| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 56.22 |
| Liaison | Olivia Wiebe |
| Submission Date | Jan. 28, 2022 |
University of Idaho
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.95 / 8.00 |
Rusty
Vineyard Director Facilities Operations |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 0 Tons | 243.18 Tons |
| Materials composted | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 0 Tons | 140 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 519.86 Tons | 1,100 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 519.86 Tons | 1,483.18 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
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Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2020 | June 30, 2021 |
| Baseline Period | Jan. 1, 2005 | Dec. 31, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
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Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 3,161 | 2,000 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 16 | 8 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 8,811.86 | 10,415 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 2,301.71 | 2,254 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 453 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 8,789.68 | 10,003.75 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.06 Tons | 0.15 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 | No |
| 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 | Yes |
| Other (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Other materials the institution has recycled and/or re-sold include, but are not limited to: vehicles, farm equipment, shop equipment, electronics, batteries, fluorescent tubes, mercury tubes, sodium vapor bulbs, and compact tubes.
To the recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold materials reported by Facilities, above, 1 ton was added from the Move Out program, and 6 tons of food waste were added from the Food & Farm Composting program.
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?:
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?:
Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program:
A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
In 2021, the Sustainability Center's theme of the year was responsible waste management. This included several events, marketing campaigns, presentations, and outreach materials that focused on increasing the environmental literacy of campus in regard to recycling.
A team of 3 students at the Sustainability Center created an educational video explaining how to recycle in Moscow. The video was part of a marketing campaign that widely distributed the information.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE-ali-piW8&t=105s
The Sustainability Center Coordinator supported this effort by presenting at many class visits and staff council meetings. The presentations focused on the pitfalls of contamination and the importance of recycling in our community.
The Sustainability Center employs a student with the title of Recycling and Events Coordinator who plans and implements 3-5 events a semester that focus on reuse, reducing waste, and proper recycling techniques. Examples of these events include:
1.) Recycle Fair: Sustainability Center partnered with the ASUI Director for Sustainability hosted a recycling fair in the Idaho Student Union Building. Students were able to engage with student educators who spoke about recycling and had literature about how to recycle properly. There were activity booths that featured crafts from reused items, as well as sustainability enhancing promotional items that replace single-use straws and packaging.
2.) Hand-Me-Down Halloween: The Sustainability Center hosted a costume contest that required every part of the costume to be thrifted. This effort was supported by the ASUI Director of Sustainability, who organized a "Vandal Day of Thrift", where students could receive discounts from the local thrift shops. The Halloween event featured the costume contest, as well as a craft that turned old glass jars and paper scraps into dorm-safe Jack-o-lantern votives.
3.) Upcycle It!: The Sustainability Center partnered with the Student Orientation Leaders to sponsor an event where old university event T-Shirts were made into reusable grocery bags and dog toys. The grocery bags were donated to the Vandal Food Pantry, while the dog toys were donated to the Humane Society of the Palouse.
The Recycling/Event Coordinator also provided educational support to the recycling efforts for two major university events, Palousafest and the CNR Welcome Back Barbeque. This required them to stand in front of the row of bins and communicate with each participant how to accurately sort trash, recycling, and food waste.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Internal Audit Services provides independent and objective auditing and consultation services designed to add value and improve the university’s operations, and to help the university accomplish its objectives by evaluating the effectiveness of risk management, internal control and governance processes. Internal Audit conducts investigations of potential violations of the university’s ethics policy, which includes fraud, waste and abuse.
The Sustainability Center periodically conducts waste audits and posts results on online at: https://www.uidaho.edu/current-students/sustainability-center/resources/reports. A 2009 campus waste characterization study found that 68% of waste can be composted or recycled. These findings led to the campus Food and Farm Composting program which was established in 2010.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
UI Purchasing Services works with vendors to purchase items that utilize recyclable packaging and low-waste options. This is beneficial not only for the environment, but makes maintenance and cleaning of UI facilities more cost effective.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
The University Surplus operation manages the auction and sale of university assets that are no longer in active use, as part of the Recycling Surplus and Solid Waste Division.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
Items for surplus can be previewed by UI departments and other agencies two weeks prior to a Public Auction. In addition, pre-priced items are sold in an on campus store which is open to all.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Students are allowed to print 250 pages each semester. Additional pages are $0.05, and color pages are $1.00 (or 20 black-white pages). Double sided printing is the default in most computer labs (a double sided printed page is weighted as a single printed page)
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Course catalogs, course schedules and directories are all available, by default, online. A limited number of printed course catalogs are provided to college advisers.
Professors are encouraged to provide their course schedule, syllabus, and homework online through Canvas, a virtual learning environment and course management system, or through a course website.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Students moving out of residence halls or the Greek community are encouraged to donate durable, reusable goods such as clothing, household goods, kitchen supplies electronics, and non-perishable food to the Sustainability Center's Give and Go program. Materials are distributed to local charities and a campus food bank.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Evolve, coordinated by Sustainability Center student staff, is an ink recycling program with 19 collection locations throughout campus.
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:
Due to the pandemic and other related complications, the Recycling Program at UI was suspended. It is expected to be reinstated in a new format by 2023.
Jeremy Mutart, Surplus and Solid Waster Supervisor and Financial Specialist; Facilities
Programs and Initiatives: Olivia Wiebe, Sustainability Center Coordinator, Department of Student Involvement
Due to the pandemic and other related complications, the Recycling Program at UI was suspended. It is expected to be reinstated in a new format by 2023.
Jeremy Mutart, Surplus and Solid Waster Supervisor and Financial Specialist; Facilities
Programs and Initiatives: Olivia Wiebe, Sustainability Center Coordinator, Department of Student Involvement
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.