University of Hawaii at Manoa
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Assessment in progress, no score available at this time. A number of Waste Reduction initiatives exist:

UH Waste Audit Initiative:
The system-wide Waste Audit was a student-led initiative inspired by the work of Zero Waste Oahu, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaiʻi, and other community-led efforts to reduce waste and begin moving away from extractive economies and towards a circular economy which respects life and planetary boundaries. In the spring of 2018, approximately 30 student leaders from all UH campuses gathered for the 6th Sustainability in Higher Education Summit on Hawaiʻi Island. This group of students worked over two days to develop a plan for expanding student-led efforts to conduct waste audits at all campuses. These efforts built upon the successes of the first student-led waste audit at Kauai Community College in 2017.

Many students and community volunteers were so passionately motivated about sustainability that they were excited to sort, sift, and count garbage at our campuses. The experience gained from the days spent working together to plan, coordinate and implement the waste audits exercised their abilities in systems-thinking, strategic planning, radical collaboration, effective communication and futures-thinking. The project was an inspiring example of the kinds of rich learning experiences and community benefits that often emerge when we utilize our campuses as living laboratories to support sustainability solution-making.
https://www.hawaii.edu/sustainability/waste-audit-initiative/

UHM Waste Audit:
In 2017 UH Manoa conducted a two-day long waste audit on several campus buildings to benchmark and track what type of waste they are generating. This audit helped identify the most common types of waste and is crucial for reaching zero waste. The audit has led to many initiatives like a push for paper towel waste reduction, take out container waste reduction, and is creating an incentive to start looking into implementing composting on campus.

Recycling Signage:
Recycling bins across campus have signage with pictures showing what can go inside.

Rise Above Plastic:
UH Mānoa’s surfrider chapter puts on Rise Above Plastic events and workshops to encourage students to move away from single-use plastic and to help minimize their waste stream.

Digital Swap Meet:
UH provides a digital Swap Meet to the UHM community as a means to connect departments with surplus materials and equipment. This service is intended to enable transfers only and is not to be used to sell or purchase goods. All items expire from the public Swap Meet after 30 days.

Print Reduction:
UH Mānoa offers online course catalogs, schedules, and directories by default. Students are required to pay for printing.

Move-Out Day Program:
Student Housing Services partners with Salvation Army and Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii to collect gently used goods from students during move-out periods. Collection bins are placed in the common areas of each dorm.