eco-Reps living and serving in a residence hall conduct was audits bi-weekly. At Dickinson, these audits are critical to initiating change and monitoring progress.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
Dickinson makes an effort to purchase in bulk and prioritizes items that possess minimal packaging whenever possible. Specifically, there are sustainable purchasing policies within our dining services that help to reduce waste as this is a large single source.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Facilities Management has an in-house warehouse with used furniture and redistributes this furniture to departments by request. The college's inventory manages surplus inventory and fulfills requests for item exchange. Additionally, items that are no longer needed are sold or donated to the community.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
Dickinson College uses CampusWall to enable members of the community to reuse goods. We were a charter member of this program and have been using since 2012. We have an on campus Free xChange for the exchange of clothing, accessories, coats etc. This service is free to donate or take and open to students, faculty and staff. The space is accessible 24/7 with card access and we host events to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
At the start of each term all enrolled students are given a Free Page Credit sufficient for printing 600 black & white pages. Color pages are the equivalent of two black & white pages. Students are charged a per page fee for pages printed beyond their Free Page Credit. This system helps to offset students’ costs for printing associated with their courses while significantly reducing waste and contributing to Dickinson’s sustainability efforts.
Please see this document for more information:
https://www.dickinson.edu/download/downloads/id/10458/student_printing_policy.pdf
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Departments and divisions across the college are committed to reducing printing and increasing the availability of online forms and resources.All college announcements, payroll and student resources are online. Additionally, sustainability statements are common when printing items.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Students , faculty and staff donate unwanted furniture, appliances, clothes, food and school supplies in the annual U-Turn End-of-Year collection and sale that benefits the local United Way, with over $17,000 worth of sales at a community yard sale.
The Center for Sustainability hosts a two day Green Move In program where 20 student volunteers staff stations to maximize waste diversion during first year move in. This program has been done annually since 2012 with excellent results as demonstrated with waste diversion data.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
These efforts are focused primarily in our construction and demolition programs. This is an established policy for all large renovations or new construction as part of our commitment to construct to LEED Gold standards and to prioritize using local and reused materials as much as possible in the construction process.
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:
Dickinson is committed to reducing materials consumption, reusing materials, recycling and composting. We are also committed to using sustainable 'green' products. Dickinson's single-stream recycling system accepts paper, cardboard, plastics (#1-7), glass and metals in all recycling receptacles.
Dickinson is committed to reducing materials consumption, reusing materials, recycling and composting. We are also committed to using sustainable 'green' products. Dickinson's single-stream recycling system accepts paper, cardboard, plastics (#1-7), glass and metals in all recycling receptacles.
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.