| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.11 |
| Liaison | Jean-Michel Champagne |
| Submission Date | Feb. 10, 2021 |
HEC Montréal
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.49 / 8.00 |
Jean-Michel
Champagne Sustainable Development Officer Infrastructure - Sustainability Office |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 78.70 Metric tons | 74.70 Metric tons |
| Materials composted | 92.70 Metric tons | 28.30 Metric tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 2 Metric tons | 0 Metric tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Metric tons | 0 Metric tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 88.10 Metric tons | 127.30 Metric tons |
| Total waste generated | 261.50 Metric tons | 230.30 Metric 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 | Jan. 1, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2019 |
| Baseline Period | Jan. 1, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2016 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
The 2016 Baseline is based on the first complete waste audit conducted in HEC's two main buildings to evaluate to the possibility to expand recycling and composting recuperation programs, and to obtain BOMA BEST certification. Following this study, compost and recycling stations were modified and deployed on every floor of every building, and individual waste collection bins were removed from public space. Major effort was made to ensure residual materials are well sorted by users.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 40 | 40 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 8,881 | 8,805.50 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 1,267 | 1,227 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 7,621 | 7,534.38 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.03 Metric tons | 0.03 Metric 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 | No |
| Furniture | Yes |
| Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | Yes |
| Scrap metal | Yes |
| Pallets | Yes |
| Tires | Yes |
| Other (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
The IT department has a recycling and reuse program of computer equipment. In partnership with “Insertech”, a nonprofit corporation whose mission it is to reintegrate young adults and immigrants to labour markets.
This alliance allows Insertech to recover and reuse materials whose useful life is over. After repairs, computers are sold at a lower price.
The infrastructure direction of the school has led many projects of redesign outdoor spaces. They have recovered concrete slabs from other parts of the building and reused it for the construction of a terrace and several paths.
All office supply, from pens and folders to foot rest and desk lamps, can now be deposited or pick-up in a self-serve space called Bureau en Trop. Overstock are distributed to the non-profit or schools when the space has to be cleaned.
All vinyl posters used for outdoor advertising are stored on site to build a stock that can later be converted in shopping bags.
COVID-19 mask mandate requires the use of disposal masks when on the site, and recycling bins are available at entrance to drop used PPE.
All surplus, such as office chair, desks, shelves, screen a monitor, and tools, are now offered to non-profit organizations or schools (free of charge), or offered to employees (free, contest, auction, etc.), to expend their life before being recycled.
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:
Other than the waste audit, constant monitoring is performed by the janitorial team when new bins are installed or remove from an area. Moreover, the use of clear bags for recyclables and compostable materials allows janitorial team to report to the supervisor any specific issues they observed, and in collaboration with the sustainability direction, proper communication, labelling and meetings are organized to solve the problem. Main contamination in recycling streams results in presence of non-recyclable plastic containers, such as styrene and PLA, or compostable dinning trays.
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
Each year, students and employees are invited to take part in an information campaign. Thus, volunteer explains to communities the right way to separate their food waste.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Part of the BOMA BEST certification program, a waste audit is mandatory every 5 years. HEC's audit parameter included a 1 week 100% campus waste weighting + 25% total waste in each streams analysis.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
Janitorial products, such as soap, are bought in concentrated drums and fitted with a high capacity dispenser. Chemicals used for water treatment (cooling towers, steam, hot and cold water) are bought in bulk and are delivered to the permanent tank by a specially equipped delivery truck. No pails or drums are used anymore for the main chemicals.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
HEC Montréal, like other public universities in Québec, must dispose of its valuable goods such as furniture, vehicles and tools, in accordance with the governmental guideline. When deemed non-valuable items, they are distributed for free to employees and non-profits.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
At the beginning of each session, a book exchange program is organized to allow students to buy used school books. Nowadays, student groups are using Facebook and other social media platform to offer their old study books to the new students.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
HEC personnel has access to printers all over campus, but must be granted access by the IT department. Doubled-sided printing is a standard configuration, and the use of colour printing is limited to few individuals who are granted a special permission only.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Course manual and articles are not printed anymore : the HEC student online platform has been updated few years ago and teachers are now prohibited from getting manual printed.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
N/A
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Mercury containing lamps are recycled through the Recyc-Fluo free program. Batteries are recycled through the Call-2-Recycle program. The ink cartridges are collected by MIRA to finance vision impaired people's assistance dog programs.
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:
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.