| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 56.35 |
| Liaison | Amy Kadrie |
| Submission Date | Dec. 15, 2021 |
University of Rochester
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.97 / 8.00 |
Amy
Kadrie Recycling Coordinator Facilities |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 2,448.46 Tons | 976.98 Tons |
| Materials composted | 304.74 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 181.65 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 8,452.53 Tons | 7,339.56 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 11,387.38 Tons | 8,316.54 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 | Jan. 1, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2020 |
| Baseline Period | Jan. 1, 2005 | Dec. 31, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
The baseline of 2005 was adopted because it was the first year that significant data of this type was recorded.
The performance period is the average of the 3 year period including 2018-2020.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 5,270 | 3,296 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 54 | 30 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 227 | 739 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 10,521 | 8,453 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 20,072 | 17,073 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 24,502.75 | 20,715 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.46 Tons | 0.40 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 | 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:
Medical supplies and equipment reprocessing, clothing donation, sneaker recycling, sharps shelter reuse.
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:
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
We have framed recycling signage placed above recycle bins throughout campus. We participate in Campus Race to Zero Waste (RecycleMania) each year with a promotion campaign of events and activities to encourage waste reduction and recycling measures. We do tabling to play the Recycling Sorting Game with people as an educational tool.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
In Spring 2018 an academic course conducted a waste audit of interior bins in various campus locations to find out where contamination was highest.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
Environmentally Preferred Purchasing (EPP) is the acquisition or the contracting for products and/or services that are considered to be environmentally neutral or beneficial to the environment, health and safety. The Corporate Purchasing Department will apply these principles to achieve optimal environmental standards consistent with institutional goals and financial considerations to bids and contract award activities. Supplier responses to our Request for Proposals must address how they minimize waste, including the use of returnable, refillable, reusable, recycled and biodegradable packaging.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
There is a surplus property exchange program that mostly services the Medical Center.The University of Rochester Surplus Property Program strives to foster an operating philosophy of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, creating significant value through cost avoidance by reducing overall expenditures for new assets. First and foremost, the program provides for the University-wide re-circulation of assets prior to items being released for sale outside the University community or to employees of the University.
To facilitate the process, there is a list of "Surplus Property Available for Sale" that is maintained on the internet.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Students must pay for printing when they use University equipment. Prices are $0.10 for black and white printing and $0.25 for color printing. All library computers are defaulted to double sided printing for all black and white jobs.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Course catalogs, registration, early add/drop of classes, course schedules, directories, maps, and all sorts of other important information are available solely online through the website of the Office of the Registrar. Additionally, grades are no longer mailed to students and instead can be accessed online.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
For the "Move-Out Cleanout" event sponsored by Facilities, bins are placed in dormitories to collect food, clothing, and furniture for local charities. Similarly excess furniture, appliances, and other living equipment are collected by Grassroots and resold or traded at the "Dump 'n Run".
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Our Medical Center has a reusable sharps container program to help minimize plastic disposal.
Website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization and diversion efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support 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.