Rice University
OP-22: Waste Minimization

These are the two most recently completed calendar years. The university switched recycling providers in 2011, and switched to single stream recycling at that time. There is data missing from 2010, and 2011 represents a major process change, so the appropriate baseline is 2012.

Rice's IT Department oversees computer purchasing, and they recycle the computers that are removed from service at that time.

Whenever a lab gets shut down, the Environmental Health and Safety department will send out a memo to all of the other research labs who can take materials as necessary. This prevents unnecessary waste from the various labs on campus since the materials are being reused. This includes glassware and lab equipment in addition to the various chemicals and gasses that are unused. The IT department has a similar program called rice classifieds that allows the IT department to offer electronic waste to the faculty. Once the off-site Rice IT center accumulates enough electronics, it then pallets the electronics and sells them in bulk on Rice classifieds. This gives professors and staff the opportunity to purchase these goods and use them instead of adding them to the landfill. The university also organizes an office supplies swap where every department can donate unused or unwanted office supplies. These include everything from staplers and file folders to office chairs and cabinets. Students, faculty, and staff can then pick through the stuff and take what they want or need, preventing the stuff from being thrown away unnecessarily.

All course catalogs and schedules are available only online. Students must log on to the Rice course catalog and sign up for classes through the registrar's website. No paper is used when looking up classes nor when registering for them. Rice has also begun switching from paper timesheets to online submittal timesheets. Many departments are already taking advantage of the paperless timesheets over the tradition paper submittal. This is coupled with the preference to have employees sign up for direct deposit instead of receiving paper checks. The university has incentivized this option by allowing the employee to receive their check directly in their account without having to visit the payroll office. Next, the university also offers W-2s online instead of in paper form. The employee can then print as necessary the single sheet without having the associated mailing paper waste as well. The office of procurement no longer will be accepting paper order forms, all requests must go through the online ordering system. This greatly reduces waste as previous order forms were 3 pages of carbon-paper per order. Now, no paper is generated as all orders are managed online. All requests to housing and dining as well as environmental health and safety is through online submissions. Students, faculty and stuff do not need written requests for services nor repair anymore. Instead, the email or fill out the online form and the respective department will respond as necessary.

There is no free printing at Rice University. Every student must pay per sheet printed when using any of the on-campus printers.

The EcoReps have started a program called freecycle which allows students to place their unwanted goods at a central table for other students to take during move-out. Some of the residential colleges also offer summer storage. Students may keep their goods at the college over the summer. At the beginning of the next academic year, the goods are then auctioned off at a very low price to new and returning students. This has kept dozens of small refrigerators and microwaves out of the landfill.

The Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen collects materials such as cardboard, metal, wood and other scrap materials for use in rapid prototyping. They also collect scrap electronics and other materials that can be repurposed or taken apart for use in simple freshmen engineering designs. Unused materials that students order are also stored to allow future teams to make use of the materials in an effort to divert waste.

Through the ENST 302/ SOCI 304 class, students have calculated the amount of pre-consumer and post-consumer food waste per capita for the institution.

Blast chillers allow the kitchens to re-use food by preventing the food from going to waste. Combi-ovens are used to prevent shrinkage of meats, which results in higher yields.

Every campus dining hall uses tray-less dining. Rice University dining staff have also reduced plate sizes and portion sizes in the dining halls.

Graduate students purchasing food from the Cohen House are provided with the option of a reusable to-go container, which can later be returned for cleaning and/or exchanged with an already cleaned container.

Rice University relies heavily on reusable service ware for dine in meals. Reusable tumblers, mugs, plates and cutlery are provided to students for reuse at every meal. These are then cleaned and returned for further meals. In addition Rice has tray-less dining. Without trays, the number of dishes that get used are minimized and water is not wasted when used to clean the trays.

Coffeehouse offers discounts for reusable mugs.

Performance year demographic data is for Fall 2013, baseline is from 2011-2012 academic year. Materials reused, donated, and resold were not tracked for weights or volume.