Overall Rating Platinum
Overall Score 85.66
Liaison Mark Lichtenstein
Submission Date March 5, 2021

STARS v2.2

State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
IN-32: Single-Use Plastic Ban

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.50 / 0.50 Sue Fassler
Sustainable Facilities Manager
Facilities
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Has the institution banned or eliminated the on-site sales and distribution of at least one type of single-use disposable plastic?:
Yes

A brief description of the single-use disposable plastics that have been banned or eliminated:

ESF signed the Post Landfill Action Network’s (PLAN) Break Free From Plastics Pledge in February 2020. This Pledge signals the College’s commitment to shift away from disposable, single use plastics to the greatest extent possible. The Break Free From Plastics Work Group (Work Group) was formed in November 2020 and is comprised of faculty, staff members, and students. In its first meeting, the group created an inventory of non-essential, non-compostable, single use disposable plastics that are currently used on campus. Members of the working group will systematically identify items that can be removed from campus or replaced (with more durable items). If source reduction is not possible at this time, efforts will be made to properly manage materials that have a market beyond landfill/incineration.

As of February 2021, ESF has removed all plastic beverage bottles from vending machines and has replaced them with aluminum alternatives.

NYS Executive Order No. 18 was issued in 2009 and eliminates New York State’s purchase and use of bottled water in state facilities. Bottled water is costlier than tap water and is not necessarily safer. ESF funds should never be used to purchase plastic water bottles and members of the campus community should avoid providing them (and all single use bottles) at events, meetings and conferences to the greatest extent possible.

Links to press releases about conversion of plastic beverage containers in vending machines can be found here:

https://www.esf.edu/communications/view2.asp?newsID=8855
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2021/02/25/suny-esf-pledges-to-be-waste-free-by-2025


Website URL where information about the single-use disposable plastic ban(s) 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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