Overall Rating Reporter - expired
Overall Score
Liaison Kathleen Hilimire
Submission Date Feb. 21, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Fort Lewis College
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete Reporter
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Parts 1 and 2: Waste Minimization 

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 111.31 Tons 0 Tons
Materials composted 4 Tons 0 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold 135 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 781 Tons 634 Tons
Total waste generated 1,031.31 Tons 634 Tons

If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:

A brief description of the residual conversion facility, including affirmation that materials are sorted prior to conversion to recover recyclables and compostable materials:
---

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2016 June 30, 2017
Baseline Year July 1, 2010 June 30, 2011

If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:

A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
---

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 1,435 1,314
Number of employees resident on-site 1 1
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 3,043 3,575
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 523 484
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 3,033.50 3,373

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.34 Tons 0.19 Tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
0

Part 3: Waste Diversion

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
24.27

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
24.27

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 No
Plant materials Yes
Animal bedding No
White goods (i.e. appliances) Yes
Laboratory equipment Yes
Furniture Yes
Residence hall move-in/move-out waste Yes
Scrap metal Yes
Pallets No
Tires No
Other (please specify below) No

A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
All carpets at FLC are made of 100% recycled material and purchased from Interface. Interface collects their used carpet and recycles the material.

Optional Fields 

Active Recovery and Reuse

Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year (e.g. materials that are actively diverted from the landfill or incinerator and refurbished/repurposed) :
---

Recycling Management 

Does the institution use single stream recycling (a single container for commingled recyclables) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
---

Does the institution use dual stream (two separate containers for recyclables, e.g. one for paper and another for plastic, glass, and metals) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
---

Does the institution use multi-stream recycling (multiple containers that further separate different types of materials) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
---

Contamination and Discard Rates 

Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program (percentage, 0-100):
---

A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed, e.g. efforts to minimize contamination and/or monitor the discard rates of the materials recovery facilities and mills to which materials are diverted:
---

Programs and Initiatives 

A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives, e.g. initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices such as signage and competitions:
---

A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Physical Plant Services audits the content of recycling bins. They report the ratio of trash to recycling in each container they pick up.

A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
The IT department has lengthened the life cycle of electronics on campus, changing from a 3-year purchasing cycle to a 4-year one in 2013.

A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
FLC has a continuous, year-round surplus program that employs two full-time workers. It resells and gives away a large variety of campus items to the public, including furniture, vehicles, machinery, athletic equipment, and office supplies. The IT department also runs an initiative to resell electronics and usable electronic parts to the public.

A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse (e.g. of electronics, furnishings, books and other goods):
---

A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption (e.g. restricting free printing and/or mandating doubled-sided printing in libraries and computer labs):
There are measures in place to limit printing waste, such as double-sided printing and a dialog box that prompts the user before printing in order to avoid mistake print jobs.

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials (e.g. course catalogs, course schedules, and directories) available online by default rather than printing them:
FLC's course catalog, departmental directories, and employee directories are available online.

A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
The Environmental Center coordinates a move-in / move-out program that captures and resells discarded items left on campus at the end of the school year.

A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
The Environmental Center also manages a "free store" during the academic year that is open for all campus occupants to drop off and take items for reuse.

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives 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.