| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 57.85 |
| Liaison | Chad Carwein |
| Submission Date | Jan. 17, 2023 |
East Carolina University
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.93 / 8.00 |
Chad
Carwein University Sustainability Manager HSC Facilities Services |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 1,173.93 Tons | 755.70 Tons |
| Materials composted | 16.42 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 50 Tons | 50 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 18.06 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 2,255.79 Tons | 1,305.93 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 3,514.20 Tons | 2,111.63 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
A local contractor collects cooking grease from our dining halls, which is used in the production of biodiesel. The biodiesel is then distributed locally for our county school buses.
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2021 | June 30, 2022 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2020 | June 30, 2021 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
The baseline, Fiscal Year 2021, was chosen based on the availability of past figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users".
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 5,030 | 5,628 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 20 | 20 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 10 | 10 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 24,758 | 25,575 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 7,161 | 7,427 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 5,498 | 7,731 |
| Weighted campus users | 21,088.25 | 20,375.25 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.17 Tons | 0.10 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:
Bulbs and batteries are recycled through our Environmental Health & Safety department. Automotive fluids and batteries are recycled through Automotive Services. Ink cartridges and electronic waste are recycled through Central Stores.
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 majority of our contamination is through outdoor commingled collection. Recycling Services disposes of bags of commingled that are highly contaminated. Other contaminants are removed daily while loading our trucks and roll-offs. Also, our MRF inspects each load for contamination. The MRF will refuse any load that has a high contamination level.
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
Mostly through special events, such as RecycleMania, the GameDay Challenge, Campus Sustainability Day, Earth Day, and NCDEQ Recycle Right NC Program.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Our last waste audit was performed at the new Main Campus Student Center in April 2019. It is a multi-purpose building with office and meeting rooms, large banquet halls, retail food outlets, etc. The results were as follows: Recycling = 36.4%, Compostable - 13.6%, and Trash = 50% by weight rather than volume.
Prior to that, we conducted waste audits three years ago at two sites- an office building and a classroom building. Results showed that paper towels composed a high percentage of the waste stream at each site. Replacing existing dispensers with highly efficient automatic hand dryers would reduce our waste considerably. Also, during our annual recycling bin refurbishment, each site was evaluated and bins were relocated as needed to maximize effectiveness.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
All bid documents that go out requesting recycled content information on packaging require the type of material and percentage used.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
All University departments are offered the opportunity to reuse furniture for office use prior to being placed on State Surplus bid. Unused office supplies are donated via University Announce.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
Joyner Library supports a personal exchange network of periodicals and books. In addition, we now also have a student-led initiative called Pirate Swap where students collect clothing donations and then host pop-up thrift stores where they give about half of the clothes away for free and sell the other half to raise funds for future campus sustainability projects.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Student Print Allowance: as part of the student fee budget, a $30 print allowance is allocated to every enrolled student each academic year. The print balance declines as students print from labs or kiosks.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
All catalogs, course schedules, and directories are now available online. Printed copies of these items are no longer available.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Nearly 100 percent of cardboard is recycled during each move-in. Roll-offs for cardboard are placed by each dumpster site, and staff members divert cardboard from the dumpsters as it is brought out. The staff members are on site throughout Move-in Weekend. During move-out, ECU partners with local charities in the Pirates Treasure program. Donation sites are set up at each residence hall. Food, clothing, and household items are all donated for local reuse at these sites.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Grounds Services provides firewood from storm damaged trees to the School of Art for firing its kilns.
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:
Data Source: Terry Little, ECU Recycling Coordinator
Data Source: Terry Little, ECU Recycling Coordinator
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.