Overall Rating Reporter
Overall Score
Liaison Tatiana Molina Velásquez
Submission Date March 4, 2022

STARS v2.2

Universidad CES
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete Reporter Tatiana Molina
Jefe sostenibilidad
Sostenibilidad
"---" 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 9.90 Metric tons 27.90 Metric tons
Materials composted 5.04 Metric tons 0 Metric tons
Materials donated or re-sold 9.90 Metric tons 27.90 Metric tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Metric tons 0 Metric tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 36.70 Metric tons 20.20 Metric tons
Total waste generated 61.54 Metric tons 76 Metric 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 Jan. 1, 2021 Dec. 31, 2021
Baseline Period Jan. 1, 2017 Dec. 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:
The year 2017 was chosen because it was the first year that reporting began under the GRI standards.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 0 0
Number of employees resident on-site 0 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 6,582 5,647
Full-time equivalent of employees 1,778 1,219
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 6,582 5,647
Weighted campus users 1,333.50 914.25

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.05 Metric tons 0.08 Metric tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
44.48

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:
40.36

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
40.36

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 No
Scrap metal Yes
Pallets No
Tires No
Other (please specify below) No

A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
In relation to usable material, we increased 5,465 Kg (122%) compared to 2020, this material was reintroduced into the production chain as raw material, constituting a good practice in terms of the circular economy. This material is marketed with the company Excedentes el Barrendero; Among the materials are: glass that is crushed and delivered to a company in the region for the manufacture of bottles and flat glass; cardboard that is delivered to a company in the region where it is transformed into new boxes; archival paper that is delivered to a company in the region, where it is transformed back into paper; ferrous and non-ferrous material delivered to steel mills in the region. In the case of pasta, after the extrusion and pelletizing process, it is delivered to companies in the region for the manufacture of plastic materials.

The money generated from the sale of this material enters the CES Solidarity Fund, resources intended to support low-income students.

In the case of RESPEL hazardous waste, we had an increase of 13,792 Kg (63%) associated with new projects carried out by the university, which generated the vast majority of hazardous waste. The RESPEL that are generated at the CES University and each of its branches are managed by the company Bilógicos y Contaminados SAS ESP, among the deactivation methods are: deactivation with moist heat for biosanitary waste, incineration for sharps waste, of animals and pathology. In the case of chemical residues, deactivation methods include: incineration, bioremediation, neutralization; among others. This company has the endorsement of the Environmental Authority for the treatment of hazardous waste.

Optional Fields 

Active Recovery and Reuse

Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year:
0 Metric tons

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?:
---

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

Contamination and Discard Rates 

Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program:
8

A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
We have carried out actions in intelligent recycling systems such as the Ecobot system, in which materials such as glass, aluminum, and Tetrapak are deposited and entered as raw material in different production systems.

With the staggering return process, this year we did not take advantage of organic waste through composting at the Poblado headquarters.

We have a post-consumer point to collect batteries, expired or partially consumed medicines, used cooking oils, electrical and electronic waste, and lighting. These materials are disposed of through the different post-consumption plans established by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADS). The amount of waste managed by this point was 1,102 Kg.

Programs and Initiatives 

A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
The programs we have are:

1. Ecobot
2. Ecological points of separation
3. Post-consumer waste separation point
4. Repika
5. Single-use plastic restriction guidelines
6. Composting of organic waste
7. Mortality waste composting
8. Kaptar

A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
An audit is carried out on the external manager of hazardous waste

A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
Single-use plastic restriction guidelines

A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
When the university generates a surplus that is no longer suitable for the use for which it was acquired, the waste is delivered to the employees to give it another

A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
We don't use at the moment

A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
The use of virtuality has been implemented to reduce the use of paper, for example, many of the evaluations are carried out virtually. A paper-reduction pilot program led by the medical school was also started in 2019

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
The university has a virtual education platform called CES Virtual where different learning resources are hosted.

A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
There are no residences

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

1. Ecobot
2. Ecological points of separation
3. Post-consumer waste separation point
4. Repika
5. Single-use plastic restriction guidelines
6. Composting of organic waste
7. Mortality waste composting
8. Kaptar

Website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization and diversion efforts 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.