| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 78.00 |
| Liaison | Katie Maynard |
| Submission Date | Feb. 29, 2024 |
University of California, Santa Barbara
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
5.92 / 8.00 |
Jewel
Persad Sustainability Manager Administration |
Parts 1 and 2. Waste per person
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 1,741 Tons | 7,198.92 Tons |
| Materials composted | 2,011 Tons | 263.55 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 20.73 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 2,011 Tons | 4,088.66 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 5,783.73 Tons | 11,551.13 Tons |
If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2022 | June 30, 2023 |
| Baseline Period | Jan. 1, 2007 | Dec. 31, 2007 |
If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:
The year 2007 was adopted as the baseline because it was the earliest time period for which UCSB had reliable waste generation data. The year 2007 also encompassed data from the majority of the waste management programs that were in place on campus. Years prior to 2007, waste generation data was not collected from all entities on campus, especially departmental programs.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 10,195 | 6,282 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 214 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 23,869 | 19,961 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 5,115.60 | 4,947 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 24,340.70 | 20,251.50 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.24 Tons | 0.57 Tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
Part 3. Waste diverted from the landfill or incinerator
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 | Yes |
| White goods (i.e. appliances) | Yes |
| Electronics | Yes |
| 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:
Bicycles; eyeglasses; clothing; textiles; electronic waste; vehicles; furniture
Optional Fields
Active Recovery and Reuse
Recycling Management
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?:
Contamination and Discard Rates
A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
All exterior recycling and composting receptacles are sorted for contamination. All of the campus’ landfill waste is sorted for recyclables off-site by the Santa Barbara County Resource Recovery Facility
Programs and Initiatives
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
UCSB regularly conducts waste audits by utilizing the services of UCSB's Associated Students Recycling (A.S. Recycling). A.S. Recycling provides waste audit services for special events, departments, and buildings. Third party consulting firms generally audit waste from buildings, often as part of the LEED certification process, and the waste hauler audits UCSB as an entirety once a year.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
The University of California Sustainable Practices Policy includes a section on Sustainable Purchasing, which requires that specific items meet minimum sustainable certification standards. The Policy also addresses total cost of ownership in evaluating costs of goods and services, contracting with suppliers that have established end-of-life reuse, recycle or take-back programs, and requiring product packaging be designed/produced, and distributed in a sustainable manner. UC-wide Single-Use Plastics Policy outlines a timeline for UC campuses to phase out all unnecessary plastics.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
At the University of California, Santa Barbara, Surplus Sales strives to reuse surplus UCSB items and equipment. UCSB’s Surplus Sales handles the surplus sales of unwanted equipment and furniture. UCSB community members and members from the greater community can shop for the unwanted equipment and furniture.
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:
UCSB does not offer free printing or copying to any of its computer labs and libraries. Printing and copying charges range from $0.10-$0.25 per page and can be charged to a student’s online account, (BARC) copy card, or paid for in cash. The UCSB campus community is also encouraged to make double-sided printing the default setting on printers.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
The University of California, Santa Barbara provides students with course and university materials via online sources. Students can access class schedules, course information and register for classes through Shoreline. They are also encouraged to electronically access their billing and account information on the BARC Billing Office Website.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
During the move-out process, UCSB Housing & Residential Services eliminates waste by placing recycle roll-offs and extra recycling dumpsters around the dorms during the move-out process. At this time, UCSB also collects and has drop-off locations for various reusable materials, which are then sold at Give IV. If dorms need to be remodeled, furniture and appliances are donated to local charities, other schools, and the International Recycling Network. These practices ensure that UCSB earns this credit.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
UCSB's Central Stores Furniture Services plays a vital role in waste minimization. UCSB has several programs that focus on the re-use of items, but Central Stores Furniture Services largely focuses on collecting and re-selling surplus furniture, office equipment, and any large items. Surplus material can be purchased twice per week by the members of the Santa Barbara community. Funded by the Green Initiative Fund and the Coastal Fund, UCSB has installed 40 hydration stations across campus as part of a drive to reduce the use of disposable water bottles. The fountains offer filtered and reverse osmosis water through a water bottle-friendly dispensing mechanism.
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.