University of Montana
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.56 / 8.00 |
Derek
Kanwischer Industrial Materials Coordinator Office of Sustainability |
Parts 1 and 2. Waste per person
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 260.48 Tons | 159.69 Tons |
| Materials composted | 135 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 49.50 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 1,038.64 Tons | 1,967.78 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 1,483.62 Tons | 2,127.47 Tons |
If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:
Not reporting.
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2023 | June 30, 2024 |
| Baseline Period | Jan. 1, 2005 | Dec. 31, 2005 |
If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:
Historically, 2005 data is used for our baseline year because the recycling program at UM started around that time and more effort was made to track and record materials numbers. We also began participating in RecycleMania shortly after, which required waste numbers that could also be used for internal tracking purposes.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 2,680 | 2,744 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 6 | 4 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 8,153 | 11,698 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 2,366 | 1,772 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 1,587 | 184 |
| Weighted campus users | 7,370.50 | 10,651.50 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.20 Tons | 0.20 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 | 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 | No |
| Other (please specify below) | No |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
UM's Surplus Program has been a significant contributor to the success of our diversion metrics this past year. Many items that were previously very difficult to sell or donate are now inventoried before being sold through public sales, sold to the campus community, or donated to local non-profit organizations.
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:
New signs have been created. New bins have been piloted in select buildings. All in the Hall, a program specifically meant to increase diversion rates in our buildings by placing recycling, compost, and landfill side-by-side for users in equal convenience, has been implemented in 10 of our largest buildings as of summer 2024. Co-mingled recycling is screened at UM's recycling compactor to remove contamination and sort aluminum cans into a separate stream. New compost bins have been installed in both food service locations as well as in a few academic buildings as part of UM's diversion efforts.
Programs and Initiatives
All in the Hall has been implmented in 10 of our campus buildings to encourage recycling and diversion of materials from the landfill. The program includes the development and adoption of new signage for each stream and increased education and outreach efforts to engage with building occupants and encourage participation. Compost bins have also been installed in several new buildings since our last STARS report.
Campus Thrift is a spring event wherein the Sustainability Office and a large team of volunteers collect donated items as students move out of the residence halls. Items are sorted, organized, and sold at a large garage sale just after graduation. The event generates funds for the Sustainability Offices and promotes reuse among students and community members. We sell 2/3 of the mini-fridges and microwaves in the fall to incoming students in the residence halls to prevent more small appliance purchasing and waste at the end of the year.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Periodically, UM Recycling and the Office of Sustainability audit recycling and landfilled materials from residence halls, academic buildings, and/or our University Center (student union building) to monitor contamination rates, document presence of different types of items, and identify better strategies for student education and outreach. We have seen lower contamination rates in the residence halls but we have not yet performed a campus-wide waste audit that would provide sufficient data for campus-wide contamination rates.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
Bulk purchasing happens across campus for a variety of departments and programs to economize pricing and to reduce materials such as containers and packaging. For example, the Mansfield Library print shop has stopped purchasing astrobright and colored papers that are no longer recycled on campus. Electronics purchasing has moved towards standardized issues that are EPEAT certified.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
The University has a surplus property office that is responsible for the inventory and exchange of materials such as office equipment, scientific equipment, furniture, bikes, and supplies.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
For UM employees and state-owned property, this program is currently housed within campus surplus and is not yet utlized to its full potential. Future initiatives will place this program in closer proximity to student government (physically and operationally) to more closely connect with students.
In fall 2023 and spring 2024, a group of students in the Franke Global Leadership (GLI) Program launched a small thrift/exchange program in the Davidson Honors College for their GLI capstone project. The students set up shelves and containers for students to donate unwanted items in a public and convenient location in the honors college. They advertised their program to their peers via social media and word of mouth. Similarly, student leaders in the Climate Response Club, a student sustainability org at UM, launched "Griz Give and Get" in spring 2024 for their senior capstone project. The exchange of student goods happens mostly virtually via a Teams group that is advertised by the Climate Response Club and student government but is supported by the Office of Sustainability.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Managed Print is UM's campus wide printing program which centralizes efficient printers in appropriate areas while greatly reducing and eliminating excessive deskside printing from office users. This program has standardized recycled content paper purchasing, recycling and refurbishment of toners, and greatly reduced use of paper, toner, and energy use on campus.
Free printing is limited across campus. All computer labs charge students to print once a certain number of copies is reached. Duplex printing is standard in printing areas on campus.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Course catalogs are only available on-line and class schedules and employee/student directories are also available on-line. There are several methods used by faculty and the library to post course materials on-line, including widespread use of Moodle.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Recycling is picked up, nonstop, for four days during Move Out week and recycling trailers are located at every residence hall. Furniture, electronics, and clothing are opportunistically reused. Campus Thrift (described above) collects donated items from students leaving the residence halls and sells the items as a fundraiser for the recycling program and Sustainability Office.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
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:
Derek Kanwischer- Program and Zero Waste Coordinator
E-Mail- derek.kanwischer@mso.umt.edu
Phone- (406) 243-5796
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.