Skidmore College
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.42 / 8.00 |
Levi
Rogers Director of Sustainability Programs and Assessment Sustainability Office |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 211.80 Tons | 107.32 Tons |
| Materials composted | 64.19 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 22.43 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 529.38 Tons | 660.57 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 827.80 Tons | 767.89 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
Skidmore transitioned to a Zero-Sort recycling program in 2012. Zero-Sort recycling allows users to place all recyclable material (paper, cardboard, metals, glass, and plastics) in one bin. We made significant investments in infrastructure and training to ensure a smooth transition to the new waste program. Skidmore’s annual diversion rate has nearly doubled since the transition to Zero-Sort recycling.
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | June 1, 2018 | May 31, 2019 |
| Baseline Period | June 1, 2008 | May 31, 2009 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 2,250 | 2,025 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 5 | 6 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 4 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 2,526 | 2,554 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 980 | 906 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 3,197.25 | 3,102.75 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.26 Tons | 0.25 Tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
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 | Yes |
| White goods (i.e. appliances) | Yes |
| Electronics | Yes |
| Laboratory equipment | No |
| Furniture | Yes |
| Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | Yes |
| Scrap metal | Yes |
| Pallets | No |
| Tires | Yes |
| Other (please specify below) | No |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year:
Does the institution use single stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
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?:
Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program:
A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
Skidmore College transitioned to its Zero-Sort recycling program in 2012. During this transition, the College's waste hauler led several training sessions to ensure the Facilities Services team understood how to manage the new waste program and followed proper quality control tactics. The College also chose to use clear can liners for all recycling containers to allow staff members to visually audit each recycling bin and remove any contaminated bags before entering the recycling stream. Our waste hauler has not reported contamination since transitioning to our new waste program.
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
Skidmore updated all campus waste signage when we transitioned to our Zero-Sort program. Since this transition, various efforts have been implemented to increase community awareness and use of our improved waste program. Every year, Skidmore conducts a campus waste audit on a central campus green to engage passers-by in conversations about recycling practices at Skidmore. Skidmore's Sustainability Representatives also survey community members to gauge community perception of our waste and recycling program. The S-Reps use survey data to develop targeted outreach and educational efforts to address confusion or common misconceptions.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Skidmore conducts two waste audits each year to identify opportunities to increase our diversion rate and minimize contamination. Each fall, the College conducts an on-campus audit where landfill-bound material is dumped onto our campus green and sorted by volunteers and Sustainability Representatives. We typically audit material from one academic building and one student residence area. Landfill and recyclable materials are sorted to provide a visual audit. The on-campus audit helps students, Facilities Services, and the Sustainability Office identify which recyclable items are commonly found in our landfill bins.
In the spring, two large waste bins are sorted at an off-site location. This allows the College to audit a greater amount of material and more accurately measure our progress toward our institutional diversion goal.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
In 2016, Skidmore piloted a reusable package program. Now, the majority of office supplies are delivered in reusable boxes. These boxes are collected by our office supply vendor and reused for future orders. Skidmore is one of the first institutions to use this reusable box system, and it is now being adopted by other schools in the region.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Skidmore's purchasing office manages surplus material. The office sends campus-wide announcements with information about supplies or equipment that are available. If there is no interest in the materials, the College will store the items or donate the materials to local organizations.
The Purcashing Office also held it's first office supply swap in August 2016.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
Student groups frequently organize pop-up thrift shops and "free stores" to encourage the exchange and reuse of goods.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Skidmore's PaperCut program limits the amount of unwanted printing in our library. Students must release their print job from a queue at a central computer, preventing unwanted or incomplete documents from being released to a printer. Papercut will automatically delete any job that remains in the print queue after 30 minutes.
Many College printers and copiers are set to print double-sided documents.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Skidmore's entire course catalog is available online.
Skidmore's faculty/staff directory is available online. The College no longer automatically prints College directories.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Give+Go is an annual move-out donation program designed to gather used goods that students leave behind and donate them to local and regional nonprofits where they can be reused or resold. This program diverts tons of material from entering the landfill and gives Skidmore students an opportunity to give back to their community. Over one hundred tons of material have been diverted from entering the landfill. Skidmore partners with Goodwill of New York and New Jersey and the Backstretch Employee Service Team (B.E.S.T.) which supports workers at the Saratoga Horse Racing Track.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Skidmore's Purchasing Office connects with regional organizations to find those in need of available items (such as desks, tables, chairs, beds, mattresses, phones, electronics, and more) during every campus renovation project.
Items that can be used by the College (desks, filing cabinets, chairs) are stored on campus and available to any faculty and staff member.
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:
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.