Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 68.02
Liaison Maxine Dandois-Fafard
Submission Date Nov. 10, 2023

STARS v2.2

Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS)
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.76 / 8.00 Maxine Dandois-Fafard
Sustainable Development Officer
Scientific Direction
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Parts 1 and 2. Waste per person

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 34.93 Metric tons
+ Date Revised: April 4, 2024
34.93 Metric tons
+ Date Revised: April 4, 2024
Materials composted 1.24 Metric tons 1.24 Metric tons
Materials donated or re-sold 0 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 41.87 Metric tons
+ Date Revised: April 4, 2024
41.87 Metric tons
+ Date Revised: April 4, 2024
Total waste generated 78.04 Metric tons 78.04 Metric tons

If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:

A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
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Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Period Oct. 1, 2022 Oct. 1, 2023
Baseline Period Oct. 1, 2022 Oct. 1, 2023

If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:

A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
The first waste audits were realised in 2022-2023.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 0 0
Number of employees resident on-site 0 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 881 881
Full-time equivalent of employees 690 690
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 1,178.25 1,178.25

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.07 Metric tons 0.07 Metric tons

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

Part 3. Waste diverted from the landfill or incinerator

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
46.34

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
46.34

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 No
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:
Other materials that have been collected to be sent to recycling facilities are: laboratory plastic, pens, batteries, ink cartridges, returnable cans, fluorescent, masks, gloves.

Optional Fields 

Active Recovery and Reuse

Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year:
---

Recycling Management 

Does the institution use single stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
No

Does the institution use dual stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
No

Does the institution use multi-stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
No

Contamination and Discard Rates 

Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program:
11.80

A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
---

Programs and Initiatives 

A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
In 2022, the Green Committee at 490 (Quebec City's main building) received funding from the administration to carry out various actions around residual materials: adding the organic materials collection, raising awareness, kiosks, contests, etc. See: http://babillard.ete.inrs.ca/nouvelle.php?id=5202.

A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
The first INRS waste audits were carried out in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, a master's intern developed the protocol and carried out three audits in June, July and October, with student and employee volunteers, enabling us to characterize our waste materials in the Quebec City main building. In October 2023, the remaining buildings were audited by Stratzer, in collaboration with volunteers from our community. These audits enabled us to gain a better understanding of our waste and raise awareness among building users. The waste has been divided into 21 categories, including laboratory plastics.

A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
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A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
---

A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
---

A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
---

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
---

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

A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Since October 2022, a pilot project in Quebec City main building enables us to collect laboratory plastics (plastic like pipette tips, too small to be recycled by the municipal recycling facility). The plastic collected directly in the laboratory is bought once a month directly to the recycling facility with whom we have an agreement: plastic by-pass the sorting chain and go directly into the right pile. In one year, approximately 1.5 tons of plastic were diverted from incineration.

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:
We do not have data on materials donated or re-sold.

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.