Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 67.48
Liaison Allison Maxted
Submission Date Jan. 22, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Mohawk College
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.73 / 8.00 Kayla LaChance
Sustainability Programs and Services Coordinator
Sustainability Office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 556.41 Tons 246 Tons
Materials composted 301.91 Tons 0 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold 81.28 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 253.56 Tons 185 Tons
Total waste generated 1,193.16 Tons 431 Tons

A brief description of the residual conversion facility, including affirmation that materials are sorted prior to conversion to recover recyclables and compostable materials:

N/A


Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year Jan. 1, 2017 Dec. 31, 2017
Baseline Year Jan. 1, 2007 Dec. 31, 2007

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):

As identified in the Mohawk College Environmental Management Plan 2.0, Mohawk College is committed to manage generated waste on campus through the development of a College-wide Waste Management Strategy.


Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 340 350
Number of employees resident on-site 0 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 20,787.99 11,750
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 1,416 1,100
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 911.80 398.70
Weighted campus users 16,054.14 9,425.97

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.07 Tons 0.05 Tons

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

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
78.75

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
78.75

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
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:

Mixed Metals
Mixed metals, mainly from everyday maintenance procedures are deposited into a designated collection container which is supplied and serviced by Wentworth Metals as required.
E-waste from IT department and Mohawk community (employees and students)
Batteries from Mohawk community (employees and students)
IT Equipment donated to the Eva Rothwell Centre
Re-sold tires, protective floor tarps and potters wheels on GovDeals.net


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) :
---

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?:
No

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?:
Yes

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:

After some waste contamination research, Mohawk College has piloted a Coffee Cup Recycling Bin at the Fennell and Stoney Creek campus. It was identified that liquids, most notably coffee, and coffee cups were contamination each stream recycling. Each bin is designed to get students to empty their left over coffee, recycle the sleeve and cup together and then the lid separately. Step-by-step instructions are printed on the bins to help the Mohawk community properly use the bin. This helps keep liquids and the coffee cups out of the recycling streams.


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:

Coffee Cup Recyclers around campus where students and employees can properly dispose of their coffee cups and liquid. Other behaviour change initiatives include information booths on recycling and waste and outreach campaigns for coffee cup waste. All bins have informational signage to help students determine what stream their waste should go into.

Mohawk Sustainability also hosted a training on waste management on campus to student leaders. Students learned about the concept of zero waste, how they can contribute to proper waste management and how they can educate other students about wast on campus.


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

-Annual Water Fountain Audits (Track amount of plastics bottles waste diverted thorugh water fountain trackers)
-Comprehensive review of current waste management system (quantitative and qualitative)
- 2016, 2017 and 2018 Fennell and Stoney Creek Audits completed by GFL and students for capstone projects


A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:

The Facilities Planning Department houses all unused office furniture and redistributes the furniture when and where it is needed.


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):
---

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):

All printing runs at a minimum cost of 15 cents per page. All printers are defaulted to print black and white and double sided to reduce paper use.


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:

-Mohawk has moved away from printing its course calendar for full-time programs and offers a comprehensive program overview online.

-Paperless News Initiative
This new program was launched in September 2013, seeking to improve access to local news and reduce waste generated on campus. Any staff, student or faculty member with a Mohawk College account can access the daily news on their computer, tablet or smartphone. The move from hardcopy to free, paperless access will help reduce Mohawk’s carbon footprint by eliminating 18.94 tonnes of waste yearly.


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

During Move-out various donation bins for clothing, food and other items that are no longer wanted are collected and dropped off at various donation sites. The Residence also has a donation bin all year round for small appliances and clothes that students want to donate. This helps to reduce the amount of waste generated as well as to support the surrounding community.


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

-Introduction of a Single-Use plastics ban
-Commitment to only offer 4-stream waste receptacles throughout campus to encourage diversion and total waste reduction
-Enhanced signage and waste diversion information
-Improvements to Electronic Waste Management program with new signage and a storage cabinet
- Hosting more frequent e-waste drives.
-Improvements to battery recycling by expanding program across the college.
-Coffee cup recycling program introduced in 2017.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives 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.