George Washington University
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.52 / 8.00 |
Colin
O'Brien Sustainability Associate Office of Sustainability |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 73 Tons | 713.70 Tons |
| Materials composted | 42 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 328 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 1,923 Tons | 3,128.30 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 2,366 Tons | 3,842 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
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, 2005 | June 30, 2006 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
The 2005 baseline was pre-determined through the STARS 1.2 version, which was submitted by GW in 2014. However, as of April 17, 2017, GW updated the baseline to match internal reporting for FY06 so that STARS reporting is consistent with GW reporting. For FY17, GW also updated the compost metric to include Yard Waste. GW's FY17 reported compost metric includes: bio-fuels, food waste from Mount Vernon Campus and Foggy Bottom Campus and yard waste, whereas previous years did not include yard waste. In FY17, the recycling metric included 44.4 tons of electronic waste.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 6,339 | 6,885 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 28 | 23 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 20,589 | 19,509 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 5,346 | 5,037 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 2,216 | 500 |
| Weighted campus users | 19,381 | 19,761.50 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.12 Tons | 0.19 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 | No |
| Other (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Textiles/clothing donations.
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:
Housekeepers and Collection staff monitor before disposal.
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
GW employs instructional trash and recycling signage across all waste receptacles, and posts the information online.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
The Office of Sustainability conducted an audit of campus waste from outdoor receptacles in the Spring of 2022, and plans to conduct at least one audit of the campus waste stream each subsequent semester. In partnership with undergraduate sustainability research courses, The Office of Sustainability will gather data on the recycling contamination rate, instances of improperly disposed recyclables, the volume of food waste in the waste stream and other metrics that will guide the Office's approach to achieving Zero Waste.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
GW's Office of Sustainability and Procurement Department have partnered to implement a sustainable paper procurement program which stipulates that all office print & copy paper procured by GW employees through "iBuy", GW's internal online purchasing system for most of the university's major purchase categories, must contain at least 30% recycled fiber content. Additionally, the implementation of the Single-use Plastic Elimination Policy has encouraged the purchase of compostable alternatives to plastic products in offices, at major events, in campus dining venues, and elsewhere on campus. This policy, in conjuction with the Office of Sustainability's composting program, has prevented a signifcant amount of potential waste created by goods procured by the University.
GW's Procurement Department has also published a vendor code of conduct which encourages university suppliers to conduct business using environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable products and services to the greatest extent possible. This includes using sustainability claims that meet the standards of Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Green Guides, not providing GW with hard copies of presentations, marketing material, or other informational materials, and limiting the use of excessive packaging beyond that which is absolutely necessary. More information can be found at procurement.gwu.edu/gw-supplier-code-conduct.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
GW's Reuse Program continues to grow both internally and externally. We repurpose office furniture throughout the university in an effort to upgrade furniture, divert items from landfills, and be fiscally sustainable. Any furniture not able to be reused within the university is donated to local charities and non-profits as a means to support their missions and assist those in need.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
The George Washington University has adopted a zero waste approach--reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills while increasing recycling, reuse, and composting. The university has hired staff to address this effort, and we are seeing results with a decrease in waste to landfill and an increase in recycling. In 2014, GW introduced five permanent clothing donation bins on campus and has been increasing the amount of clothing diverted from the landfill every year since. Sustainble GW now partners with student organization POP! Thrift, a student-run second-hand clothing business, to recirculate a portion of donated textiles within the GW commmunity.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
After a $30 credit, students pay per sheet for printing. The University adjusted the cost model for printing in fall 2017 to incentivize double-sided printing. This change was made in collaboration with the Student Association and the launch of their Campaign to Save a Million, which encouraged students and faculty to print double-sided whenever possible. The Information Technology Website also provides a list of tips for students looking to reduce their total amount of printing.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
In general, all of our academic information is provided online. It is only when limited, special courses occur that we provide materials in print.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
A well-established and award-winning program called Green Move-out is conducted each year at the end of the Spring Semester. The objective is to collect a wide-variety of items (e.g., non-perishable food, bedding, household goods, clothes) that students would otherwise leave behind in their residence hall rooms as waste and to transfer them off campus to community partners in an organized manner. The Office of Sustainability tracks in a quantitative way what is collected through this program to contribute to the campus diversion rate. In FY 22 GW donated more than 53,000 pounds of clothing, non-perishable food items, and household goods during move out.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
GW recycles e-waste including light bulbs, electronics, and batteries as described in the hazardous waste section.
