Overall Rating Reporter - expired
Overall Score
Liaison Carolyn Shafer
Submission Date March 1, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Pratt Institute
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete Reporter Tony Gelber
Dir. Admin. Sustainability
Facilities/Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Parts 1 and 2: Waste Minimization 

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 340 Tons 1,002 Tons
Materials composted 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold 7 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 509 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 94 Tons 2,339 Tons
Total waste generated 950 Tons 3,341 Tons

If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:

A brief description of the residual conversion facility, including affirmation that materials are sorted prior to conversion to recover recyclables and compostable materials:
All Pratt waste is transported to Maspeth where it is sorted into paper, cardboard, plastic, glass and metal. Bout 5-10% cannot be recycled/reused and goes to a landfill.

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year Jan. 1, 2017 Dec. 31, 2017
Baseline Year Jan. 1, 2007 Dec. 31, 2007

If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:

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):
This baseline was selected as Pratt joined the original NYC Carbon Challenge call the Bloomberg 30/10.2007 was the beginning of the program.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 1,897 1,489
Number of employees resident on-site 11 85
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 4,829 4,431
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 1,500 1,300
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 5,223.75 4,691.75

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.18 Tons 0.71 Tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
74.46

Part 3: Waste Diversion

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
36.53

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
46.53

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 No
Cooking oil Yes
Plant materials Yes
Animal bedding No
White goods (i.e. appliances) No
Laboratory equipment No
Furniture Yes
Residence hall move-in/move-out waste Yes
Scrap metal No
Pallets No
Tires Yes
Other (please specify below) Yes

A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Pratt has a GiveTake Program and an end of year Flea for Free Program. These programs recover usable materials from both the academic waste stream and the Residence Hall waste stream and give them back to Pratt students. In 2017 we recovered and reused approximately 14,000 # of materials.

Optional Fields 

Active Recovery and Reuse

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) :
7 Tons

Recycling Management 

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?:
Yes

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?:
No

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

Contamination and Discard Rates 

Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program (percentage, 0-100):
10

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:
We have a program prior to end of semester exams and crits where the GiveTake student staff place signs and blue bags throughout the campus, adjacent to special bins and marked areas to recover all materials and products that can be reused by students. The materials, paints, glues, wood, plastic metals etc. are collected and sorted in a GuiveTake shop for all students to use the following semester. We recovered over 5 tons of materials in 2017. We also conduct a Residence Hall Flea for Free before the end of the Spring semester where 'flea tables' are set up at several central locations and students exchange anything and everything from art supplies to shoes for their reuse. We estimate that in 2017 we reused about 2 tons of materials. We estimate we reused about 2 tons of materials in this process.

Programs and Initiatives 

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:
The GiveTake Program and The Flea for Free Programs encourage reuse throughout campus.

A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Our solid waste carter estimates by volume and type of trash the campus pick ups and weighs the trucks as they enter the sorting facility. Weights of all recycle/reuse products are provided on a monthly basis.

A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
We have institute the following: - cleaning products are purchased in concentrated form so that water is not transported with the products.

A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
The GiveTake program also takes office supplies and some used electronics for give back to students.

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):
We have a service with a book dealer so that text books can be ordered and ready for use based on the number actually used. In addition the company will provide used books instead of new.

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):
---

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:
Almost 100% of the Institute's course catalogs, schedules, directories are on line.

A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
As described previously the 'flea for free' event captures and reuses much of the residence hall move out waste.

A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Electronic products are handled by an electronics specialty company which attempts to reuse and recycle all parts of the electronic waste stream.

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.