| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 58.33 |
| Liaison | Jessica Bilecki |
| Submission Date | March 14, 2024 |
University of the Pacific
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.45 / 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 | 3,604 Tons | 1,770.81 Tons |
| Materials composted | 181 Tons | 297.55 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 22.30 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 4,050 Tons | 978.51 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 7,857.30 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 | Jan. 1, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2023 |
| 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 | 2,066 | 2,020 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 26 | 45 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 2 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 5,779 | 4,616.48 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 1,949 | 1,200 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 10 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 6,313.50 | 4,878.61 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 1.24 Tons | 0.62 Tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
0
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
48.46
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
48.46
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:
There are numerous opportunities for clothing donation and reuse. Career Services and McGeorge School of Law both host Career Closets. These are spaces students can access reused career clothing. Additionally Sustainability hosts and co-hosts a number of clothing swaps throughout the year which provide opportunity to donate and claim new to you clothing, keeping it out of the landfill.
Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year:
4.50
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:
Pacific tries to improve diversion and minimize contamination in all waste streams by addressing infrastructure and engagement. Waste and recycling collection bins are co-located and labeled. 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. Offices participating in the Green Office Program also do a deeper dive into what items go where and the benefits of zero-waste.
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:
Tiger To-Go is a program that encourages utilizing reusable containers for to-go meals rather than compostable containers. Disposable containers cost $1 and the reusable eco-clams have no charge after the initial $5 purchase. There is no limit to the number of times the eco-clam can be reused. In 2023 eco-clams were provided to every incoming student free of charge and the program is regularly advertised.
Green Move Out and Green Move In programs engage volunteers in learning waste diversion skills. Volunteers also help encourage other students to sort properly.
Residential Organics collection. In 2023 Pacific added collection bins for organic waste to waste disposal areas serving residential students. Messaging is constant and there is a "Grow the green, organics only" campaign to communicate the zero contamination goal and residential area bin contamination status.
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 Staff conduct visual waste audits of the new organics bins in residential areas on a weekly basis. Results are shared monthly with the communities. They are also used to inform where outreach efforts need to be targeted.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
The University's Purchasing Policy has a section on reduced waste and recycled Products. It states "Pacific is committed to sustainable resource use. The amount of waste generated by shipping, receiving, packaging, and use of products or equipment must be evaluated during the purchase process. In addition to waste reduction, purchases should consider recycled or remanufactured products. A recycled product is a product manufactured with waste material that has been recovered or diverted from solid waste. Recycled material may be derived from post consumer waste (material that has served its intended end-use and been discarded by a final consumer), industrial scrap, manufacturing waste, or other waste that would otherwise have been wasted. A remanufactured product is one that is used for the purpose then repaired, refilled, or otherwise brought to "new" condition, e.g. printer cartridges that are refilled.
Some of the qualities of environmentally preferable products are:
1. Products made of recycled materials, maximizing post-consumer content
2. Durable and/or reusable products as opposed to single use, customized or disposable items
3. Products that are recyclable or compostable at the time of disposal
4. Products shipped with minimal packaging (consistent with care of product), preferably made of recycled and/or recyclable materials
5. Products produced locally minimizing transportation distances
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Surplus is primarily managed by Facilities staff. Pacific utilizes an online portal "WarpIt" to help manage surplus. Employees can post any usable surplus items to the system where it can be browsed and claimed by all other employees no matter their campus. Items from office supplies to furniture can be posted. This minimizes surplus staff time while providing visibility to everyone. The system is also helpful in minimizing the need for physical storage space since items can be moved directly from one department to another. When large amounts of furniture become available at once due to a renovation, project managers reach out to local community organizations to try to locate sites where it can be reused.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
Employees utilizes Pacific's online portal "WarpIt" to help exchange and reuse surplus items. Employees can post any usable surplus items to the system where it can be browsed and claimed by all other employees no matter their campus. Items from office supplies to furniture can be posted. This minimizes surplus staff time while providing visibility to everyone. The system is also helpful in minimizing the need for physical storage space since items can be moved directly from one department to another. When large amounts of furniture become available at once due to a renovation, project managers reach out to local community organizations to try to locate sites where it can be reused.
To encourage student to student exchanges, Sustainability hosts and co-hosts a number of clothing swaps throughout the year which provide opportunity to donate and claim new to you clothing. This keeps items out of the landfill. Additionally, Career Services and McGeorge School of Law both host Career Closets. These are spaces students can access reused career clothing.
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 and signature event programs such as orientation, are all available online. Only a limited number of hard copies of event programs are printed for internal use. Employee directories are also available online and are not printed. E-signatures are now accepted by the majority of departments allowing many paper heavy processes such as contracts, payroll, applications and benefit enrollment to go digital.
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 campus move in. Volunteers help break down cardboard and keep the trash and recycle dumpsters free of contamination by engaging with students and families about where to properly dispose of their trash and recyclable waste. These volunteers also monitor waste stations at large campus events during move in and orientation, teaching guests how to properly sort landfill waste, organics and recyclables.
Green Move Out Program: Donation stations are placed in all campus residential buildings. Students can donate clothing, bedding, working electronics, non-perishable food, school supplies, kitchenwares 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 local organizations including Stockton Shelter for the Homeless, St. Mary’s, Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary. In 2023, the program collected 1559 lbs of clothes, 346 lbs of food, and 145 lbs of bedding, for a total of over 3,300 lbs. The program was led by the Sustainability staff and supported by volunteers.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Trees that come down after large storm events are typically chipped on site and used as mulch.
Website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization and diversion efforts is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Waste data is for all three campuses. Weights are only known for SF and additional dumpsters like those required during Move In/Out. All other landfill, recycle and compost data was estimated based on the size of collection bins and frequency of pick up. The EPA's Volume-to-Weight Conversion factors were used to estimate from volume to tons of waste. Actual weights and fullness (volume) of collection bins are not known.
Reuse numbers are from WarpIt and Donated numbers are from Facilities.
Internal site on Move In and Move Out:https://my.pacific.edu/pages/green-move-in-and-move-out
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.