| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 75.15 |
| Liaison | Laura Young |
| Submission Date | March 3, 2022 |
Michigan State University
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.69 / 8.00 |
Kris
Jolley Director MSU Recycling and Surplus Store |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 3,837.90 Tons | 1,570 Tons |
| Materials composted | 906.79 Tons | 4,410 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 1,203.12 Tons | 2,000 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 89.30 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 6,166.25 Tons | 7,102 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 12,203.36 Tons | 15,082 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
MSU has an anaerobic digester that provides power and heat to ten buildings on MSU's south campus. Food waste from the Brody dining hall is source separated and put through a pulper. This material is weighed by the Surplus Store and Recycling Center staff before it is sent to the digester. https://www.egr.msu.edu/bae/adrec/
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2018 | June 30, 2019 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2009 | June 30, 2010 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
Baseline year was established along with the energy baseline for the energy transition plan as well as a baseline for the first reporting year of STARS.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 15,888 | 15,305 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 63 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 256 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 45,414 | 45,149 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 11,843 | 11,061 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 2,191 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 45,543.25 | 45,983.75 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.27 Tons | 0.33 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 | Yes |
| White goods (i.e. appliances) | Yes |
| Electronics | Yes |
| Laboratory equipment | Yes |
| Furniture | Yes |
| Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | Yes |
| Scrap metal | Yes |
| Pallets | Yes |
| Tires | No |
| Other (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Textiles, books, polystyrene, office supplies, lab supplies, basketball flooring, exercise equipment and sporting goods, anything with a cord or battery, mattresses, carpet, ink and toner cartridges, other assorted reusable items.
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:
We sort materials in our own MRF and measure discards/contamination. Regular feedback solicited from brokers and mills.
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
Container signs, tabling events, monthly virutal townhalls, Waste Warriors peer educator program, and a vigorous social media presence with over 20,000 followers across all accounts. Expanded educational programming about reuse of materials through Spartan Upcycle.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Waste audits are performed, often with the assistance of classrooms to demonstrate the high rate of material thrown away that could be recycled or composted. Individual building data is tracked on a monthly basis to locate high performing buildings and those in need of better education.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
Procurement and Purchasing policies and procedures are published in the Manual of Business Procedures. Procurment policies related to preventing waste are described under section 270.6 Sourcing Considerations and Options. This includes the following considerations when working with suppliers:
(1) Total cost of ownership, including impacts such as energy use and end of life disposition, when acquiring broadly used items or engaging in high dollar purchases with long range implications.
(2) Take-back programs for packaging material and/or end-of-life cycle product.
(3) Purchasing products with an Eco label certification or that meet the standards of the industry associated Eco label and certification program.
(4) Providing business opportunities to suppliers who meet product standards while using pre-consumer and post-consumer waste in their products.
University Procurement and Logistics provides guidance and assistance in identifying opportunities and in applying these considerations.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
The MSU Surplus Store is integrated with MSU's Recycling Center. The MSU Surplus Store collects unwanted items and materials from the MSU community and makes them available for resale at low prices. Departments purchasing used items save money and reduce the university’s overall environmental impact. The public may also purchase items for reuse during public sale hours or online. The Budget Booster newsletter sent to campus departments promoting reuse. Vigorous social media presence.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
N/A
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
MSU does not offer free printing. Standard rates are published and students/staff access printing through the print account. Single sided printing is allowed but is priced significantly higher to deter this form of printing. https://tech.msu.edu/technology/printing/. Print profiles of each user provide cumulative impacts of printing, i.e. percent of trees; grams of C02, and hours running a 60 W light bulb as a part of the education component.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
MSU does not print course catalogs. MSU provides online searchable course catalogs, course schedules, course descriptions; degree navigators, reports and additional services as well as information online for the students.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
MSU's move-in/move out program is called Pack up. Pitch in. A description of the program is provided to all incoming residents in their "Move In Guide". For more than 20 years, Pack Up. Pitch In. has aided in the collection of move-in materials such as cardboard, plastic, paper, and glass. For Move-Out in between break and for end of year, residents are notified about participating through posters; postcards, bin signs, through their Eco-Reps and through their resident assistants. During Move-Out, additional items are collected including: non perishable foods that are collected at the Service Centers; personal care products; household goods/electronics; dining hall dishes and clothing/shoes. Usable Furniture is arranged for pickup.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
N/A
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:
SSRC has made improvements to the scales and infrastructure at the MRF which has significantly improved the accuracy of waste data since the 2010 baseline. Data reporting related to composting has also been improved by better defining compostable materials for consistent reporting. These improvements contribute to the reduction in composting between the performance year and baseline year.
Also that the data MSU Surplus Store and Recycling Center reports for waste figures on their website but the data reported are based on a calendar year, not academic year: https://msurecycling.com/our-impact/. They also have specific data for RHS/SLE at https://msurecycling.com/rhs-impact/.
SSRC has made improvements to the scales and infrastructure at the MRF which has significantly improved the accuracy of waste data since the 2010 baseline. Data reporting related to composting has also been improved by better defining compostable materials for consistent reporting. These improvements contribute to the reduction in composting between the performance year and baseline year.
Also that the data MSU Surplus Store and Recycling Center reports for waste figures on their website but the data reported are based on a calendar year, not academic year: https://msurecycling.com/our-impact/. They also have specific data for RHS/SLE at https://msurecycling.com/rhs-impact/.
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.