| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 60.76 |
| Liaison | Brad Spanbauer |
| Submission Date | March 4, 2022 |
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.68 / 8.00 |
Brad
Spanbauer Campus Sustainability Officer Campus Sustainability Office |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Parts 1 and 2. Waste per person
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 773.50 Tons | 234 Tons |
| Materials composted | 100 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 2.40 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 602 Tons | 612 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 1,477.90 Tons | 846 Tons |
If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:
---
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | Jan. 1, 2021 | Dec. 31, 2021 |
| Baseline Period | Jan. 1, 2008 | Dec. 31, 2008 |
If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:
When the campus sustainability plan was initiated in 2008 we stated a goal to reduce our municipal solid waste 30% by 2012, which was achieved two years ahead of schedule. Our sustainability plan was just redone and our new objective is to reduce production of municipal solid waste by 10% from 2012 levels by the end of 2017.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 2,296 | 2,911 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 15 | 525 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 6 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 10,428 | 8,713 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 1,298.10 | 1,050 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 9,378.33 | 8,181.25 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.16 Tons | 0.10 Tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
0
Part 3. Waste diverted from the landfill or incinerator
59.27
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
59.27
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) | No |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
---
Optional Fields
Active Recovery and Reuse
---
Recycling Management
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
---
A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
---
Programs and Initiatives
---
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 of 2021, the campus entered in to a new waste management contract. At the same time, the institution participated in Campus Race to Zero Waste, where a sustainability intern collected waste data each week and converted volume to weight estimates for the Oshkosh campus each week for 8 weeks.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
Life cycle analysis is taken into account for all purchases in order to reduce waste and bring down costs. All new equipment purchases including copiers, vacuums, washers, electronics, and faucets are Energy Star. We also purchase eco-friendly cleaning products and EPEAT rated computers.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Central Stores maintains a Surplus Program that collects and stores furniture and equipment. Facilities Management also maintains surplus for building materials and fixtures. Residence Life maintains a Surplus Program for furniture, equipment and computers that has an annual public sale.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
The department of Residence Life hosts donation stations throughout the year, with particular emphasis at the end of each semester. Students can donate items they no longer want, other students may take from the donation stations, and at the end of the semester, items are donated to area thrift stores.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Printing throughout all of campus computer labs and in the Polk Library are programmed to automatically print double sided. All of the paper in student labs are 30% recycled and 100% in all other printers. All printers on campus are hooked up to student accounts to track and limit paper usage. Students are allowed 1,000 pages each semester.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Course Schedules are maintained online by the Registar's Office using the TitanWeb system. Official Catalogs are maintained online by UW System Administration. Telephone/email directories are available online through the uwosh.edu website, and were last printed in 2010. Many faculty members are now encouraging students to turn homework in online instead of turning in hard copies.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
The department of Residence Life hosts donation stations throughout the year, with particular emphasis at the end of each semester (Move Out). Students can donate items they no longer want, other students may take from the donation stations, and at the end of the semester, items are donated to area thrift stores. During Move-In, certain materials such as cardboard are collected/separated by Custodial staff that work Move-In to ensure that those materials are handled properly.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
The campus operates an Office Supply Exchange listserv which allows subscribers to post available office supplies and others can pick them up at no cost. This reduces the need for unnecessary buying of office supplies.
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 submitted for 2021 are based on Campus Race to Zero Waste data as a representative sample.
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.