Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 52.66
Liaison Grace Afflerbach
Submission Date March 8, 2024

STARS v2.2

Purchase College - State University of New York
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.22 / 8.00 Grace Afflerbach
Sustainability Coordinator
Facilities
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Parts 1 and 2. Waste per person

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 272.90 Tons 477.36 Tons
Materials composted 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 3,372 Tons 2,255.70 Tons
Total waste generated 3,644.90 Tons 2,733.06 Tons

If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:

A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
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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 April 1, 2022 March 31, 2023
Baseline Period April 1, 2016 March 31, 2017

If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:

A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
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Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 2,306 2,671
Number of employees resident on-site 20 26
Number of other individuals resident on-site 5 22
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 3,259 4,195
Full-time equivalent of employees 758 845
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 103 0
Weighted campus users 3,522 4,476.25

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 1.03 Tons 0.61 Tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
0

Part 3. Waste diverted from the landfill or incinerator

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
7.49

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
7.49

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 No
Cooking oil Yes
Plant materials No
Animal bedding No
White goods (i.e. appliances) Yes
Electronics Yes
Laboratory equipment Yes
Furniture No
Residence hall move-in/move-out waste No
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:
Other: We held a paint collection recycling event and worked with a company called GreenSheen that collected unwanted paint for recycling.

Optional Fields 

Active Recovery and Reuse

Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year:
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Recycling Management 

Does the institution use single stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Yes

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?:
No

Contamination and Discard Rates 

Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program:
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A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
Signage is posted above waste bins to educate users to properly sort waste. The cleaning staff is trained to sort contaminated recycling if salvageable.

Programs and Initiatives 

A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
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A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
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A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
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A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
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A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
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A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
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A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
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A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
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A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
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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:
COVID-19 caused us to greatly increase the number of disposable products purchased and used on campus.

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.