| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 55.03 |
| Liaison | Sara McIntyre |
| Submission Date | Aug. 10, 2022 |
Sewanee - The University of the South
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.02 / 8.00 |
Sara
McIntyre Sustainability Coordinator OESS |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Parts 1 and 2. Waste per person
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 122 Tons | 112 Tons |
| Materials composted | 25 Tons | 10 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 1.50 Tons | 18 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 693 Tons | 849 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 841.50 Tons | 989 Tons |
If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:
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Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2020 | June 30, 2021 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2016 | June 30, 2017 |
If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:
This years represent the timeframes with the most accurate datasets available for all categories in the waste stream.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 1,825 | 1,632 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 8 | 215 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 205 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 1,825 | 1,650 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 726 | 672.62 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 2,371.50 | 2,408.72 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.35 Tons | 0.41 Tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
13.58
Part 3. Waste diverted from the landfill or incinerator
17.65
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
17.65
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:
abandoned bicycles are collected and donated yearly, clothing and household goods are collected from dorms during move-out and either donated or resold to individuals and the community
Optional Fields
Active Recovery and Reuse
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Recycling Management
No
Does the institution use dual stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
No
Does the institution use multi-stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Yes
Contamination and Discard Rates
75
A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
We have an employee who visually inspects each bag of collected recycling and determines whether the contamination is such that it should go to landfill versus recycling. We also utilize signage and education.
Programs and Initiatives
widely standardized recycle bins with clear graphic and text signage (continually updated); move out efforts are inspired by peer institutions and in process of being reinvigorated and updated (after covid restrictions were lifted); terracycling pilot for select offices and spaces is in development.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
due to covid and staffing changes all waste audits were put on hold for this reporting
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
The procurement policy specifies that employees should leave the purchasing of computers, accessories, and vehicles to the University as those departments are equipped to recycle or otherwise dispose of those materials in a sustainable fashion.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Facilities Management has an on-site warehouse with used furniture and redistributes this furniture to departments as available. There is a weekly sale of surplus property. A list of surplus property is maintained and distributed to the community on a weekly basis, in the event that there is property remaining unsold after the weekly sale. Surplus electronics (PCs) go to new employees, upgrade an existing employee, or are reassigned to a lab environment.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
amongst students: student organizations will facilitate swaps of clothing and other goods; among employees: a few tools are used: 1) FM collects and maintains a collection of used office furniture for employees to draw from, 2) move out collection provides a way for employees to donate or receive used goods, 3)an online listserv called "Classifieds" is a robust and well-utilized system of moving goods around both on campus and in the community
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
N/A
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Course schedules are in digital format only and have been for over a decade. The University moved to electronic-only catalogs in the fall of 2015. The Treasurer's Office has moved to being totally electronic for all employees with regards to payroll and for tax documents. Dining provides all menus online and not printed. Advancement now utilizes a digital records system rather than paper. The University Student Post Office has limited the ability to "stuff" mailboxes with printed cards as a mass communique. The Police Office has reduced their paper printing by using a redaction and databasing software program. Alumni Services has reduced their print services by more aggressively and intentionally focusing on digital communications methods. HR is a paperless office - including all hiring paperwork and applications. Implemented Chronos time system at McClurg to replace the time punch card system. There is a paperless system team that is investigating the challenges and benefits of a paperless invoice system for accounts payable.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
At move-in we are aggressive to collect cardboard with bins, signs and collection points. At move-out we have instituted a student-led drive to collect, sort and donate clothing and household items. We also collect discarded bicycles and donate to agencies that refurbish them.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
N/A
Website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization and diversion efforts is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.