| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 50.16 |
| Liaison | Susan Caplow |
| Submission Date | Jan. 7, 2023 |
University of Montevallo
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.28 / 8.00 |
Susan
Caplow Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Behavioral and Social Sciences |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 50 Tons | 43 Tons |
| Materials composted | 2 Tons | 82 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 2 Tons | 2 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 162.67 Tons | 175.36 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 216.67 Tons | 302.36 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 | Oct. 1, 2020 | Sept. 30, 2021 |
| Baseline Period | Nov. 1, 2012 | Oct. 31, 2013 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
This baseline was selected because it is the same baseline we are applying to the entire application. A few years back gives us easy access to data but is not so distant that there is a stark contrast between the baseline and performance.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 1,104 | 1,154 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 1 | 8 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 2,313 | 2,702 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 504 | 422 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 482 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 2,027.50 | 2,633.50 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.11 Tons | 0.11 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 | No |
| White goods (i.e. appliances) | Yes |
| Electronics | No |
| 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:
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:
There are signs posted around some of the collection areas listing what is collected and what is not.
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
Residence Halls have encouraged green room certification, environmental club promotes recycling on campus, green fund projects for recycling have been common. Our recycling program has been changed to single-stream to increase likelihood and reduce contamination. We have placed informational stickers and posters up in residence halls and academic buildings to raise awareness.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
none
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
none
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Office supplies are posted up for grabs on a university listserve. Everything that is no longer being used goes to surplus for repurposing/rehoming. When people are looking for items, they work directly with the Physical Plant to see if anything in surplus would work.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
Main Residence Hall has a "take table" where residents can leave items they don't want that they think someone else might like. Career Development has a Dress for Success station with job-interview attire. Environmental Club hosts clothing swaps.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
no policies.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
The University of Montevallo and the Registrar’s Office strives to reduce our use of paper for items that are easily accessible electronically.
In 2014, the University purchased a catalog publishing software that produces a beautiful and easily navigational electronic catalog assessable on our webpage. This reduced the number of printed Bulletins from 3,110 in 2010 to just 320 in 2019. The Registrar’s Office also stopped printing and distributing paper class schedules and student directories after the implementation of the Banner Student Information System in 2008. The University purchased Dynamic Forms in 2017 allowing offices to develop electronic forms and begin eliminating paper forms. The next year, the University contracted with Box, creating a cloud drive for each employee. Box allows faculty and staff to collaborate on documents electronically, instead of providing each person a paper copy.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Housing brings in extra recycling containers and posts flyers about recycling. They also collect goods to donate to Shelby Emergency Assistance.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
none
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:
Performance year landfill waste was gathered by using the disposal per ton listed at the top of the WM main bill, and an average of 9 additional tons per month for the smaller dumpsters which are not weighed. also including disposal per ton of special project bills. WM recycling is an estimate. 20 yards of recycling every month at an estimated rate of 2 tons per every 10 yards. Also, got # of 2 tons from custodial for the recycling they do.
Performance year landfill waste was gathered by using the disposal per ton listed at the top of the WM main bill, and an average of 9 additional tons per month for the smaller dumpsters which are not weighed. also including disposal per ton of special project bills. WM recycling is an estimate. 20 yards of recycling every month at an estimated rate of 2 tons per every 10 yards. Also, got # of 2 tons from custodial for the recycling they do.
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.