Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 44.86
Liaison Elisabeth Reed
Submission Date Feb. 25, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Illinois State University
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.25 / 8.00 Gig Supanichrattana
Administrative Associate
Facilities Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 2,600.30 Metric tons 1,351.07 Metric tons
Materials composted 461.29 Metric tons 278 Metric tons
Materials donated or re-sold Metric tons Metric tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion Metric tons Metric tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 3,116.62 Metric tons 1,649.26 Metric tons
Total waste generated 6,178.21 Metric tons 3,278.33 Metric tons

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

N/A


Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2017 June 30, 2018
Baseline Year July 1, 2014 June 30, 2015

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):

The last STARS report was submitted by the institution in February 2016 using 2005 data as baseline. We used 2015 as a baseline for this report.


Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 5,811 6,482
Number of employees resident on-site 18 24
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 20,784 21,080
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 3,281.60 3,654
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 990 344
Weighted campus users 18,763.95 19,919

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.33 Metric tons 0.16 Metric 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:
49.55

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
49.55

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 Yes
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:

N/A


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) :
Metric 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?:
Yes

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?:
Yes

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:

ISU uses single stream recycling to encourage students to recycle. By using single stream recycling, ISU is removing the need for students to separate their recyclable materials.


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

Every year students in the Environmental Health Science program conduct a campus waste audit. Trash is collected from several buildings and the Quad for a week. Students then sort through the trash to identify materials that could have been recycled but are instead ending up in trash receptacles – and eventually landfills.


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

ISU is very involved in waste prevention, especially because the county landfill will be at capacity by 2017.


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

Property Control maintains surplus supplies and furniture and makes it available for free to campus departments.


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):

ISU uses social media groups to encourage peer-to-peer exchanges. Pages such as ISU exchange and Facebook marketplace exist to encourage students to reuse and exchange materials as often as possible.


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):

None mandated, it's just a matter of efficient business operations to work electronically.


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:

The course catalog is now available exclusively online and divided up by department to reduce the number of people printing it. Professors are encouraged to post their syllabi online rather than handing one out to every student. ISU directories are no longer printed, and a majority of departmental newsletters, including those to alumni, are now electronic.


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

Each residence hall has a large container for belongings that are still in good condition but not wanted by the student. Other students can take what they want and the rest is donated to charity.


A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
---

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.