University of Massachusetts Amherst
OP-23: Waste Diversion

In 2012, UMass Amherst launched a new single stream recycling program for most of the campus aimed at increasing recycling rates in the residence halls and in classroom buildings. UMass Amherst has one of the highest recycling rates in the state of Massachusetts when compared to other communities, ranking in the top 5% with a 56% diversion rate in FY12. The Campus Sustainability Initiative in partnership with Auxiliary Services and Physical Plant continues to implement new programs to divert solid waste from landfills or incineration, including a new composting program in most of the retail dining locations, which has helped made food waste the largest stream of recycled materials on campus at over 1,000 tons per year. Large events are now recycling and composting all materials, including the College of Natural Sciences College Day annual event which last year composted almost 100% of all the waste at the event, and accommodated over 2,000 attendees. It is the obligation of every member of the campus community to do their part by helping the University increase its recycling rate and reduce waste - including unnecessary fines and disposal fees. University faculty, students, and staff are expected to cooperate with this program by separating recyclable materials from trash and sorting these materials into our color-coded recycling bins. The Physical Plant's Office of Waste Management will continue to support this effort by issuing recycling guidelines and providing up-to-date information and assistance to the campus community. In 2014, UMass partnered with The Post-Landfill Action Network to organize the first ever UMass Amherst Reuse Tag Sale on campus. Over 10 tons of items were diverted from the waste stream to a reuse bin during spring sustainable move-out, stored, cleaned, and tagged during the summer by students and sold in the fall during first week. These efforts will hopefully add to the tonnage of waste diverted from landfill or incinerator.

We recently began donated left over food to the UMass Chapter of the “Food Recovery Network” http://www.foodrecoverynetwork.org/.

All of our pre-consumer food waste is transported to a nearby farm for composting.

100% of postconsumer waste is composted in our Dining Commons and conferences are composted; our largest retail dining locations provide compost bins for food waste. We offer compostable to-go plates, cups, containers, and flatware.

Materials recycled and materials disposed in landfill data reported is available online each year in the Physical Plant's Office of Waste Management FY Waste Report online at the Physical Plant website: http://www.umass.edu/physicalplant/resources/index.html