Portland Community College
OP-17: Waste Reduction

The 2009 Portland Community College Climate Action Plan serves as the main guiding document for achieving our waste reduction, recycling and composting goals. Below is directly from the Consumption and Solid Waste section of the Climate Action Plan (found at:http://www.pcc.edu/about/sustainability/psc/consumption-waste.html): 2030 Objective 7 Reduce solid waste generated by 50 % by improving recycling, reusing & composting KPI 1: PCC District Diversion Rate: total weight of material collected and serviced by our commercial haulers and service contractors (collected monthly and reported by District Recycling Coordinator) KPI 2: PCC District Material Generation: total material collected and serviced by haulers and service contractors (data collected monthly) High speed hand dryers have been installed District-wide to reduce the amount of paper waste generated by the use of paper towels used for hand drying. We have not engaged the heat element in the units to avoid Green House Gas (GHG) emissions across the District by approximately 0.026 tons of CO2E per day or 6.98 tons of CO2E per year (based on a 265 day year). Approximately $1,856 in savings is realized from electricity avoidance (with the heat element off) along with battery avoidance (power supply for paper towel dispensers) Other benefits include: avoiding costs of $312 per day district-wide in supplying paper hand towels (not including labor) or $82,774 per year, based on 265 working days a year; approximately 50 tons of paper towels being diverted from landfills at an average savings of $97 per ton or $4,850 per year based on paper towels being dry or $9,700 per year based on paper towels being wet and weighing approximately twice as much; cleaner restrooms; fewer plastic garbage bag liners being used; and allowing Facilities Management Services custodians to focus on higher priority service needs of the college. 2030 Objective 8 Reduce demand for waste hauling and reduce college resource utilization by adopting a sustainable purchasing policy Action to be taken before 2012 Craft sustainable purchasing policy in compliance with Oregon Admin. Rules & PCC Board policy by July 1 2010 Sustainable Purchasing Policy adopted by the PCC Board on July 14, 2011 as a part of updated Oregon Community College Rules of Procurement: "In accordance with the Oregon Community College Rules of Procurement member colleges are committed to the use and purchase of environmentally and socially responsible materials and products which are fiscally responsible, reduce resource consumption and waste, perform adequately and promote human health and well-being. Recognizing their regional economic role Colleges shall seek opportunities to educate, encourage, and influence their respective markets by utilizing, where feasible, products and services including new environmentally preferable products, reusable products, recycled content and recycled products." Rutgers University will serve as a good model for creating PCC specific sustainable purchasing procedures and guidelines à It is recommended that a specific PCC Board Policy be developed to increase the visibility of PCC's newly adopted sustainable purchasing policy.