Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 46.35
Liaison Alan Burr
Submission Date March 2, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Wisconsin-Platteville
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.55 / 8.00 Amy Seeboth-Wilson
Sustainability Coordinator
Facilities Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 227 Tons 392.68 Tons
Materials composted 29 Tons 0 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold 611 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 538 Tons 604.99 Tons
Total waste generated 1,405 Tons 997.67 Tons

A brief description of the residual conversion facility, including affirmation that materials are sorted prior to conversion to recover recyclables and compostable materials:
---

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2016 June 30, 2017
Baseline Year July 1, 2010 June 30, 2011

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):

FY 2011 is the first year that we have our recycling weight available for campus. Typically our waste hauler hasn't recorded recycling weights so we use sampling during recyclemania to develop our recycling weights.


Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 2,953 2,810
Number of employees resident on-site 13 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 5 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 7,878 7,093
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 878 1,077
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 115.90 115.90
Weighted campus users 7,226.58 6,743.08

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.19 Tons 0.15 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:
61.71

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
61.71

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 No
Animal bedding No
White goods (i.e. appliances) Yes
Laboratory equipment Yes
Furniture Yes
Residence hall move-in/move-out waste Yes
Scrap metal No
Pallets No
Tires No
Other (please specify below) No

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

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) :
611 Tons

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

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

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:
---

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:
---

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 occasionally done waste audits on campus during special programs.


A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
---

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

We started an official campus surplus program (Pioneer Restore) in 2014. Staff may now shop for affordable office supplies and materials that other departments no longer needed, at our storefront, open weekly. www.uwplatt.edu/go/restore


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):

There is a facebook page dedicated to UW-Platteville reselling


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):

-Information Technology Services began transitioning to print stations in major computer labs in 2015. This pilot has gone well and ITS has plans to implement more stations across campus.
-We also use a software program called Papercut which tracks printing for each user.
-In 2015, prices per print job were raised to further disincentive 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:

In the past three years, campus has transitioned to using the following web-based programs rather than print resources:
- The Pioneer Administrative Software System (PASS) is used for course registration, payment, financial aid, administrative functions, and more.
- The Desire2Learn course management system, often known as D2L, is used to deliver learning resources to students, including syllabi, course content and other documents, and multimedia content. Students also use Desire2Learn to submit assignments, take tests and quizzes, and collaborate with instructors and classmates.


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

In spring of 2014 and 2015, we instituted a "ditch the dumpster" program on campus where we collected 1) small household items and diverted them to Goodwill, 2) large furniture and electronics and diverted them to our campus surplus program, and 3) unwanted food and diverted it to a local food pantry.

We have done little for move-in days but this is an area we would like to improve upon in the future.


A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
---

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

E-waste recycling - URT Invoice Weights 2016-17
Resale - Pioneer Restore "Total Tonnage Report" 2016-17
Universal Waste - Lamp Recycles Inc., Invoices 2016-17
Compost- Sanimax Invoices 2016-17
Landfill - Faherty Invoices 2016-17
Recycling - Faherty Invoices, landfill weight multiplied by 2016-17 Recyclemania Rate ((39.8%)rate developed by Faherty after weighting our recycling during eightweeks of winter 2017)

The above report fails to include the following diversion numbers - Ditch the Dumpster residence life move out program, Battery Recycling, and Toner Recycling.


E-waste recycling - URT Invoice Weights 2016-17
Resale - Pioneer Restore "Total Tonnage Report" 2016-17
Universal Waste - Lamp Recycles Inc., Invoices 2016-17
Compost- Sanimax Invoices 2016-17
Landfill - Faherty Invoices 2016-17
Recycling - Faherty Invoices, landfill weight multiplied by 2016-17 Recyclemania Rate ((39.8%)rate developed by Faherty after weighting our recycling during eightweeks of winter 2017)

The above report fails to include the following diversion numbers - Ditch the Dumpster residence life move out program, Battery Recycling, and Toner Recycling.

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.