| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.20 |
| Liaison | Jessica Thompson |
| Submission Date | June 20, 2024 |
Northern Michigan University
IN-48: Innovation B
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Jessica
Thompson AVP Sustainability People Culture & Wellbeing |
Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:
Thus, we have diverted more than 2,000 pounds of waste from the landfill through participation in The RightCycle program since 2021. The program began in fall 2020 after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic sent a plethora of PPE waste to landfills.
Kimberly Hegmegee, Occupational & Environmental Health Specialist for NMU, runs the RightCycle program and collects previously hard-to-recycle items such as protective clothing, safety glasses and nitrile gloves. The PPE is sent to a recycling facility and turned into new consumer products ranging from patio furniture and flower pots to plastic shelving. With a focus on recycling the most used PPE on campus, nitrile gloves, NMU is becoming more sustainable and recycling hundreds of pounds of waste each year.
“We are very happy with its success and hope to continue adding collection bins on campus,” said Hegmegee.
When the program first began, the first shipment of materials to be recycled was 287 pounds. So far in 2024, approximately 2000 pounds have been collected - we ship in increments of 300 pounds.
With fewer Covid-19 precautions in place, the NMU campus community may not be producing as much PPE waste, but the addition of more collection bins in dining services and other units across campus, we can continue to upcycle these single-use products.
Optional Fields
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.