| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.29 |
| Liaison | Jonna Korpi |
| Submission Date | Sept. 11, 2024 |
University of Minnesota, Duluth
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.85 / 8.00 |
Jonna
Korpi Sustainability Director UMD Sustainability |
Parts 1 and 2. Waste per person
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 296.81 Tons | 247.73 Tons |
| Materials composted | 140.17 Tons | 157.20 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 0 Tons | 23.40 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 602.16 Tons | 737.22 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 1,039.14 Tons | 1,165.55 Tons |
If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:
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 | Jan. 1, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2017 |
If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:
2017 was set as a baseline year in our previous submission due to greater depth of data gathering: more comprehensive, consistent, and accurate than any data gathered up to this point.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 2,686 | 3,116 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 6 | 6 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 4 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 9,166 | 10,324 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 1,408 | 1,553 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 162 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 8,486 | 9,688.25 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.12 Tons | 0.12 Tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
Part 3. Waste diverted from the landfill or incinerator
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 | No |
| 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 | No |
| Tires | Yes |
| Other (please specify below) | No |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Optional Fields
Active Recovery and Reuse
Recycling Management
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?:
Contamination and Discard Rates
A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
Programs and Initiatives
Signs and posters are placed near waste receptacles across campus to assist people in sorting items into the right bin. As new items are added to our compost stream, the posters are updated in digital form and individual departments are responsible for printing new signs and posting them in their non-public areas, as appropriate. Housing and Residence Life staff utilize hall/floor events and bulletin boards to educate students about recycling and composting and the collection rooms are supplied with recycling and trash bins (and sometimes compost) to assist with ease of disposal. There is also information in the Housing Student Handbook about what to compost, recycle, and what is waste.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Waste Audits occur each year as an educational and outreach tool to help the campus community learn about what goes in which waste stream in a hands on way. Audits provide valuable feedback that is to make waste system improvements and increase awareness. We also audit the waste receptacles themselves, in terms of number, location, and co-location with other waste stream bins. These "bin audits" have helped reduce the number of trash bins, increase waste sorting stations (removing standalone bins), and making access to compost bins more convenient. https://sustainability.d.umn.edu/campus-initiatives/reduce-emissions/waste-diversion
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
UMD does not have a formal surplus department. However, UMD items that have been offered up through the UMD Free to Departments listserv and have gone unclaimed will be picked up by Facilities Management through a work order. These items will then be stored for future campus reuse or donated to area non-profits that have a need.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
UMD has an email listserv for re-use of furniture and office supplies around campus. Faculty and staff can send emails (with pictures) to the "UMD Free to Departments: list at free2depts@d.umn.edu. Any staff/faculty can subscribe to the UMD Free to Departments listserv and offer up items to the campus community for reuse. Items that have been offered up through the listserv and have gone unclaimed will be picked up by Facilities Management through a work order. These items will then be stored for future campus reuse or donated to area non-profits that have a need.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
UMD uses a pay-per-page printing system to encourage conscientious printing. 5 cents per 8.5 x 11 inch black and white page 20 cents per 11 x 17 inch black and white page $1.00 per 8.5 x 11 inch color page.
$2.50 per 11 x 17 inch color page.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
UMD uses a mobile app to make navigating UMD-related information easier for students, as a large proportion of website visitors were shown to be accessing content via mobile devices. The app has modules and links that are easy to find and access, more so than traditionally when browsing from a phone. This app also has the ability to have specialty 'modules', one of which is Bulldog Welcome Week/new student orientation which gives students a direct portal to all things BWW/Orientation, which they would have previously received in a printed packet. Graduation/commencement also has its own module, further eliminating printer paper documents and increasing access to information. The UMD Catalog describes all of the programs and courses offered at UMD. It is available online at: http://www.d.umn.edu/catalogs/current/ The UMD Catalog is not printed, although students who have special needs can request alternate versions or assistance with the Catalog.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
UMD provides many options for students to swap, sell, and donate furniture and other items. There are two active sites on Facebook for swapping or selling items locally: UMD Free & For Sale and Duluth Exchange Swap & Sell. During move-out, Housing & Residence Life (HRL) staff provide collection bins in every building for students to donate clothing, household items, small appliances, and non-perishable food. These donations are sorted by HRL & Sustainability staff and non-perishable food is donated to our on-campus food pantry (Champ's Cupboard) and local food banks. Clothing and household items/small appliances are donated to our on-campus Free Store, Champ's Closet (interview clothing) and local non-profits. Finally, UMD Facilities Management offers a free furniture/large item Pick-up Service to assist students in donating their larger items during move-out. https://sustainability.d.umn.edu/news-events/move-out
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
UMD also operates a Free Store for students. This permanent space is a resource for any UMD student to shop for clothes, household & kitchen items, decor, electronics, textbooks, etc. Donations are accepted from students, staff, faculty, and others, with the majority of items being collected during on-campus moveout in spring semester. Items that might otherwise have been thrown in a dumpster as students flee after finals are cleaned, sorted, and stored for stocking the free store. The Free Store is newly permanent as of February 2024, having previously operated as pop-up shops and clothing swaps up to this point.
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.