Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 62.26
Liaison Sean MacInnes
Submission Date Feb. 14, 2022

STARS v2.2

University of North Carolina, Greensboro
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.79 / 8.00 Sean MacInnes
Sustainability Specialist
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Parts 1 and 2. Waste per person

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 435.22 Metric tons 602.42 Metric tons
Materials composted 221.07 Metric tons 67.07 Metric tons
Materials donated or re-sold 7.15 Metric tons 97.26 Metric tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Metric tons 0 Metric tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 1,352.46 Metric tons 1,428.54 Metric tons
Total waste generated 2,015.90 Metric tons 2,195.29 Metric tons

If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:

A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
Residuals that are found as part of the MRF's processing of the received commingled recyclables are taken for landfill disposal, not incineration. Waste Industries recently asked permission for some of our landfill bound waste to be brought to another landfill that does harvest methane that helps offset energy needs but to be clear this landfill is not an incineration facility.

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Period July 1, 2020 June 30, 2021
Baseline Period July 1, 2005 June 30, 2006

If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:

A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
To maintain consistency with our prior STARS submissions, we are continuing to use the 2005-06 fiscal year as our baseline.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 3,996 3,923
Number of employees resident on-site 19 12
Number of other individuals resident on-site 5 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 17,811 13,798
Full-time equivalent of employees 2,821 2,229.30
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 6,471 754
Weighted campus users 11,629.50 12,438.72

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.17 Metric tons 0.18 Metric tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
1.78

Part 3. Waste diverted from the landfill or incinerator

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
32.91

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
32.91

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 Yes
Tires Yes
Other (please specify below) Yes

A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Recycle Fluorescent light bulbs, batteries, scrap metal, and tires.

Optional Fields 

Active Recovery and Reuse

Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year:
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Recycling Management 

Does the institution use single stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Yes

Does the institution use dual stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
No

Does the institution use multi-stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
No

Contamination and Discard Rates 

Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program:
30

A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
On interior collection containers and dumpsters we have an in-depth sticker outlining what is and is not supposed to be thrown into the commingled recycling bin. Exterior walkway bins have recycling written on them along with the three arrow recycling mobius logo (many of these bins also have "cans and bottles" written on their lid). In places with high rates of contamination we have put additional educational signage on the walls near the containers. Our decals also have contact information on them to direct folks to answering recycling questions

Programs and Initiatives 

A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
Current educational outreach education module that is directed at students, resident advisors, and specific campus housing areas where we have consistent contamination.

A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
---

A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
- Our bid documents (state of NC documents) contain information concerning recycling and source reduction
https://ncadmin.nc.gov/government-agencies/procurement/bid-forms

- UNCG participates in an Apple Bulk Buy program through the UNC System
https://its.uncg.edu/apple/combined_pricing_initiative/

A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
UNCG has two programs to address surplus goods. The first, SpartanSwap, allows individuals to post items a department no longer needs to a university website for claim prior to being moved to the surplus warehouse or the landfill. SpartanSwap is entirely user-maintained, giving employees the ability to add or delete campus-wide listings for items as they are procured by or delivered to other departments.

In the second program, surplus items are offered by UNCG Warehouse Services. Surplus property that is not claimed within the SpartanSwap program, as well as other surplus goods, are stored at the warehouse and made available free of charge via transfer to campus departments. The property is also offered to other state agencies and not-for-profit organizations. Finally, the general public may purchase these items during monthly Public Surplus Sales.

The "Got Surplus?" program streamlines this process. Warehouse Services has created this online inventory that is updated as new items are submitted. This inventory can be viewed online by any UNCG employee. When a new item is submitted, an automated email is sent to the warehouse with dynamically generated barcodes for the item. Users receive an email copy of their submission so no paper form is needed. This allows the warehouse staff to accurately track items that move through the warehouse and to the public sale.

A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
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A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Printing in UNCG libraries costs 6 cents per double-sided page - all printers in the Libraries are set to duplex printing to reduce waste. This fee applies to all patrons, including faculty, staff, and guests. However, students are allocated 75 free pages per semester (40 pages for summer) in Information Technology Services-sponsored labs, including the Superlab located in Jackson Library.

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
The Registrar's office does not print undergraduate course catalogs or course schedules, and the campus phone directory has not been printed since 2007. Further, the Graduate School stopped printing its bulletin in 2012-2013.

Several publications, including the University Campus Weekly, are now distributed electronically, and efforts continue to make online reading easier.

A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
UNCG's Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling (OWRR) oversees a program called "Cram and Scram" to reduce waste generated during move-out. At the end of each Spring semester, roll-carts are placed in the lobbies of each residence hall where students may place ("Cram") unwanted items that are in good condition before they leave ("Scram") for the summer.

All items donated through the Cram & Scram drive are later sold in a rummage sale — proceeds from the sale fund student scholarships to environmental conferences and other environmental learning opportunities, including Earth Day.

A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Surplus warehouse, campus can submit an work order for pickup, items are retrieved then brought to warehouse where they are logged and are available for departments to reserve for campus use. Items then once a month are put to public sale per the state of North Carolina State Surplus Sales.

Website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization and diversion efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.