| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 60.35 |
| Liaison | Cody Friend |
| Submission Date | May 6, 2024 |
University of Nebraska at Omaha
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.33 / 8.00 |
Cody
Friend ORCA Researcher Office of Sustainability |
Parts 1 and 2. Waste per person
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 176.25 Tons | 369 Tons |
| Materials composted | 23.40 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 1,224.34 Tons | 879 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 1,423.99 Tons | 1,248 Tons |
If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:
n/a
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | Jan. 1, 2021 | Dec. 30, 2023 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2010 | June 30, 2013 |
If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:
The baseline was the best estimate of the average expected over a 3-year period, FY11-13.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 1,862 | 1,936 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 2 | 3 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 2 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 13,235 | 11,869 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 1,768 | 1,673 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 3,440 | 336 |
| Weighted campus users | 9,140.25 | 10,389.25 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.16 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 | Yes |
| White goods (i.e. appliances) | Yes |
| Electronics | Yes |
| Laboratory equipment | Yes |
| Furniture | Yes |
| Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | Yes |
| Scrap metal | No |
| 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:
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:
The Office of Sustainability is currently working on a schedule to routinely conduct waste audits.
Programs and Initiatives
The Sustainability Website offers tips in regards to waste reduction and recycling. https://www.unomaha.edu/sustainability/compost.php
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
The Office of Sustainability is currently conducting a waste program review to identify areas for improvement and to create a standard operating procedure for waste. This includes creating signage for waste bins and working to expand the University's standard bin type to more of campus.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
The Procurement Office is committed to buying more environmentally preferable goods and services as long as they meet the performance needs and they are available within a reasonable period of time at a reasonable cost. http://www.unomaha.edu/accounting-services/procurement-office/goods-and-equipment/sustainable-purchasing.php
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Surplus Property receives, re-distributes, and sells excess University property. There is no charge for pickup and delivery of equipment on the UNO campus. Most surplus property items are available to University departments. If departments are interested in something or would like to make a request for future items, they just need to fill out a form. Usable equipment and furniture (not requested by another department) is taken to a local company to be repurposed and redistributed. Large items (such as exercise equipment) are posted on Craigslist.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
Surplus Property receives, redistributes, and sells excess University property. There is no charge for pick up and delivery of equipment on the UNO campus. Most surplus property items are available to University departments. If departments are interested in something or would like to make a request for future items, they just need to fill out a form. Students have found this to be an excellent way of keeping their equipment running by purchasing peripheral equipment such as keyboards, mice, and cables.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Most centralized printing areas are set to print double-sided as the default. In addition, most offices no longer have individual printers (unless needed for confidentiality reasons). Students pay for printing on campus and receive a small discount if they print double-sided.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
The University no longer prints course catalogs and only sparingly makes directories available in print. In addition, faculty are encouraged to use a number of online tools to eliminate the need for printing.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Since 2016, Residence Life has partnered with a local nonprofit, YouthMart, to donate all discarded, usable materials during Move-Out. Any unopened, non-perishable food items were donated to Maverick Food Pantry.
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:
Active Recovery and Reuse weight provided by university surplus office
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.