Elon University
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion

The ‘Other’ materials included in the materials recycled figure are textile items.
Elon University recycles the following items but does not have weights for them for the performance and baseline years: cooking oil, white goods, furniture, scrap metal, pallets, tires, batteries, printer cartridges, writing instruments, thin plastics.
Elon has an electronics recycling program, which is addressed in OP-20.
The 7.86 tons reported for materials donated or re-sold is lower than the actual amount because weights are not available for all of the items donated as part of the end of year move out waste reduction program, Don't Trash It.

In May 2019, a pilot program was started which asks office occupants to empty the trash and recycling containers in their individual offices into bins at waste stations located in the hallway. The pilot was expanded in fall 2019 and again in fall 2021. As part of the pilot, new bins have been provided for individual offices in some areas - a recycling bin with a smaller trash bin that can nest inside or clip on the outside of the recycling bin. One of the expected benefits of this program is increasing awareness of trash generated and which bin to use for waste items.
In January 2019, new signage was added above the waste bins in a newly renovated dining facility to help patrons know which bin to use for their waste items.
During fall 2021, two “Landfill on the Lawn” events were held to bring awareness to the amount of items thrown in landfill bins that could be recycled or composted instead of sent to the landfill.
A social media campaign, “Waste Wednesdays,” was also re-introduced during fall 2021 and remains in-place. This campaign highlights one piece of waste each week and informs viewers how to properly sort that item.
A pilot program for composting was started in the Station at Mill Point residential neighborhood in the fall 2023 semester. Students are provided with a mini compost bin by request and take their collected compost to the compost bin located in the neighborhood garden.
During the 2023-2024 school year, zero waste athletic games are being held. At these games, waste is sorted and weighed.
Collection bins and signs are all color coded: black bags and signs for landfill items; clear bags, blue lids and blue signs for recyclables; and orange or green lids and signs with green bags for compostables.

The university worked with a consultant in FY 19-20 to do a waste audit of several buildings and review processes to develop a waste reduction master plan. Using this information and additional input from the campus community a waste reduction master plan was completed in April 2022.

While there is not a surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program, excess and/or unwanted office supplies are reused on campus through an informal system. Any furniture that is appropriate for reuse is reused on campus.

Beginning in Fall 2019, the Eco-Reps held a bi-monthly swap shop, which encouraged Elon students, faculty and staff to bring in their used clothes, books and housewares to swap for new-to-them items. This event was moved to a virtual format (held via Instagram) for the 2020-2021 academic year due to COVID-19 and resumed in-person for the 2021-2022 academic year and has continued. This event is now run by the Office of Sustainability Volunteer Program. Pop-Up Swap Shops occur each month, rotating to different neighborhoods throughout the campus when classes are in session. The Pop-Up Swap Shop is also open in the Environmental Student Organization Network (ESON) Moseley Student Center office a few hours each week. Additionally, student organizations or departments, such as Hillel and the Gender and LGBTQIA Center, have partnered to create Pop-Up Swap Shops for their specific organizations.

Elon has a print management system, that helps reduce both paper and toner usage on the Elon campus. Students who want to print must go to a release station and tap their Phoenix Card (student ID card) before the submitted document will print. Students are provided 'print dollars' each semester for their printing needs. In addition, duplex printing is enabled on all printers in the system. The School of Law campus in Greensboro utilizes the print management system with a higher print dollar allotment.

Many materials are available online by default and are not printed, such as the course catalogs, course schedule information and the faculty and staff directory.

Environmental Services, the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, Residence Life, Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity, along with other on- and off-campus partners, collaborate to organize 'Don't Trash It!' at the end of the school year. This effort is targeted to both on- and off-campus students and seeks non-perishable food items, clothing, household goods, electronics, bedding and furniture in good condition. Items are collected and donated to several local non-profit organizations. Employees are also welcome to drop-off items at the donation stations. 'Don't Trash It!' runs for three weeks in May during final exams and through the end of May. Donations are taken to a series of drop-off points throughout campus. There is at least one collection site in every residential neighborhood. Donations are then collected and taken to central locations where community partners pick them up. In May 2023, over 7 tons of donations were collected and given to a variety of non-profit partners.
During move-in, the primary targeted waste stream is cardboard and diverting it to recycling. This is done through signage, in-person communication, environmental services staff and additional collection bins.

Historically, Elon University did not receive weight information for all of the landfill containers located on campus. This information started to be available toward the end of 2016-2017. This new data was used to estimate the weight of these containers for months when this data was not available.
The weight of materials composted for 2004-2005 represents yard waste composting. The weight of materials composted for the performance year (FY 2022-2023) includes food composting and yard waste composting. A food composting program was not present in 2004-2005.
The weight of materials recycled for 2022-2023 includes textiles; while the weight of materials recycled for 2004-2005 does not include textiles. This program was not present in 2004-2005.
The weight of materials donated or re-sold for 2022-2023 represents the end of year move out waste reduction program, Don't Trash It. This program was not present in 2004-2005.
The total full-time equivalent student enrollment and full-time equivalent of employees numbers reported for the performance year above are adjusted from those reported in PRE-5 to remove the population that utilizes buildings for which waste data is not available. These buildings were not part of campus in the baseline year.