| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 46.98 |
| Liaison | Joanne Wong |
| Submission Date | Feb. 27, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Mills College
OP-23: Waste Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.75 / 3.00 |
Britta
Bullard Sustainability Coordinator Campus Facilities |
Materials diverted from the solid waste landfill or incinerator:
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator :
A brief description of programs, policies, infrastructure investments, outreach efforts, and/or other factors that contributed to the diversion rate, including efforts made during the previous three years:
Mills College invests considerable time and energy into training and education campaigns to engage the campus population in reducing, reusing, recycling and composting. Within the past year, much focus has been on expanding the compost program campus-wide.
A brief description of any food donation programs employed by the institution:
During the academic year, there is rarely leftover food because of batch cooking. At the end of each semester, any leftover food is donated to a local non-profit.
A brief description of any pre-consumer food waste composting program employed by the institution:
All Dining Service pre-consumer and post-consumer food scraps, coffee cups, waxed cardboard, and food-soiled paper are directed into the compost bin. These materials are taken to a commercial compost facility in the Central Valley and turned into compost. Compost is then sold to local farms to replenish depleted soil with the nutrients and carbon that healthy plants need. Because of the local purchasing program, fruits and vegetables from some of these farms end up sold to the Dining Services, closing the loop locally.
The Mills College Sustainability Center is currently piloting a bicycle compost program. Eco-Reps pick up 5-gallon bins with pre-consumer vegetable scraps and coffee grounds from the smaller dining facility on campus. They put the bins on a bicycle trailer that is located directly outside of the facility and taking it to the Urban Farm at Mills College, dumping it into a concrete block compost bin built by students and staff. They added grass clippings that were provided by the grounds crew. They did this every weekday in the Fall 2014 semester and are currently allowing the waste collected to decompose.
A brief description of any post-consumer food waste composting program employed by the institution:
All Dining Service pre-consumer and post-consumer food scraps, coffee cups, waxed cardboard, and food-soiled paper are directed into the compost bin. These materials are taken to a commercial compost facility in the Central Valley and turned into compost. Compost is then sold to local farms to replenish depleted soil with the nutrients and carbon that healthy plants need. Because of the local purchasing program, fruits and vegetables from some of these farms end up sold to the Dining Services, closing the loop locally.
Does the institution include the following materials in its waste diversion efforts?:
| Yes or No | |
| Paper, plastics, glass, metals, and other recyclable containers | Yes |
| Food donations | Yes |
| Food for animals | No |
| Food composting | Yes |
| Cooking oil | Yes |
| Plant materials composting | Yes |
| Animal bedding composting | No |
| Batteries | Yes |
| Light bulbs | Yes |
| Toner/ink-jet cartridges | Yes |
| White goods (i.e. appliances) | No |
| Laboratory equipment | No |
| Furniture | Yes |
| Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | Yes |
| Scrap metal | Yes |
| Pallets | Yes |
| Motor oil | No |
| Tires | No |
Other materials that the institution includes in its waste diversion efforts:
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.