| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 49.22 |
| Liaison | Paul Scanlon |
| Submission Date | March 4, 2022 |
Slippery Rock University
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.69 / 8.00 |
Paul
Scanlon Special Assistant to the President President's Office/Sustainability |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 144 Tons | 163.16 Tons |
| Materials composted | 16 Tons | 54 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 0 Tons | 58 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 615 Tons | 857 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 775 Tons | 1,132.16 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2019 | June 30, 2020 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2004 | June 30, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
The waste generation baseline was adopted when our first greenhouse gas inventory was created in 2009; at that time, FY 2004-2005 was the oldest time period for which our GHG records were considered reliably accurate, and the same baseline period was adopted for waste generation.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 2,738 | 2,881 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 9,062 | 7,704 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 942 | 826 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 741 | 141 |
| Weighted campus users | 7,631.75 | 7,012 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.10 Tons | 0.16 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 | No |
| 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:
Books 4.37 tons
Cardboard, Full Bales 17.69 tons
Cardboard, Half Bales 8.66 tons
Commingled Cans/Bottles/Glass 41.52 tons
Electronics 4.02 tons
Scrap Metal 44.78 tons
Used Lamps 990 each
Wooden Pallets 120 each
Tires 52 each
Misc. vehicles (fleet cars and pickup trucks that were not weighed and therefore not noted above.
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:
The 30% contamination rate is an estimate only; our recyclers do not provide SRU with reports identifying the amount of contaminated material.
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
The university's Green Fund Grant program has been used to install 20+ reusable water bottle fill stations on campus to encourage the use of reusable water bottles and discourage the use of single-use plastic water bottles.
In 2018 and 2019, green fund grants were also used to discourage the use of single-use thin-film plastic bags by providing free, reusable shopping bags made of recycled water bottles to all residence hall students. A bookmark explaining the environmental damage caused by disposable plastic bags was included with each reusable bag.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Waste audits are completed annually as part of our greenhouse gas inventory process and our strategic plan update reports; landfilled waste, scrap metal collected and sold, e-waste recycled, and normal paper/plastic recycling quantities are logged each year.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
SRU's Purchasing and Contracting department has developed a specific policy aimed at minimizing the waste of printing paper and toner ink. SRU has also implemented a program to encourage academic departments to post course catalogs, course schedules, and directories information online, rather than printing hard copies. The Bailey Library has implemented a policy that reduced the number of paper copies students can print for free, and posted signs to encourage other paper and ink processes to reduce paper/ink usage (print double-sided, use fonts that minimize ink use, etc.).
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
All university property that is no longer needed is sent to Central Receiving as surplus property. The property is available for other departments to use as they see fit. When the property builds up, an auction is held that is open to the public. Items not sold at auction are either permanently loaned to an outside organization, recycled, or disposed of as waste.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
A student club "Campus Dress Relief" collects used clothing for donation to local charities and/or for swapping with peers. The Parks, Conservation and Recreational Therapy department also schedules a peer-to-peer clothing swap as one of its annual Earth Days activities.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
"Paper cut" software is used to allow each department to monitor their printing quantities and cost, and software defaults networked printers to use double-sided printing.Faculty and staff are limited to using networked printers unless their department chair waives that restriction based on specific criteria.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
The printing of course catalogs, course schedules, and directories for students is discouraged and are found online. In addition the University utilizes the DesireToLearn (D2L) program which enables students to receive assignments and readings online and turn in assignments without printing.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Slippery Rock University provides extra dumpsters for cardboard to encourage recycling during move-out.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Annual auction of used vehicles, equipment and furniture. The IATS department accepts old electronic equipment and either redistributes it or recycles it, depending on its condition.
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.