| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.18 |
| Liaison | Ezra Small |
| Submission Date | Feb. 5, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Massachusetts Amherst
OP-23: Waste Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.72 / 3.00 |
Ezra
Small Sustainability Manager Physical Plant |
Materials diverted from the solid waste landfill or incinerator:
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator :
A brief description of programs, policies, infrastructure investments, outreach efforts, and/or other factors that contributed to the diversion rate, including efforts made during the previous three years:
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.
A brief description of any food donation programs employed by the institution:
We recently began donated left over food to the UMass Chapter of the “Food Recovery Network” http://www.foodrecoverynetwork.org/.
A brief description of any pre-consumer food waste composting program employed by the institution:
All of our pre-consumer food waste is transported to a nearby farm for composting.
A brief description of any post-consumer food waste composting program employed by the institution:
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.
Does the institution include the following materials in its waste diversion efforts?:
| Yes or No | |
| Paper, plastics, glass, metals, and other recyclable containers | Yes |
| Food donations | Yes |
| Food for animals | No |
| Food composting | Yes |
| Cooking oil | No |
| Plant materials composting | Yes |
| Animal bedding composting | Yes |
| Batteries | Yes |
| Light bulbs | Yes |
| Toner/ink-jet cartridges | 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 |
| Motor oil | Yes |
| Tires | Yes |
Other materials that the institution includes in its waste diversion efforts:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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
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
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.