Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 53.78
Liaison Lisa Mitten
Submission Date March 8, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

State University of New York at New Paltz
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.96 / 8.00 Lisa Mitten
Campus Sustainability Coordinator
Office of Campus Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 201 Tons 166 Tons
Materials composted 190 Tons 112 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold 12.70 Tons 5.61 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 742 Tons 860 Tons
Total waste generated 1,145.70 Tons 1,143.61 Tons

A brief description of the residual conversion facility, including affirmation that materials are sorted prior to conversion to recover recyclables and compostable materials:

Not applicable


Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year Jan. 1, 2015 Dec. 31, 2015
Baseline Year Jan. 1, 2010 Dec. 31, 2010

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 adopted because it was the earliest year with comprehensive data available for landfill, compost, and recycling data. 2015 is the most recent full year in which the Office of Campus Sustainability has reliable data. Beginning in 2016, SUNY New Paltz brought on a new waste and recycling hauler and the data they have been submitting to us is not accurate.


Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 3,154 2,759
Number of employees resident on-site 16 16
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 7,027 7,081.23
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 1,115 1,087.33
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 74 74.75
Weighted campus users 6,843.50 6,764.11

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.17 Tons 0.17 Tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
0.98

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
35.24

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
35.24

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
Laboratory equipment No
Furniture Yes
Residence hall move-in/move-out waste Yes
Scrap metal Yes
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:

Sodexo has hired a company that picks up used vegetable oil and turns it into biofuel.


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) :
---

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

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

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:

Over the past few years, SUNY New Paltz has:
* Adopted campus standards for residence hall bins, academic/administrative bins, and exterior bins.
* Standardized all residence hall landfill and recycling bins.
* Standardized all exterior trash and recycling bins in the core areas of campus (not athletic fields).
* Standardized all interior trash and recycling bins, including purchasing 170 new sets of bins.
* Ensuring that all landfill bins have a recycling bin next to it.
* Color coordinated bins so that black = landfill, blue = recycling, and green = composting
* Added post-consumer composting with signage to Truth Cafe. Post-consumer composting is coming to the bakery at Hasbrouck. Post-consumer composting has been present at the Student Union Building for a number of years.
* Incorporated RecycleAcrossAmerica.org labels in all interior spaces.


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:

SUNY New Paltz holds Recyclemania every year in Residence Halls. All interior recycling and landfill signage has been standardized to the recycleacrossamerica.org labels.


A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:

SUNY New Paltz conducted a waste audit in Crispell Hall and Lenape Hall in the spring of 2017. Results from this study are being incorporated into communications and messaging about Recyclemania.


A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
---

A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:

The Office of Property Control maintains and inventory of all property owned by the college valued over $5,000. The Office also surpluses items through auction that no longer offer a tangible value to the university. Property Control can obtain items from other State Institutions for the campus. Employees across campus can reach out to Property Control prior to purchasing new items to see if there's an item in stock. Items available for reuse are found on the surplus webpage and are accessible to all college employees. Informally, employees regularly report reusable office supplies via a campus faculty-staff email list.


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):
---

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):

Students pay for all printing via a student activity fee. We've implemented PaperCut in which students have an allowance for printing each semester. Color copying is more expensive than black and white copying.

The Office of Campus Sustainability recently completed a print management study and recommended that all computers have double-sided printing.


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:

All course catalogs, course schedules, and directories are available online.


A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:

The Office of Campus Sustainability, Facilities Operations (including the Custodial Department), and the New Paltz Reuse Center organize an annual move out reuse and donation program called Reuse2Reduce.


A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
---

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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.