| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 83.12 |
| Liaison | Richard Manton |
| Submission Date | Sept. 12, 2024 |
Ollscoil na Gaillimhe - University of Galway
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.10 / 8.00 |
Dean
Pearce Head of Facilities Management and Services Buildings Offices |
Parts 1 and 2. Waste per person
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 328.43 Metric tons | 292.45 Metric tons |
| Materials composted | 102.44 Metric tons | 74.06 Metric tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 0 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 | 363.72 Metric tons | 384.47 Metric tons |
| Total waste generated | 794.59 Metric tons | 750.97 Metric tons |
If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | Jan. 1, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2023 |
| Baseline Period | Jan. 1, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2022 |
If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:
The baseline of the calendar year of 2022 was chosen as this is the first year for which whole-campus data is available (i.e. including student residences and catering outlets).
See here for data sheets:
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 1,867 | 1,867 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 11 | 11 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 18,052.51 | 17,689.84 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 2,477.10 | 2,638.50 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 221.42 | 284.72 |
| Weighted campus users | 15,700.64 | 15,502.22 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.05 Metric tons | 0.05 Metric tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
Part 3. Waste diverted from the landfill or incinerator
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 | No |
| White goods (i.e. appliances) | Yes |
| Electronics | Yes |
| Laboratory equipment | Yes |
| Furniture | Yes |
| Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | Yes |
| Scrap metal | No |
| Pallets | No |
| Tires | No |
| Other (please specify below) | No |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
e.g. reuse of furniture in building refurbishments
Optional Fields
Active Recovery and Reuse
Recycling Management
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?:
Contamination and Discard Rates
A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
Programs and Initiatives
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Glassary ("green glossary") is a University of Galway sustainability initiative which reduces household waste generated across campus accommodation residences, whilst simultaneously providing support to local community and voluntary organisations. Donation points are set-up at student residences at the end of each semester, where students can then donate their leftover household items. These items are then collected and re-distributed to future students or local organisations.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
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:
In 2022, we started including privately operated campus restaurants and residences in our waste statistics.
In the attached document, the first three pages show waste data for 2016-2023, where 2016-2021 only includes waste for the general campus and not the privately operated campus restaurants and residences. The following page shows the breakdown for the 2023 waste data.
For the purposes of this STARS application, we are comparing the 2017 data (general campus) to the 2023 data (general) to ensure a like-for-like comparison. For future STARS applications, we will have sufficient data to compare waste generated across the whole campus (i.e. including the privately operated campus restaurants and residences).
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.