| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 56.09 |
| Liaison | Ciara Tennis |
| Submission Date | Nov. 10, 2021 |
Eastern Connecticut State University
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.70 / 8.00 |
Renee
Theroux-Keech Interim Director Office of Facilities Management & Planning |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Parts 1 and 2. Waste per person
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 359.56 Tons | 85.81 Tons |
| Materials composted | 26 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 508.04 Tons | 1,829.04 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 893.60 Tons | 1,914.85 Tons |
If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:
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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, 2013 | June 30, 2014 |
If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:
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Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 1,828 | 2,628 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 11 | 12 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 4,001 | 5,440 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 694 | 744 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 258 | 440 |
| Weighted campus users | 3,787.50 | 4,968 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.24 Tons | 0.39 Tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
38.79
Part 3. Waste diverted from the landfill or incinerator
43.15
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
43.15
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) | No |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
In summer 2021, 3.466 tons of microfiche were recycled, and the bleachers in the Sports Center were replaced, with the old bleachers being recycled, amounting to 20.625 tons of wood and 14.11 tons of steel recycled. Also, 18 microfiche cabinets and 212 linear feet of library shelving have been re-sold. An industrial dryer was also re-sold. Any vehicles that are no longer used are sold on the State's auction site to other state institutions.
Instead of disposing of old residence hall furniture, Eastern works with the Department of Corrections to get them refinished and reupholstered.
Instead of disposing of old residence hall furniture, Eastern works with the Department of Corrections to get them refinished and reupholstered.
Optional Fields
Active Recovery and Reuse
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Recycling Management
Yes
Does the institution use dual stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
No
Does the institution use multi-stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
No
Contamination and Discard Rates
---
A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
Dumpsters are color-coded (green for recycling and blue for trash) along with signage to help students properly recycle.
Programs and Initiatives
Chartwell's, our dining services provider, added educational signage on food waste and its impacts to the dining hall, Hurley Hall. Reusable take-home containers were instated in place of disposable take-home containers in Hurley Hall. However, this practice was halted due to the pandemic, necessitating a return to single-use to-go containers and flatware during the 2020 academic year. Reusable to-go containers and reusable flatware have been reintroduce to Hurley Hall in fall 2021.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Since the summer of 2015, staff of the Institute for Sustainable Energy (ISE) have conducted monthly waste audits of all campus dumpsters and recycling to note the percentage of contamination in each, as well as the use of dumpsters provided to the campus. This information was used to inform waste and recycling behaviors across campus. However, the waste audits were halted in March of 2020 due the the pandemic and the ISE has been unable to resume the assessments due to budgetary restraints and COVID-19 concerns.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
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A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Surplus supplies are emailed out across faculty and staff distribution lists so that excess office supplies (ink, toner, paper, notebooks, etc.) may be utilized by various on-campus departments.
In spring 2021, Eastern sold 6-7 bays of book shelves from the library to another state institution, as well as a large commercial dryer and some used vehicles. All of these items were sold on the state surplus site, where other Connecticut state institutions can purchase them at a reduced cost. Eastern also purchases from this state site as well. These practices reduce waste, encourage reusing items, and allow participating institutions to save money.
In spring 2021, Eastern sold 6-7 bays of book shelves from the library to another state institution, as well as a large commercial dryer and some used vehicles. All of these items were sold on the state surplus site, where other Connecticut state institutions can purchase them at a reduced cost. Eastern also purchases from this state site as well. These practices reduce waste, encourage reusing items, and allow participating institutions to save money.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
Surplus supplies are emailed out across faculty and staff distribution lists so that excess office supplies (ink, toner, paper, notebooks, etc.) may be utilized by various on-campus departments.
Eastern Sigma Tau Delta Book Sale, where students can bring books to swap or pay low prices for reused books.
Eastern Sigma Tau Delta Book Sale, where students can bring books to swap or pay low prices for reused books.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Free printing is completely restricted for Eastern students. Students are charged $0.05 per page that they print. While there are no mandates calling students to print all documents double-sided, they are only charged for one page rather than two when they print double-sided documents, and some printers are set to print double-sided automatically.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Due to the pandemic, Eastern transitioned everything online for remote work and virtual classes, during the spring 2020 semester. Hybrid and online courses were offered for students throughout the 2020 academic year (fall 2020-spring 2021). Many of the same platforms continue to be used even as on-ground classes have resumed in fall 2021. Telecommuting also remains an option for some employees.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Since 2012 there has been a Move Out Swap Shop during the year-end May move-out. Students drop off or swap unwanted items like clothes and furniture. These items are diverted from dumpsters and instead donated to local charities. More recently, Move Out Swaps were prohibited due to the pandemic. However, observations have shown that students have reduced their unnecessary disposal of items. Eastern plans to continue Move Out Swap Shop when it is safe to do so.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Recycling outreach has been increased through the continued dissemination of a label clarifying materials for single-stream recycling. This label has been dispersed through residence halls and place on recycling bins throughout the campus's classrooms and offices. These labels continue to be placed throughout campus buildings as needed.
https://www.easternct.edu/sustainability/recycle.html
https://www.easternct.edu/environmental-health-and-safety/services/recycling.html
Recycling videos: (on ISE Publications page)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oozsV0_4X_w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRQRSFjBgcI
https://www.easternct.edu/sustainability/recycle.html
https://www.easternct.edu/environmental-health-and-safety/services/recycling.html
Recycling videos: (on ISE Publications page)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oozsV0_4X_w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRQRSFjBgcI
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:
Information for this credit was provided by Renee Theroux-Keech, Director of Facilities Management & Planning.
Data reported here reflects waste and recycling from summer and fall 2021 of Fiscal Year 2022. General waste and recycling data for the performance year was estimated based on one week of weight data from September 2021.
Weighted campus user figures reflect data from the 2020-2021 academic year to pair with the waste and recycling data from Fiscal Year 2022 reported above. Weighted campus user figures for the 2021-2022 academic year have yet to be released. Data from PRE 5 reflects data from Fiscal Year 2020/2019-2020 academic year.
34.735 tons (bleachers) + 3.466 tons (microfiche) + 321.36 tons (general estimate of weekly waste) = 359.561 tons of materials recycled
Data reported here reflects waste and recycling from summer and fall 2021 of Fiscal Year 2022. General waste and recycling data for the performance year was estimated based on one week of weight data from September 2021.
Weighted campus user figures reflect data from the 2020-2021 academic year to pair with the waste and recycling data from Fiscal Year 2022 reported above. Weighted campus user figures for the 2021-2022 academic year have yet to be released. Data from PRE 5 reflects data from Fiscal Year 2020/2019-2020 academic year.
34.735 tons (bleachers) + 3.466 tons (microfiche) + 321.36 tons (general estimate of weekly waste) = 359.561 tons of materials recycled
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.