Overall Rating	Gold - expired
Overall Score	67.20
Liaison	Megan Butler
Submission Date	May 31, 2017
Executive Letter	Download

STARS v2.1

Macalester College
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	3.90 / 8.00	Kyle Wright Custodial Shift Supervisor Facilities Service

"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Parts 1 and 2: Waste Minimization

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Materials recycled	151.82 Tons	87.37 Tons
Materials composted	108.56 Tons	0 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold	146.29 Tons	0 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion	0 Tons	0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator	116.80 Tons	370.10 Tons
Total waste generated	523.47 Tons	457.47 Tons

If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:

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

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 (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):

Our GHG Emissions and Zero Waste baseline year is the FY 2007-2008.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site	1,301	1,007
Number of employees resident on-site	14	10
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds	0	0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment	2,121	1,873
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty)	581	521
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education	0	0
Weighted campus users	2,355.25	2,049.75

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user	0.22 Tons	0.22 Tons

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

0.42

Part 3: Waste Diversion

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

77.69

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

77.69

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)	Yes

A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:

Mini-fridges (420 lbs) Clothing and shoes (3351 lbs) Books (497 lbs) Household goods (999 lbs) Miscellaneous plastics (811 lbs) Styrofoam (500 lbs)

Optional Fields

Active Recovery and Reuse

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) :

5 Tons

Recycling Management

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?:

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?:

Contamination and Discard Rates

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:

Our waste hauler has not returned any pickups for contamination and contract provisions permit them to do so.

Programs and Initiatives

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:

Macalester received several county grants to place universal signing and bins throughout campus, making sorting easier. The switch to 100% compostable take-out and catering wares made sorting easier.

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

Facilities Services Custodial staff performs waste audits three times per year.

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

All disposable dishware, take out containers, and catering supplies are compostable where ever possible.

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

MacFree Swap allows students, faculty, and staff to can pick-up and drop-off items for re-use. This includes office supplies.

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):

MacFree Swap allows students, faculty, and staff to can pick-up and drop-off items for re-use. This includes typical student items like electronics, small-electrics, furnishings, books and clothes.

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):

Wasteful Printing Wipeout The Sustainability Office, in collaboration with MCSG, the Library, Student Affairs and ITS, is implementing a program to help balance those two realities. Students are encouraged to log onto macalester.edu/print or use PaperCut pop-up to see how you're doing.

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 catalogs are available online for students. Course schedules are not printed and are only available online for students. The college directory is also available online.

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

Waste containers are completely removed from residence hall floors, requiring all students to bring items for central sorting which allows for reuse and recycling of almost all items including clothes, food, hangers, appliances, and electronics.

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

2008 -present: Graduation Gown Donation Program: Mac grads donate graduation gowns to MNInternship Charter High School 2008 - present: Greening Reunion: Zero Waste Picnic incorporated, started email outreach instead of postcards, water coolers instead of water bottles. 2008 -present: EcoClamshell: Reusable carryout containers available at the Grill 2009 - present: Papercut software: ITS installed Papercut software to count pages printed by student 2009 - present: 100% Recycled Letterhead: Letterhead changed to a 100% post consumer waste recycled paper 2009 - present: Printing awareness week: Library starts annual printing reduction outreach 2009 - present: Student Account eBilling: Switched from paper bills to eBilling 2009 - present: Move Out: Extensive recycling and reuse program put in place, Recycling rate jumped from 17% in 2008 to 46% in 2009 2010 - present: Onesies: Reused one sided paper notebooks, “onesies” given to all first year students from the Library in 2010 2010 - present: CFL and ewaste recycling on campus: Bins available in the Sustainability Office for student, staff and faculty 2010 - present: Reusable dishware and dishwashers: MCSG bought a set of reusable dishware for student organizations 2010 -present: MacFreeSwap: Listing service on 1600 Grand and free stuff table in Kagin Commons 2010 -present: 100% Recycled Copy Paper: 100% recycled copy paper standard started as campus standard 2010 -present: Print release stations: Reduces accidental printing 2011 - Reuse of Macalester Pipe Organ: Macalester Pipe Organ donated to local church 2011 - Holiday Light Recycling Program: Collaboration with the Recycling Association of Minnesota to collect discarded holiday lights and electrical cords 2012 - Recycled Art and Craft Fair: Student recycled art and craft fair hosted 2013 - Composting started on campus 2014 - Catering and Food Service start using all compostable dishware 2014 - Compostable dishware promoted to departments 2014 - Macalester College joined the national Food Recovery Network Organization which donates surplus food from the dining hall to local charities. The network, composed of students, collects donations one night a week for every week during the school year, and typically diverts around 1000-1500 pounds per semester."

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:

https://www.macalester.edu/sustainability/zero-waste/

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.