| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 73.25 |
| Liaison | Meredith Moore |
| Submission Date | Feb. 25, 2022 |
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.37 / 8.00 |
Meredith
Moore Sustainability Programs Coordinator Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 1,171.14 Tons | 2,768.94 Tons |
| Materials composted | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 20 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 127.20 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 4,250 Tons | 4,925.01 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 5,568.34 Tons | 7,693.95 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
N/A
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 | July 1, 2007 | June 30, 2008 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
N/A
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 8,165 | 11,614 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 997 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 47,656 | 41,496 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 14,894 | 14,386 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 3,160 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 46,833 | 44,815 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.12 Tons | 0.17 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 |
| 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) | No |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
-Grounds mulches cutdown trees and compost leaves for landscaping (https://fs.illinois.edu/services/grounds/grounds-and-landscape)
-Compost tumbler available for public use at National Soybean Research Center (https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/project/compost-national-soybean-research-center-nsrc)
-Dump and Run - at student move-out, hundreds of volunteers help collect the reusable materials for resale after summer break. Then the weekend before school starts, the YMCA's staff and volunteers sell the materials at a massive "garage sale" (https://icap.sustainability.illinois.edu/project/dump-and-run)
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:
Prebaling visual inspection
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
-Waste Reduction Challenge (October)
-Plastic Free Challenge (March/April)
-Use the Bin pledge
-Tours of the Waste Transfer Station
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Multiple departments planning waste audit.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
In support of iCAP, University Sourcing has developed the following language for inclusion in requests for proposals (RFPs). This language describes the University’s commitment to sustainable practices and requests responding vendors to provide a sustainability plan as part of their bidding documentation response. The message is clear: we are committed and expect our potential vendors to share in our vision of sustainable practices.
“In support of the global sustainability initiative, the State of Illinois has enacted legislation addressing Environmentally Preferable Procurement (30 ILCS 500/45-26).
The University of Illinois has made a formal commitment to sustainability as evidenced by being a signatory of the Illinois Campus Sustainability Compact and the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). The University has also created campus-level offices of Sustainability to support the initiative locally.
University Sourcing has a formal Sustainable Purchasing Policy which further articulates the University’s Sustainability Initiative. It is anticipated that vendors desiring to do business with the University share in our sustainable vision by specific and documented actions. As such, these items are requested in the form of a Sustainability Plan to be submitted with this RFP. Targeted areas for inclusion in the plan would include:
Source Reduction
Recycled Content and Products
Energy and Water Savings
Toxic Products and Pollution Prevention
The responsible and responsive bidder shall provide a detailed narrative in support of these elements including documentation of policy and specific periodic updates detailing progress of the sustainably efforts. Any sustainability/green certification programs which the bidder is engaged in or received recognition for achievement shall be provided as well.”
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Campus surplus department warehouses unwanted office supplies and equipment, and aids in the transfer of these materials to other units in need.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
Karma Trade is a circular economy fashion platform started by two students; they host pop up events for reuse and exchange clothing opportunities.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Most, if not all computer labs and libraries charge $0.10/page for black and white printing, and $0.40/page for color printing.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
For many years, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has made available electronic versions of the course catalog, course schedule, and directories.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Dump and Run - at student move-out, hundreds of volunteers help collect the reusable materials for resale after summer break. Then the weekend before school starts, the YMCA's staff and volunteers sell the materials at a massive "garage sale"
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
The University of Illinois System is committed to maximizing the use of its equipment resources. To facilitate this, the U of I System has implemented equipment redistribution processes and invested in surplus warehouse facilities and staff. Departments in need of equipment can visit their campus surplus warehouse to identify what surplus equipment is available and assess the condition. Equipment retrieved from campus surplus is available without charge, other than transportation costs which vary by university. It is important to note that surplus equipment can only be retrieved for system use. System equipment is not for personal use. Some of the common items available at the campus surplus warehouses include desktop computers, laptops, printers, monitors, projectors, TVs, desks, chairs, tables and file cabinets.
https://www.obfs.uillinois.edu/equipment-management/surplus-warehouse-operations/
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.