| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.29 |
| Liaison | Kevin Kirsche |
| Submission Date | Dec. 22, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Georgia
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.72 / 8.00 |
Jason
Perry Sustainability Specialist Office of Sustainability |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 2,373.93 Tons | 2,542 Tons |
| Materials composted | 861 Tons | 696 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 285.40 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 5,257.38 Tons | 5,094 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 8,777.71 Tons | 8,332 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility, including affirmation that materials are sorted prior to conversion to recover recyclables and compostable materials:
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2016 | June 30, 2017 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2009 | June 30, 2010 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 9,678 | 8,502 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 14 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 329 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 35,165 | 33,157 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 10,384 | 9,878 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 362 | 93 |
| Weighted campus users | 36,642.25 | 34,332 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.24 Tons | 0.24 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 | Yes |
| White goods (i.e. appliances) | Yes |
| Laboratory equipment | Yes |
| Furniture | Yes |
| Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | Yes |
| Scrap metal | Yes |
| Pallets | Yes |
| Tires | Yes |
| Other (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Vehicle batteries
Antifreeze
Fuel filters
Motor oil
Repository shredding
Admin services shred
Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year (e.g. materials that are actively diverted from the landfill or incinerator and refurbished/repurposed) :
Does the institution use single stream recycling (a single container for commingled recyclables) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
Does the institution use dual stream (two separate containers for recyclables, e.g. one for paper and another for plastic, glass, and metals) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
Does the institution use multi-stream recycling (multiple containers that further separate different types of materials) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program (percentage, 0-100):
A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed, e.g. efforts to minimize contamination and/or monitor the discard rates of the materials recovery facilities and mills to which materials are diverted:
Labels are placed on all bins and "Is that recyclable? Yup / Nope" signage is circulated on campus and posted near (some) bins. Clear bags are used for recycling and collection staff are instructed to throw away any recycling with more than 10% visible contamination. Pizza boxes are recycled in The Niche Pizza Company at UGA Tate Center and staff discard boxes that contain food or are too greasy.
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives, e.g. initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices such as signage and competitions:
UGA participates in Recyclemania each spring. Every fall, UGA hosts the Green Cup Challenge among campus residence halls. Waste-related educational signage is displayed in many campus buildings. Public waste audits of campus buildings are hosted in highly visible areas and reults posted. Various waste-related surveys are conducted, including a student-led community-based social marketing campaign in fall 2017.
To engage the University community through the arts, student interns in the Office of Sustainability created "Athens Home for Discarded Objects". Interns coordinated campus and community river clean-ups and then turned found objects into art displays at ate Student Center and Science Library.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Waste audits of campus buildings are conducted in highly visible public areas. Students and staff sort through landfill and recycling bins from targeted to determine recycling rate, contamination rate, and compostable contents. The most recent waste audit was hosted on Tuesday 11/14/17 at Tate Lawn to assess waste in common/retail food areas of the Tate Student Center.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
UGA Central Receiving, Central Research Stores, and Dining Services Central Food Storage purchase products in bulk to reduce cost, packaging waste, and transportation impacts on campus. UGA's green cleaning program incorporates bulk purchase of non-toxic cleaning supplies to reduce cost and waste.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Items are available at the UGA Surplus Property warehouse for University departments, State of Georgia educational institutions, State of Georgia agencies, approved political subdivisions (county or municipality or any county or independent board of education in the State of Georgia) and approved non profit organizations.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse (e.g. of electronics, furnishings, books and other goods):
The UGA Surplus Listserv allows campus departments to "swap" items before they are delivered to Surplus Properties.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption (e.g. restricting free printing and/or mandating doubled-sided printing in libraries and computer labs):
There is no free printing available on campus. All printing is priced per service and paid for with a student "bulldog bucks" account...funds are stored on the student ID card.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials (e.g. course catalogs, course schedules, and directories) available online by default rather than printing them:
All information about courses including catalogs and schedules, plus directories, several university publications, and information about academic and extracurrciular programs are all online. As with any online resource, these items may be printed out at their discretion. Additionally, the UGA Student Directory is only available online, and is not distributed to students in a print form.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
At "Hunker Down with Housing" Move-In, cardbaord, Styrofoam and film plastic corrals are set up at each residence hall or community. Volunteers support students and their families as they move in and manage recycling and waste streams.
"Dawgs Ditch the Dumpster" is an effort to reduce UGA’s environmental impact while simultaneously supporting the Athens community. At the end of each spring semester, thousands of students move out of their residence halls and head back home for the summer. Through the course of this process, hundreds of tons of otherwise useful items are diverted from the landfill and are donated to those who need them instead of throwing them away.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
The Material Reuse Intern in the Office of Sustainability specifically seeks out reuse opportunities for operational and surplus materials at Facilities Management Division and throughout campus.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Compost
In April 2015, UGA began composting all organic materials from each dining hall on campus. At that time, it was estimated that 10,000 pounds of organic materials were generated weekly. Since then, we estimate that 25% of waste has been reduced through operational practices. Current figures include 7500 lbs/wk x 44 weeks = 330,000 lbs/yr or 165 tons of food scraps composted annually.
Compost
In April 2015, UGA began composting all organic materials from each dining hall on campus. At that time, it was estimated that 10,000 pounds of organic materials were generated weekly. Since then, we estimate that 25% of waste has been reduced through operational practices. Current figures include 7500 lbs/wk x 44 weeks = 330,000 lbs/yr or 165 tons of food scraps composted annually.
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.