Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 46.15
Liaison Jessica Bilecki
Submission Date March 4, 2021

STARS v2.2

University of the Pacific
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.32 / 8.00 Jessica Bilecki
Sustainability Director
Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 403.20 Tons 1,770.81 Tons
Materials composted 302 Tons 297.55 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold 27.50 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 1,643 Tons 978.51 Tons
Total waste generated 2,375.70 Tons 3,046.87 Tons

A brief description of the residual conversion facility:

N.A


Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Period July 1, 2018 June 30, 2019
Baseline Period July 1, 2006 June 30, 2007

A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:

Information reported as baseline was from FY-06, the closest year to that requested by AASHE STARS 1.2 for which data was known.


Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 2,036 2,020
Number of employees resident on-site 28 45
Number of other individuals resident on-site 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 6,551 4,616.48
Full-time equivalent of employees 2,561 1,200
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 7,350 4,878.61

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.32 Tons 0.62 Tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
48.25

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
30.84

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
30.84

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:

Packaging items such as bubble wrap, peanuts and inflated plastic bags are collected for reuse by Mail Services.


Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year:
0 Tons

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

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

A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:

Custodial and Grounds staff are trained annually on what is and is not acceptable in the various waste streams to assist in keeping the streams free from contamination.

Trained student volunteers, Green Team, assist with waste diversion at large university events. Additionally Resident Advisors are trained and given knowledge on waste separation to pass on to students. Students are also provided with a quick 1 page reference of what goes where in their welcome materials from Housing.


A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:

The Tiger To-Go program incentivizes using reusable cups and to-go containers over disposables. Green Move Out and Green Move In programs engage volunteers in learning waste diversion skills. Volunteers also help encourage other students to sort properly.

In 2019 the Library shifted to a centralized, 3-stream collection system for waste. The bins were rolled out with new signage and outreach efforts to get people to use the bins correctly. In addition to signs and emails, outreach included tabling with waste separation quizzes.

The signs used in the Library were also used at campus events. The redesigned signs are more consistent and clear. Staff and faculty were notified of changes and printable signs were made available to everyone online.


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

Sustaining Pacific has conducted audits of library waste. The first was in 2017 to determine contamination rates before implementing a 3-bin system at the library, and the second in 2020 was to see if the 3-bin system (implemented in 2019) was effective and how we could improve it. Contamination rates of trash was significantly lower with the 3-bin system. Additionally, in 2018 Sustaining Pacific conducted visual audits across campus over the course of 2 months to determine problem areas.


A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:

Bon Appettit, our food provider, charges .25 cents each time a student wants their food to-go and does not use a reusable eco-clam.

Waste reduction is mentioned as a consideration in the University's Purchasing Policy.


A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:

The Purchasing Department manages surplus items. University property that is no longer of use are placed in storage where they can be claimed by university staff, Habitat for Humanity or other local charitable non-profits.


A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:

Surplus inventory is tracked by Purchasing staff via an excel document. Members looking for a specific item contact purchasing to see if one is available.

Sustaining Pacific also operates a Supply Station. This is a large storage cabinet in a common area. People can donate unwanted but usable office supplies such as file folders, paperclips, binders etc. Anyone can take an item from the Supply Station.

An online portal that allows employees to post, browse and claim surplus items is under development.


A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:

All centralized printers default to printing double sided and personal printers are discouraged. On centralized printers, prints cost $0.06 for b/w and $0.12 for color.


A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:

The general catalog, academic calendars are all available online. Only a limited number of hard copies are printed for internal use. Directories are also available online and are not printed. Many paper heavy processes such as contracts, payroll, applications and benefit enrollment are now digital. e-signatures are now accepted by the majority of departments.


A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:

Green Move In Program: 10-15 volunteers led by Sustainability staff help to reduce move in waste during the three main campus move in sessions. The volunteers are stationed at each residence hall educating students and families about separating their trash and recyclable waste. Volunteers help break down cardboard and keep the trash and recycle dumpsters free of contamination. These volunteers also monitor waste stations at large campus events during move in and orientation, teaching guests how to compost and recycle properly. During the 2019 Green Move In, Sustaining Pacific diverted 2.65 tons of recycling and 321 lbs of compost.

Green Move Out Program: Donation stations are placed in all campus residential buildings collecting clothing, bedding, working electronics, e-waste, non-perishable food, school supplies, kitchenware and other miscellaneous items. Some items are sold at a sale the week after graduation, but most are recirculated back into the Stockton community. Avenues to recirculate donations include the on-campus Pacific Food Pantry and Supply Station, and local organizations including St. Mary's Dining Room, Stockton Shelter for the Homeless, Hospice Heart Hope Services and ACE Rail. In 2019, the program collected 1350 lbs of clothes, 750 lbs of food, 320 lbs of bedding, 150 lbs of chemical products, and more. The program was led by the Sustaining Pacific staff and supported by 21 volunteers who worked a total of 166 volunteer hours.


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:

Data compiled by Sustainability Staff. Raw data is from: Toby Rose, Sr Manager in Physical Plant and inventory of Surplus items. It covers waste on the Stockton campus.


Data compiled by Sustainability Staff. Raw data is from: Toby Rose, Sr Manager in Physical Plant and inventory of Surplus items. It covers waste on the Stockton campus.

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.