| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 59.94 |
| Liaison | Samuel Crowl |
| Submission Date | Aug. 11, 2021 |
Ohio University
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.19 / 8.00 |
Andrew
Ladd Recycling & Zero Waste Manager Recycling & Refuse |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 1,290.80 Tons | 1,333.68 Tons |
| Materials composted | 1,061.15 Tons | 497.15 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 280.13 Tons | 291.95 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 1,907.12 Tons | 2,359.81 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 4,539.20 Tons | 4,482.59 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
N/A
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2018 | June 30, 2019 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2011 | June 30, 2012 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
FY2012 is the first year for which The University is confident in our relative accuracy of data, though FY17 is the first entire 12 month period in which the recycling collection was weighed in-truck.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 6,875 | 7,523 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 29 | 20 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 5 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 22,632 | 20,622 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 3,823 | 3,498 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 3,411 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 19,014 | 19,975.75 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.24 Tons | 0.22 Tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
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 |
| Electronics | 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) | Yes |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
E-Waste, Textiles, Styrofoam, Light bulbs, Batteries, Mattresses, Carpet, Books, Confidential records, Theater set wood, donations and reusable items of all kinds, etc.
Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year:
Does the institution use single stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Does the institution use dual stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Does the institution use multi-stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program:
A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
Continuous outreach and education through events, email blasts, press releases, staff and student training, signs, electronic and physical info graphics, etc. Also quarterly waste audits and consistent maintenance of recycling/landfill locations including on the spot decontamination as needed. On site sorting of major athletic events. Manual sorting of building and office clean-outs
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
Ohio University was the co-developer of RecycleMania and is 4 time national diversion champion in the Game Day Recycling Challenge. Other efforts include community wide Move Out diversion programs, Move In education with every student and an ongoing conversion of systems to pair a 1 gallon mini-bin for trash with a 7 gallon desk side bin for recycling. Marketing campaigns specific to Athletics events.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
We perform periodic waste "recovery" audits, pulling all waste from the dumpsters and recycling from a representative location to determine use and recycling rates and compare to after proper sorting rates. Additionally every home football and basketball game are sorted on site with accurate before and after sorting weights.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
Single use styrofoam is a prohibited item on campus. Ohio University has moved to electronic transactions where possible and is virtually paperless in many departments, All chemical purchases must be made and accounted for with our Bobcat Buy software system. Bobcat Buy is available for all academic related purchases as well and provides preferred vendors who have vetted, in part, on sustainability criteria.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Surplus is charged with administering the dispostion of surplus/excess university property. Departments with excess/surplus materials, contact Moving & Surplus to arrange a pickup of resellable, surplus items. Items are available for purchase at our onsite surplus store, or through our online auction site (GovDeals.com). University departments, student organizations, non-profit organizations, and the general public can purchase surplus items through the store and online auctions. Many items that are not of a quality, quantity or type to sell still get diverted from landfill through donation to local non-profit organizations.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
Surplus collaborates with the Office of Sustainability with the annual Re-Bike sale. Surplus provides the bikes and delivers them onsite the day of the sale. Approx. 40 bikes have been sent to the Re-Bike sale. Spring of 2020 will be the 3rd year for the sale. Campus Recycling runs free shelves of office materials and binders in high profile locations around campus. Surplus runs an on-site store which is advertised for campus departments to utilize as needed.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Departments across campus are being progressively converted to third party owned printers and copiers. Black and white printing costs the department $.025 and color costs $.25.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Communication to parents, students, staff and faculty are accomplished through multiple newsletters and online resources. These include but are not limited to communications from the President and Dean of Students, Orientation, Move-In and Move-out guides, internal news publication and special event emails. Course catalogs, factbooks, directories and other resources are available electronically. On campus marketing and event promotion has converted primarily to video board and social media platforms.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
There are multiple drop-off locations for reusable goods at every residence hall, both indoors and outdoors. RAs and other volunteers are equipped to assist in locating drop-off programs. Food Donation Sites are also available in each residence hall. Students can drop off non-perishable food items left over from the semester that will be donated to local food pantries. Additionally the University works with a dozen plus non-profit organizations and the City government to establish off campus drop off location, pick up schedules and other systems to donate and distribute Move-Out related items. Move Out 2019 accounted for 5.54 tons of food and materials donated to the local community.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Our catering and events have moved to eliminate disposable plastic items and replace with the new norm of 100% reusable or 100% compostable. Greek Life is developing sustainability standards. Athletic tailgates and University sponsored events work with each invited vendor to increase reusable options and prohibit non-recyclable or non-compostable items. Our surplus department captures reusable items for re-purposing on campus or resale. Construction and design carefully considers reuse and salvage in every project. Some laboratories on campus use Kimberly-Clark laboratory products which can be returned to Kimberly-Clark for reprocessing into new materials.
Website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization and diversion efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Materials composted performance year and baseline provided by Scott Blower. Data about surplus departments and peer-to-peer exchange provided by Staci White, Moving & Surplus manager. Entered by Sydney Hutchinson 3/23/2020. Institution's procurement policies and institution's limits on paper and ink consumption provided by Diana McGrew on 4/7/2020. Recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal data provided by Nicole Kirchner, Project Manager-Energy and Environmental Programs, on 6/8/2020.
Entered by Sydney Hutchinson on various dates.
Materials composted performance year and baseline provided by Scott Blower. Data about surplus departments and peer-to-peer exchange provided by Staci White, Moving & Surplus manager. Entered by Sydney Hutchinson 3/23/2020. Institution's procurement policies and institution's limits on paper and ink consumption provided by Diana McGrew on 4/7/2020. Recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal data provided by Nicole Kirchner, Project Manager-Energy and Environmental Programs, on 6/8/2020.
Entered by Sydney Hutchinson on various dates.
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.