University of Massachusetts Amherst
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
5.29 / 8.00 |
Ezra
Small Sustainability Manager Physical Plant |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 1,324 Tons | 1,425 Tons |
| Materials composted | 1,651 Tons | 1,937.50 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 107.70 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 1,629 Tons | 3,243 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 4,711.70 Tons | 6,605.50 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2021 | June 30, 2022 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2008 | June 30, 2009 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
2008-2009 is our baseline year for Part 1 of this credit because that year is the earliest year of waste data available.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 13,390 | 12,420 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 83 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 29,863.80 | 26,693.80 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 7,265.10 | 6,254.40 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 4,525.50 | 612 |
| Weighted campus users | 27,820.80 | 27,357.15 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.17 Tons | 0.24 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) | Yes |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Other above includes: PCB ballasts, batteries, books, cardboard, clothing, concrete, fluorescent tubes, mattresses, greenhouse waste, leaves/yard waste, paint, toner cartridges.
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 campus updated all waste signage to accurately reflect changes to regional recycling guidelines and to improve the visualization of waste streams on the signage: https://www.umass.edu/sustainability/waste-recycling
UMass participates in the Race to Zero Waste campaign annually: https://www.umass.edu/sustainability/CRZW
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
A Campus Wide Waste Assessment Study was commissioned by the Office of Waste Management in 2019-2020. Consultants included DSM Consulting Engineers, Kessler Consulting, and MSW Consultants: https://www.umass.edu/sustainability/about/planning-taskforces-and-initiatives
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
UMass Amherst follows the system wide procurement policies outlined in the UMass System Sustainability Policy: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/sustainableumass_reportsplans/17/
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
The campus surplus property program has been non-existent since 2020 due to surplus facilities being closed due to building conditions. There is a current effort to bring back the surplus program and combine efforts with a year round reuse thrift-store in the same space.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
The Offices of the UMass Controller and of Procurement determine procedures for the purchase, transfer and disposition of University property – generally referred to as “Equipment.”
Equipment is defined as durable-repairable items (5 years or more life) having an estimated purchase value of $1,000 or more. The UMass Property Office presently tracks and applies UMA barcodes to equipment valued over $1,000 and to computers - regardless of purchase value. There is still equipment in circulation that was marked with UMA barcodes before the $1,000 threshold was established.
When OWM’s Moving Crew picks up equipment at the customer's office, we require that all items to be disposed be listed on Surplus Equipment Disposal Form (S.E.D.) so that wanted items are not mistakenly removed. For large quantity items (pcs, chairs) a single description should be provided along with the quantity of the item. For departmental deliveries to the WRTF/OWM office, only equipment with UMA tags and computers/memory storage devices must be listed on the S.E.D.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Students only receive a credit of five dollars on their student card for free printing. After that five dollars students must pay for their own printing.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
UMass Amherst has its course catalogue online (SPIRE) where students can sign up for classes. The website provides students with their schedule as well as other important information such as their bill and major requirements. The University does not print a course catalog.
UMass also has People Finder attached to our main website to locate faculty and students so that they may contacted. It is the campus directory.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
UMass Amherst has one of the largest reuse sustainable move-out programs in the country.
https://www.umass.edu/sustainability/waste-recycling/green-events/new2u-sustainable-move-out
The estimated quantity of New2U collected and resold material is reflected with the GRRO data in the data field above "materials donated or re-sold."
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
UMass Facilities & Campus Services Operational Services (formerly Residential Life) partners with GRRO Reuse & Recycle to recover and donate residential hall unwanted mattresses and furniture. The 97 tons above in the "materials donated or resold" comes from the 2022 GRRO report which breaks down to: over 66,000 lbs of mattresses, over 99,000 lbs of desks, over 30,000 lbs of bookcases (97.7 tons) plus the estimated tonnage of New2U collection/tag sale (10 tons).
GRRO
One Second Street
Peabody, MA 01960
President: Dave Shaw
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.