Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 60.76
Liaison Brad Spanbauer
Submission Date March 4, 2022

STARS v2.2

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.68 / 8.00 Brad Spanbauer
Campus Sustainability Officer
Campus Sustainability Office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
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

A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
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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

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

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

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
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:
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Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year:
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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:
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A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
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A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
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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:
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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.


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.