Overall Rating Reporter - expired
Overall Score
Liaison V.S. (Raghu) Raghavan
Submission Date Feb. 26, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Mount Holyoke College
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete Reporter Nancy Apple
Director
Environmental Health & Safety
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 323.10 Tons 292.66 Tons
Materials composted 217 Tons 135.35 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold 10.10 Tons 3.70 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 445.10 Tons 729.91 Tons
Total waste generated 995.30 Tons 1,161.62 Tons

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, 2017 June 30, 2018
Baseline Year July 1, 2004 June 30, 2005

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):

Baseline was adopted for earlier STARS submission.


Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 2,152 1,985
Number of employees resident on-site 4 6
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 2,334 2,125
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 883 821
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 2,951.75 2,707.25

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.34 Tons 0.43 Tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
21.42

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
55.28

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
55.28

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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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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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

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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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:

Waste and recycling containers are standardized across campus and signage indicating what is recyclable is located above each container.


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

The Eco-reps periodically do waste sorts to collect information for use in their educational programs.


A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):

Dining Services does bulk purchasing minimizing packaging.


A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:

List serves are used to advertise office supplies available for exchange.


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):
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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):

Students are required to use issued student identification cards to print in libraries and campus computer labs. Print release stations are used so that jobs aren't printed but not picked up. Students are given a modest amount of 'free' printing each semester after which they must pay per copy.


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:

The College has actively pursued moving publication on-line for a number of years. The Student Handbook is only available on-line. Paper copies of the Course Catalog are distributed to first years, but all other students use the on-line version. The Directory is also available on-line and not printed.


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

Mount Holyoke has an active end-of-year waste reduction program. Facilities Management places end-of-year bins in designated locations in each residence hall. Auxilliary Services promotes shipping and storage as alternatives to leaving behind student belongings. Facilities Management consolidates end-of-year leave behinds in each residence hall and arranges for a charity to pick up the donations. Over the past two years, in addition to collecting recyclables and material for donation during the actual move out, MHC did more waste-reduction-focused promotion earlier in the year to encourage students to make their shipping and storage plans earlier in April before they got too busy with exams.  This promotion has helped to reduce move-out waste.


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.