Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 75.15
Liaison Hannah Rushing
Submission Date March 5, 2021
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Sterling College (VT)
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 6.37 / 8.00 Kelly Jones
Manager
Buildings and Grounds
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Parts 1 and 2: Waste Minimization 

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 0.66 Tons 13.20 Tons
Materials composted 0.70 Tons 0.80 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold 5 Tons 5 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 6.20 Tons 45.40 Tons
Total waste generated 12.56 Tons 64.40 Tons

If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:

A brief description of the residual conversion facility, including affirmation that materials are sorted prior to conversion to recover recyclables and compostable materials:
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Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year Jan. 1, 2019 Dec. 31, 2020
Baseline Year July 1, 2013 June 30, 2014

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 (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
We started tracking waste for FY14 as part of our first AASHE survey.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 97 93
Number of employees resident on-site 5 5
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 2 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 124 109
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 57 45
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 163.25 140

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.08 Tons 0.46 Tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
83.28

Part 3: Waste Diversion

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
50.62

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
50.62

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 No
Plant materials Yes
Animal bedding Yes
White goods (i.e. appliances) No
Laboratory equipment Yes
Furniture Yes
Residence hall move-in/move-out waste Yes
Scrap metal Yes
Pallets Yes
Tires No
Other (please specify below) No

A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
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Optional Fields 

Active Recovery and Reuse

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) :
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Recycling Management 

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

Contamination and Discard Rates 

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

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:
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Programs and Initiatives 

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:
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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 (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
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A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
We have a central office supply closet on campus. Community members are invited to bring in their surplus or no longer needed office supplies so that others may use them.

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):
We have Free Boxes all throughout campus. Additionally, the Brown Library has a Book Exchange series of shelves for community members to exchange books.

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):
All of our printers are default set to use 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:
Our website employs an intranet for students and faculty/staff that puts as much information online as possible. Additionally, we are turning as many forms into online forms as we can. Our course catalog is completely digital, and has been for some years now. We are sharing as many documents using the intranet and Google docs as possible. All of our course schedules are online via the website or via Google docs.

A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
We have a free box in every dorm and in the main student center. Students are encouraged to "shop" the free box. We also encourage sharing outdoor supplies such as gear for Expedition, tents, and skis.

A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
The Sterling College community reuses as much as possible. That can mean anything from having free boxes in every dorm for re-use of clothing to recycling shingles during renovations. Everything is scrutinized to wring as much use from items as possible.

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Numbers are particularly down due to COVID preventing folks from utilizing campus as much in 2020, but a lot of it is also due to campus initiatives like getting rid of single-use plastic.

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.