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:
https://sustainability.gwu.edu/waste-recycling
GW published its Zero Waste Plan in Fall 2016. It provides:
1. An overview of GW’s current waste management infrastructure;
2. A discussion of the challenges and proposed methods for achieving the targets
laid out in the GW Ecosystems Enhancement Strategy to become a zero waste institution;
3. University and financial commitments needed to achieve Zero Waste goals; and
4. Appendices.
Regarding materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, GW has total numbers for re-use but its not known what percent is re-used on campus vs what percent goes to our charity vendors who re-use the materials off campus.
Reuse
https://facilities.gwu.edu/relocation-recycling-and-reuse
https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/furniture-finds-second-homes-local-nonprofits
https://www.gwhatchet.com/2016/04/13/gelman-library-adds-lockers-to-fourth-and-fifth-floors/
Green Move-Out https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/students-donate-food-clothing-and-household-goodshttps://gwtoday.gwu.edu/green-move-out-recycles-43000-pounds-items-left-residence-halls
https://living.gwu.edu/green-move-out
https://living.gwu.edu/green-move
https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/green-and-giving
https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/green-good-bye
https://mediarelations.gwu.edu/gw-green-move-out-donations-help-sustain-local-charities
Recycled Content Paper Procurement
https://procurement.gwu.edu/select-our-environmentally-friendly-suppliers
https://procurement.gwu.edu/sustainability-gw
https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/gw-switches-recycled-paper-0
Double-Sided Printing Initiative
https://www.gwhatchet.com/2017/02/08/sa-leader-proposes-double-sided-printing-program-to-save-students-cash/
https://www.gwhatchet.com/2017/09/11/sa-launches-campaign-to-save-1-million-pieces-of-paper/
https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/gw-ecosystems-enhancement-strategy-unveiled
https://www.tun.com/blog/george-washington-university-save-a-million-campaign/
https://www.gwhatchet.com/2018/01/18/halfway-through-printing-campaign-sa-reaches-a-quarter-of-its-student-savings-goal/
https://sustainability.gwu.edu/waste-recycling
GW published its Zero Waste Plan in Fall 2016. It provides:
1. An overview of GW’s current waste management infrastructure;
2. A discussion of the challenges and proposed methods for achieving the targets
laid out in the GW Ecosystems Enhancement Strategy to become a zero waste institution;
3. University and financial commitments needed to achieve Zero Waste goals; and
4. Appendices.
Regarding materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, GW has total numbers for re-use but its not known what percent is re-used on campus vs what percent goes to our charity vendors who re-use the materials off campus.
Reuse
https://facilities.gwu.edu/relocation-recycling-and-reuse
https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/furniture-finds-second-homes-local-nonprofits
https://www.gwhatchet.com/2016/04/13/gelman-library-adds-lockers-to-fourth-and-fifth-floors/
Green Move-Out https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/students-donate-food-clothing-and-household-goodshttps://gwtoday.gwu.edu/green-move-out-recycles-43000-pounds-items-left-residence-halls
https://living.gwu.edu/green-move-out
https://living.gwu.edu/green-move
https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/green-and-giving
https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/green-good-bye
https://mediarelations.gwu.edu/gw-green-move-out-donations-help-sustain-local-charities
Recycled Content Paper Procurement
https://procurement.gwu.edu/select-our-environmentally-friendly-suppliers
https://procurement.gwu.edu/sustainability-gw
https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/gw-switches-recycled-paper-0
Double-Sided Printing Initiative
https://www.gwhatchet.com/2017/02/08/sa-leader-proposes-double-sided-printing-program-to-save-students-cash/
https://www.gwhatchet.com/2017/09/11/sa-launches-campaign-to-save-1-million-pieces-of-paper/
https://gwtoday.gwu.edu/gw-ecosystems-enhancement-strategy-unveiled
https://www.tun.com/blog/george-washington-university-save-a-million-campaign/
https://www.gwhatchet.com/2018/01/18/halfway-through-printing-campaign-sa-reaches-a-quarter-of-its-student-savings-goal/
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.