Universidad San Francisco de Quito
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.49 / 8.00 |
Maria Jose
Ayala Innovation and Sustainability Officer Innovation and Sustainability Office |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 5.49 Metric tons | 6.43 Metric tons |
| Materials composted | 0 Metric tons | 15.87 Metric tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold |
20.64
Metric tons
Date Revised: Aug. 18, 2022
|
51.84 Metric tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Metric tons | 0 Metric tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 111.90 Metric tons | 42.45 Metric tons |
| Total waste generated | 138.03 Metric tons | 116.59 Metric tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | Jan. 1, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2019 |
| Baseline Period | Jan. 1, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2017 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
The baseline was adopted from the second sustainability report done in 2017, the first submission to STARS.
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 | 9,321 | 8,862 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 1,185 | 1,050 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 253 | 1,988 |
| Weighted campus users | 7,689.75 | 5,943 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.02 Metric tons | 0.02 Metric tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
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) | No |
| Electronics | Yes |
| Laboratory equipment | Yes |
| Furniture | Yes |
| Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | No |
| 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:
As a private institution, being zero waste means that less than 1% of the waste generated is sent to landfills. To achieve this, the focus is directed towards good practices during material management, through documented control of waste management, recycling programs and short-term awareness. Also minimize the generation of waste from the source, through sustainable purchases in the medium and long term.
Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year:
Does the institution use single stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
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?:
Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program:
A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
As part of our Smart Campus Initiative USFQ has developed a "Zero waste campus" project to design a plan for the campus' zero waste certification and commitment. During 2020 the project focused on updating baseline values of waste generation (organics) and of waste management practices.
The Office of Innovation and Sustainability imparted a training session with all dinning services personnel to understand the importance of correct waste segregation in the kitchens, the importance and impacts of food waste and awareness of waste generated in their daily activities with the aim of inspiring practices to improve organic waste generation.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
As part of the zero waste campus project, during 2020 an ultrasonic sensor was implemented with the aim of registering the generation of ordinary waste to acquire real time data of waste generated to better understand our waste generation behavior and aid in our waste management policy development. In addition, a waste audit was completed in our dinning facilities to identify organic waste generation aimed to inform our sustainable dining project to launch a food waste and loss prevention campaign and also as data for the operation of our new biodigestor which will be in service in 2022.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
There is currently no free printing in USFQ for students. Printing is carried out by a Xerox franchise and students have to pay 5 cents per copy. As for faculty and staff there is currently no policy that limits printing, printing has to be reported per professor and Department.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
USFQ has an online platform called Desire 2 Learn (D2L). This platform was fully implemented in 2011. Course catalogs, course schedules, and directories are now available online. Since the pandemic, all learning was migrated to a virtual sphere through D2L where classes can be taught entirely.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization and diversion efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.