| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 55.06 |
| Liaison | Michael Amadori |
| Submission Date | Feb. 27, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.44 / 8.00 |
Howard
Simmons Director Facilities |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 147.75 Tons | 130.50 Tons |
| Materials composted | 90.58 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 0 Tons | 2 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 597.38 Tons | 744.40 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 835.71 Tons | 876.90 Tons |
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 | June 1, 2015 | May 31, 2016 |
| Baseline Year | June 1, 2007 | May 31, 2008 |
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):
Fiscal year 2008 is the first year for which we have comprehensive waste management data.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 1,781 | 1,738 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 17 | 16 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 4 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 2,345 | 2,173 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 625 | 593 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 2,681 | 2,513 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.31 Tons | 0.35 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 |
| Laboratory equipment | Yes |
| Furniture | Yes |
| Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | Yes |
| Scrap metal | Yes |
| Pallets | Yes |
| Tires | Yes |
| Other (please specify below) | No |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
In addition to batteries, light bulbs, ink cartridges, and white goods, HWS responsibly recycles or resells all unwanted electronics through a third party e-waste vendor.
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) :
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?:
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:
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:
The Office of Sustainability often partners with the course, ENV 204, “Geography of Garbage,” to hold waste audits in front of our main student center, the Scandling Campus Center. The Colleges held two waste audits in spring 2015, one in March and one during Earth Week in April. Waste audits are used to raise awareness of “disposal” habits and also as a means of data collection to better understand residential recycling and trash. This information is used to improve sustainable materials management education, programming and infrastructure.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
The Colleges have long-term storage for potentially reusable office furniture and materials. For all faculty and staff material requests (e.g. chairs, cabinets, furniture), HWS Facilities first checks our surplus storage area. When office furniture and materials have met their useful life here at HWS, our Facilities department then explores other reuse outlets, such as other regional colleges/universities, hospitals, etc. The used office supplies or materials are sent to the landfill only if they are deemed beyond reusable. The Facilities team exasperates all reuse options before sending anything to the landfill.
Additionally, faculty and staff use the HWS Community Board to advertise: items for sale or items an employee wishes to give away; items an employee wishes to buy, rent or borrow; services or products an employee is able to provide; upcoming events (e.g. fundraisers, garage sales) or; other information an employee believes would be helpful to co-workers. Many employees use the community listserv for the same means.
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):
Students are given a limited number of print credits and are charged $.05 per page to print. Double sided printing is the equivalent to printing one page (incentivizes paper conservation).
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:
All major print items are available online and are only printed upon request. Departments/students are charged for printed items.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Every spring semester there is a large campus community effort to repurpose items through the “Community Barn Sale,” a garage sale-type event. The sale provides a means to repurpose items and directs them away from the landfill. It’s also used as a fundraiser for a local nonprofit. This fundraising aspect helps to incentivize students to take the extra step to donate. The 10th anniversary for this very popular and successful event, was in 2015. During the last couple of weeks of the spring semester bins and donation areas are placed/created in residential halls throughout campus. In addition, Facilities assists in moving large items such as couches, TVs, etc. from the residential halls to the Barn Sale location. The Colleges’ Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning hires students to collect, organize and price materials for resale. Students know that they can donate items at the end of the semester to the Barn Sale. The Barn Sale collection also includes unwanted electronics, which are either resold or responsibly discarded using a third party e-waste service. In spring 2016, the Barn Sale raised more than $10,800 for Geneva 2020, an HWS partnership with Geneva City School District using a collective impact model to improve student success in the local school district. Since 2006, the Colleges have raised more than $67,000 for the community. The Office of Sustainability works with Residential Education to coordinate distribution of blue recycling bags and clear trash bags to all residents during end of semester floor meetings. In addition, a reusable item and e-waste collection is coordinated leading up to and during move-out. During first-year move-in, the Office of Sustainability and EcoReps monitor first-year residential halls. They assist students with any sustainability questions, but specifically focus on educating new students about the proper waste streams at HWS.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Grounds to Grow On program: During summer 2014, more than 15 HWS offices and departments participated in the Grounds to Grow On program through Keurig. The Grounds to Grow On program recovers used K-cup packs to prevent them from entering landfills. Used K-cups are placed in a bin, the bin is shipped to Keurig, then Keurig separates the components, composting the grounds and incinerating the plastic pack to generate electricity. In addition to preventing K-cups from entering our nearby landfill, the Grounds to Grow On program was used at HWS to better inform offices and departments of the responsibility they have for the waste they create.
Reusable Water Bottles: Since fall 2009, all incoming first-year students are given a free reusable water bottle. The water bottle is an indication to first years of the Colleges’ commitment to sustainability, but also a practical gift for students to use while on campus. The reusable water bottles significantly decrease the purchase and disposal of single use water and beverage containers.
Drink Local Campaign: Through the Carver and DeLaney Family Environmental Studies Endowment, two HWS students started the Drink Local campaign on campus during the fall of 2013. The campaign resulted in the installation of nearly 10 new water bottle refill stations across campus, the distribution of more than 150 Nalgene water bottles, a campus map identifying all refill stations, and a Facebook page to increase awareness. The campaign is another effort at HWS to decrease the purchase and disposal of single use water and beverage containers.
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:
For figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users,” HWS does not currently track full-time equivalent of employees. HWS FTE employees is best represented by a head count of faculty and staff, as well as FTE employees of Sodexo Dining and Facilities.
For figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users,” HWS does not currently track full-time equivalent of employees. HWS FTE employees is best represented by a head count of faculty and staff, as well as FTE employees of Sodexo Dining and Facilities.
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.