| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 73.84 |
| Liaison | Andrew Horning |
| Submission Date | Dec. 19, 2022 |
University of Michigan
IN-47: Innovation A
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Andrew
Horning Managing Director Graham Sustainability Institute |
Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:
This pilot supports U-M’s sustainability goal of reducing waste sent to landfills by 40%.
The goal is to engage the campus community in expanding compost bins into more public-facing areas to:
- Help reach our campus waste reduction goal while minimizing contamination
- Increase student awareness of the composting program
Individuals and groups were invited to nominate and “adopt” a bin by visually monitoring it daily for contamination (non-compostable items).
The process included:
- Site visits with adopters to verify the appropriateness of the proposed location
- Planning signage and options for ongoing education/feedback if needed
- Approval from facility managers, custodial staff, and other operational partners
- Daily monitoring by bin adopters for one month to assess contamination levels
- Where needed, follow-up signage and tabling to help bin users understand proper placement of items
What we learned:
- Most of the 11 bins were found to be successful without any additional
intervention. These have been added to the existing 1,000 bins on campus as part of our growing compost program.
- Two bins (in the more public areas of Haven Hall with high through traffic)
required additional signage and tabling. Monitoring is ongoing to determine
whether these bins should remain or be moved.
A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
The website URL where information about the innovation 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.