| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.46 |
| Liaison | Fortino Morales |
| Submission Date | April 21, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of California, Riverside
OP-22: Waste Minimization
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.24 / 5.00 |
John
Cook Director of Sustainability Sustainability |
Waste generated::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled |
1,000.38
Tons
Date Revised: June 30, 2016
|
689.83
Tons
Date Revised: June 30, 2016
|
| Materials composted | 308.69 Tons | 198.25 Tons |
| Materials reused, donated or re-sold | 17.53 Tons | 35.28 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator |
1,680.24
Tons
Date Revised: June 30, 2016
|
2,157.01
Tons
Date Revised: June 30, 2016
|
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 6,211 | 5,969 |
| Number of residential employees | 0 | 0 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 21,416 | 19,700.50 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 4,074.75 | 4,524.82 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 0 | 0 |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2014 | June 30, 2015 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2009 | June 30, 2010 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
A brief description of any (non-food) waste audits employed by the institution:
When certifying campus buildings under LEED, waste audits are performed that deduce how many pounds of recyclables are going into waste bins, as well as how many pounds of non-recyclable waste are going into recycle bins. UCR has conducted LEED waste audits on four buildings.
A brief description of any institutional procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
UCR joined in OfficeMax's Boomerang Box program, which delivers office supplies in reusable, heavy duty cardboard boxes. By participating in this program, UCR has seen a reduction of more than 5,000 cardboard boxes annually.
A brief description of any surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
The storehouse collects used computers, furniture, and materials and sells the to the school as well as local communities.
A brief description of the institution's efforts to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Instead of printing, UCR displays their catalogue of classes online. Having the courses displayed online also allows for students to see how many seats are still available. In addition, professors often post course materials online on iLearn instead of handing out readings in class, which saves a massive amount of paper. iLearn also provides an opportunity for teachers to review and grade essays online without ever needing a hard copy of the assignment.
A brief description of any limits on paper and ink consumption employed by the institution:
Computer labs and libraries only offer free printing up to a certain amount. After the students have spent this amount they must pay for the rest of their prints.
A brief description of any programs employed by the institution to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Planet Aid bins are placed in residence halls and campus apartments to encourage students to donate unwanted clothing and other objects.
A brief description of any other (non-food) waste minimization strategies employed by the institution:
All printers on campus are capable of double-sided printing and have that as the default option when printing documents with multiple pages. UCR offers Green Office, Green Event, and Green Classroom programs that help reduce waste and energy in these three areas of on-campus life. At various points on campus, bottle-filling stations have been installed where drinking fountains once were to encourage the use of refillable water bottles in order to reduce the amount of plastic being produced and used. Since the number one writing utensil on campus that gets thrown away the most is whiteboard markers, UCR has implemented a program that provides refillable whiteboard markers in classrooms to reduce that particular waste stream.
refillable whiteboard markers,
A brief description of any food waste audits employed by the institution:
A brief description of any programs and/or practices to track and reduce pre-consumer food waste in the form of kitchen food waste, prep waste and spoilage:
Pre-consumer food waste from Lothian dining hall is sent to a dehydrator and then to compost bins located at UCR's community garden, where it is used to add nutrients to the garden's soil.
A brief description of programs and/or practices to track and reduce post-consumer food waste:
UCR went trayless in the retail restaurants in September 2007, followed by the Residential Restaurants in June, 2008. Trays are only used in the summer for conference groups who request them because their funding sources require the use of trays.
A brief description of the institution's provision of reusable and/or third party certified compostable to-go containers for to-go food and beverage items (in conjunction with a composting program):
At the Highlander Union Building, compostable to-go containers are provided for food and beverage items.
A brief description of the institution's provision of reusable service ware for “dine in” meals and reusable and/or third party certified compostable service ware for to-go meals (in conjunction with a composting program):
At both of the on-campus dining halls, reusable plates, cups, and silverware are provided. For to-go meals, compostable napkins, straws, cups, lids, and flatware are given.
A brief description of any discounts offered to customers who use reusable containers (e.g. mugs) instead of disposable or compostable containers in to-go food service operations:
A discount of 15 cents is offered to customers who bring a reusable mug at our coffee venues.
A brief description of other dining services waste minimization programs and initiatives:
During Recycle Mania, an 8 week program that inspires students to reduce waste by evoking school spirit, UCR's two dining halls (Lothian and Aberdeen-Inverness) compete to see who reduces the most food waste during the 8 weeks. Posters are displayed in the dining halls to demonstrate progress to the students and raise food waste reduction awareness.
The website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization initiatives is available:
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.