Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 57.96
Liaison Tracey Coronado
Submission Date March 15, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Missouri State University
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.06 / 8.00 Doug Neidigh
Sustainability Coordinator
Environmental Management
"---" 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 426.45 Metric tons 375.55 Metric tons
Materials composted 225.22 Metric tons 119.75 Metric tons
Materials donated or re-sold 0.47 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 1,293.63 Metric tons 1,065.23 Metric tons
Total waste generated 1,945.77 Metric tons 1,560.53 Metric 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:
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Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2016 June 30, 2017
Baseline Year July 1, 2011 June 30, 2012

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):
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Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 3,966 3,675
Number of employees resident on-site 8 9
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 3 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 18,720 16,801
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 2,384 2,274
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 561 293
Weighted campus users 16,403.75 15,007.50

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.12 Metric tons 0.10 Metric tons

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

Part 3: Waste Diversion

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
33.52

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
33.52

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) No

A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
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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) :
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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?:
No

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?:
Yes

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?:
No

Contamination and Discard Rates 

Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program (percentage, 0-100):
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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:
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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:
Missouri State University participates in RecycleMania each year in an attempt to raise awareness about recycling and encourage participation. RecycleMania efforts include a head to head competition in the residence halls, digital signage on campus displays and computers, food waste display tables and an upcycling event. In 2017, we hosted a RecycleMania Art Display Contest where campus Green Teams and student organizations teamed up to create a waste-related art display. The teams had 100% creative freedom to create a display that shared their message, which ranged from the importance of reducing the use of certain plastics to raising awareness about the impact of waste on natural habitats.

A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
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A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
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A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
MSU has a surplus property program where materials that are no longer needed (furniture, computers/TVs, vehicles, etc.) may be stored and be claimed for re-use by other departments. The originating department submits a "Surplus Property" form to procurement and relocates the property to a central storage location. Other units may go and request the available property and have it delivered to them.

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):
Reusing office materials is encouraged through our Green Teams program described in EN-7.

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):
MSU has a limited printing policy in effect in all computer labs on campus. This policy, known as BearPrint, provides a $60 printing allotment per semester for each student, with each printed page valued at $0.08 for black and white and $0.75 for color. Duplex pages can be printed on both sides for only $0.08, which doubles the allotment when used.

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:
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A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
The Residence Life and Services Department promotes waste reduction during move-out by sponsoring the Bear Share program. This program encourages students to donate their items including food, clothing, school supplies, and furniture directly to a local charitable organization. An area in the lobby of each dormitory is set aside for collection and the organization brings a truck and personnel to campus to collect the donated items.

A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.