Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 71.65
Liaison Laura Bain
Submission Date Jan. 19, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Furman University
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.34 / 8.00 Laura Bain
Associate Director of Sustainability Assessment
David E. Shi Center for Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 226 Tons 130 Tons
Materials composted 32.70 Tons 0 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold 48.50 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 2,400 Tons 1,062 Tons
Total waste generated 2,707.20 Tons 1,192 Tons

A brief description of the residual conversion facility, including affirmation that materials are sorted prior to conversion to recover recyclables and compostable materials:
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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, 2016
Baseline Year July 1, 2005 June 30, 2006

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):
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Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 2,451 2,361
Number of employees resident on-site 3 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 2 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 2,981 2,688
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 864 841
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 3,499.25 3,237

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.77 Tons 0.37 Tons

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

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
11.35

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
11.35

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
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:

Furman's student run Environmental Action Group periodically offers collection and recycling of additional materials, such as Clif bar wrappers, through a partnership with Terracycle.

Furman also collects abandoned bicycles at the end of the year and conducts a bike auction. A portion of those proceeds goes into the Paladins on Bikes rental program.

Recently, glass has not been recyclable in Greenville County, making our recycled materials lighter and landfill materials heavier. We hope to establish an internal glass recycling program in 2018.


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) :
0 Tons

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?:
No

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?:
Yes

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?:
No

Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program (percentage, 0-100):
5

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:

Signage


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:

Two students conducted an interactive food-waste audit to showcase how much food is wasted from the Dining Hall and encourage responsible food consumption.


A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:

In addition to the food waste audit described above, paper towel composting is being piloted in two buildings on campus with signage describing the program and why it is important.


A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):

Furman's Green Purchasing Guidelines specifically encourages reduction and reuse of packaging and shipping materials and the potential for reuse and/or non-hazardous
disposal in the purchasing decision matrix.


A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:

Furman's surplus policy 371.1 states, "Periodically, the inventory of surplus assets will be communicated to the Furman community in an attempt to find a useful purpose for the surplus asset. Ownership rights to surplus assets are relinquished when it is declared surplus. If a department determines that it would like to obtain a surplus asset, a Fixed Asset Transfer Request will be completed. There will be no value attached to surplus items and cost to the department obtaining the asset."

Plans are underway to streamline and digitize the surplus warehouse to communicate assets more effectively and maximize reuse and efficiency.


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):

Students may post notices in an internal classifieds web platform.


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 is a printing quota of 500 pages per semester for each student. All printers/copiers print double-sided by default.


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:

Our online system, Moodle, allows teachers to put syllabi, readings, and schedules online; it even lets students turn in digital work and even take quizzes and test online rather than with printed paper. Furman's course catalog, course schedules, and directories are all online as well.


A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:

Furman has a move-in recycling program, where a group of students set up recycling stations outside of the dorms and collects the cardboard and boxes used during the move-in process.

During move-out, large donation boxes are available to collect donated items. Currently, donations go to the Dream Center, a local nonprofit that serves those in need with a hand up instead of a hand out by empowering them to grow towards becoming healthy and self-sufficient. The Dream Center’s homeless shelter program, The Opportunity Village, combines the comprehensive program with a village of 23 tiny houses used for temporary shelter.


A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.