Middlebury College
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
5.57 / 8.00 |
Melissa
Beckwith Assistant Director, Support Services Facilities Services |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 521 Tons | 510.60 Tons |
| Materials composted | 265 Tons | 354 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 342 Tons | 560 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 1,128 Tons | 1,424.60 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | Jan. 1, 2021 | Dec. 31, 2021 |
| Baseline Period | Jan. 1, 2007 | Dec. 31, 2007 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
2007 was the year we adopted our goal of carbon neutrality by 2016. This was the year that we also began to track our carbon footprint including to our waste and recycling data.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 3,967 | 2,988 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 47 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 3,951 | 2,718 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 1,168 | 1,186 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 4,842.75 | 3,675 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.23 Tons | 0.39 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 |
| Electronics | 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:
Our recycling center includes a series of reuse trailers and bins where Middlebury community members can come pick up appliances and home-goods. The weight of these materials is not specifically tracked, so we haven't included the amount in the fields below.
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:
Even though we have a tri-stream waste system, our recycling center staff sort bags by hand to effectively manage contamination.
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
There have been numerous student projects aimed at informing and reminding people about how to effectively and properly make use of these systems. These projects have mostly originated in the Sustainability Solutions Lab: https://www.middlebury.edu/office/franklin-environmental-center/get-involved/sustainability-solutions-lab
Additionally, we have effective and consistent signage across campus instructing our community how to properly dispose of waste.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
We have done waste audits, especially around food waste, over the years.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
The College's Environmental Council has an initiative called "Break Free From Plastics" which is focused on reducing plastic use around campus, including in procurement.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Anything that is reusable at Middlebury, like electronics, school and office materials, or clothes, may be brought to the Recycling Center at any point during the year is placed in the reuse trailer. The center is open year round, and any member of the College community can go to the center and take a small bag of materials to reuse them.
Additionally, Facilities Services keeps an inventory of furniture and other surplus college property and makes those items available for sale to college community members.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
We have hosted a number of repair cafes where student can bring items in need of fixing. We have a Makers' Space where students can access sewing machines and other tools as well as consult experts on this.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Each semester, non-seniors are allotted $25 (equivalent to 500 black & white single-sided pages or 625 black & white double-sided pages) and seniors are allotted $50 to print from computer labs and libraries on campus: 5 cents is charged per black & white single-sided page, and 8 cents is charged per black & white double-sided page. After students deplete their allotted balance, they may pay to add additional funds to their account. Unused quota amounts are rolled over each semester within an academic year. Copying is not included, and students must pay 10 cents for each copy made.
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:
Middlebury sets up Drop-Zones at the end of the year to collect large and small reusable items. All trash/recycling is brought to our Recycling Facility. Materials are looked at to determine whether they can be reused, recycled, or composted. We fill the equivalent of 2-4 tractor trailers of reusable items such as school supplies, dishes and other kitchenware, clothing, and furniture each year. Those items are then made available to the College community for a very low price.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
The Recycling Center is in the process of testing single stream recycling at the College to see if this practice increases recycling rates and decreases labor costs.
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:
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.