Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 45.28
Liaison Cynthia Philippe
Submission Date May 12, 2021

STARS v2.2

Université du Québec à Montréal
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.97 / 8.00 Cynthia Philippe
Sustainability advisor
Service du développement organisationnel
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 40.49 Metric tons 19.35 Metric tons
Materials composted 18.50 Metric tons 0 Metric tons
Materials donated or re-sold 0.45 Metric tons 0 Metric tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Metric tons 0 Metric tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 323.60 Metric tons 403.99 Metric tons
Total waste generated 383.04 Metric tons 423.34 Metric tons

A brief description of the residual conversion facility:

All of the buildings making up the UQAM campuses include multi-material recovery stations that allow 3-way collection of materials (way 1: plastic, glass, metal, way 2: paper and cardboard and way 3: ultimate waste). The collection of putrescible materials is only in the kitchen section food courts.

Every year since 2017, there has been a sale of UQAM user computers offered to students (https://www.actualites.uqam.ca/2019/vente-ordinateurs-usages-15-000-sont-recoltes-pour-creer-des-bourses).


Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Period Jan. 1, 2018 Dec. 31, 2018
Baseline Period Feb. 1, 2015 Dec. 31, 2015

A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:

Not applicable


Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 927 927
Number of employees resident on-site 0 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 23,773 29,079
Full-time equivalent of employees 3,065 2,632
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 20,360.25 24,015

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:
0

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
15.52

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
15.52

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 Yes
Other (please specify below) No

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

Not applicable


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?:
No

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

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

Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program:
20

A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:

By observations.


A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:

at UQAM, there is a policy that provides guidelines for the management of surplus assets : https://instances.uqam.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2018/05/Politique_no_31.pdf and https://approvisionnements.uqam.ca/fr/exc/


A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:

Signage, inspired by the one from Recyc-Québec, is found on all UQAM multi-material recovery stations (https://www.recyc-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/entreprises-organismes/mieux-gerer/pictogrammes-signalisation).


A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:

In the ecoresponsability policy (Policy no 37), in the section 3.4, we find an orientation for the management of waste materials:

Residual materials: improve the performance of the residual materials management system (reduction, reuse, recycling and recovery) in order to reduce the quantity and toxicity of waste generated.

https://instances.uqam.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2018/05/Politique_no_37.pdf


A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:

Not applicable


A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:

A policy governs the mode of operation for the reuse of movable property. A furniture pool was created in the 1980s to allow the reuse of furniture (desks, chairs, bookcase, etc.) : all demands must be ask on : https://guideti.uqam.ca/.

The movable property policy : https://instances.uqam.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2018/05/Politique_no_31.pdf


A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:

All printing and reprography equipment in organizational units, libraries and computer labs is by default in double-sided format.

All employee salary statements have been in electronic format for over 15 years.

The University's C.A. has been in paperless format for over 10 years.

In 2009, a paper challenge within the University resulted in a 28% reduction in paper consumption.


A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:

For many years, the teaching staff of the University has used the Moodle learning space which allows teaching without the production of paper (https://moodle.uqam.ca/).


A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:

Not applicable


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

Not applicable


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.