Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 46.90
Liaison Hannes Gerhardt
Submission Date March 30, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of West Georgia
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.17 / 8.00 Hannes Gerhardt
Sustainability Director
Department of Geosciences
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Parts 1 and 2: Waste Minimization 

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 131.85 Tons 8.75 Tons
Materials composted 85 Tons 55 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold 145 Tons 100 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 36 Tons 10 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 1,854.16 Tons 2,017.36 Tons
Total waste generated 2,252.01 Tons 2,191.11 Tons

If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:

A brief description of the residual conversion facility, including affirmation that materials are sorted prior to conversion to recover recyclables and compostable materials:
UWG uses a vendor to pick up and pay for kitchen grease, which they use to create biodiesel.

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year Jan. 1, 2017 Dec. 30, 2017
Baseline Year Jan. 1, 2011 Dec. 30, 2011

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 (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
The baseline was adopted because this is the earliest that we have relatively reliable waste data, and it is the year before the institution started its recycling program.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 3,232 2,826
Number of employees resident on-site 17 5
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 1 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 11,877 10,575
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 1,635 1,222
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 1,675 560
Weighted campus users 9,691 9,135.50

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.23 Tons 0.24 Tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
3.11

Part 3: Waste Diversion

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
16.07

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
17.67

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 No
Cooking oil Yes
Plant materials Yes
Animal bedding No
White goods (i.e. appliances) 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) No

A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
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Optional Fields 

Active Recovery and Reuse

Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year (e.g. materials that are actively diverted from the landfill or incinerator and refurbished/repurposed) :
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Recycling Management 

Does the institution use single stream recycling (a single container for commingled recyclables) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
Yes

Does the institution use dual stream (two separate containers for recyclables, e.g. one for paper and another for plastic, glass, and metals) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
No

Does the institution use multi-stream recycling (multiple containers that further separate different types of materials) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
No

Contamination and Discard Rates 

Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program (percentage, 0-100):
50

A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed, e.g. efforts to minimize contamination and/or monitor the discard rates of the materials recovery facilities and mills to which materials are diverted:
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Programs and Initiatives 

A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives, e.g. initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices such as signage and competitions:
RecycleMania is the main outreach campaign. There is also signage.

A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
We have a dumpster dive during RecycleMania, which offers insight into how many recyclables are thrown out and the Center for Sustainability conducts a visual audit of dumpster usage,

A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
Per the Green Purchasing Guidelines: Guideline : Bio-based plastic products that are biodegradable and compostable, such as bags, food and beverage containers, and cutlery, should be acquired by the University and /or used by our contractors whenever practicable. Guideline : Suppliers of electronic equipment should have take-back equipment programs for reuse or environmentally safe recycling. Suppliers of office materials should provide recycling options for ink cartridges and toners. Guideline : Products that are durable, long lasting, reusable or refillable are preferred whenever feasible. All University offices should avoid buying one-use products, such as, coffee cups, water bottles, plastic cutlery, and dishware, for daily use. Guideline : Whenever practical, the availability of packaging that is reusable, recyclable or compostable should be considered when choosing a supplier. Packaging should be eliminated or minimized to the greatest extent practicable.

A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
The surplus department outsources all equipment with memory chips to a certified e-recycling vendor. Other surplus items are resold in bulk, with a 75% resell average. Items that are not sold are stripped of their metal, which is recycled. What is left over is sent to landfill.

A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse (e.g. of electronics, furnishings, books and other goods):
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A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption (e.g. restricting free printing and/or mandating doubled-sided printing in libraries and computer labs):
There are guidelines in place to default double-sided printing.

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials (e.g. course catalogs, course schedules, and directories) available online by default rather than printing them:
Everything is available online, but print is still used to some extent.

A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Good Will is generally contacted so they can attain discarded furniture.

A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
This is one of the few credit where we go by calendar year. The demographic data is based on FY 2016-2017 numbers - the same as IC-3.

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.