Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 62.28
Liaison Dave Barbier
Submission Date Nov. 5, 2021

STARS v2.2

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 5.87 / 8.00 Abby Kreger
Reporting and Special Projects Coordinator
OoS
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Parts 1 and 2. Waste per person

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 229.52 Metric tons 288.48 Metric tons
Materials composted 32.66 Metric tons 6.35 Metric tons
Materials donated or re-sold 15.42 Metric tons 233.15 Metric tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Metric tons 0 Metric tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 253.10 Metric tons 571.53 Metric tons
Total waste generated 530.70 Metric tons 1,099.51 Metric tons

If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:

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 July 1, 2019 June 30, 2020
Baseline Period July 1, 2006 June 30, 2007

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:
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Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 2,684 3,211
Number of employees resident on-site 0 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 6,820 8,165
Full-time equivalent of employees 1,131 1,001
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 501 0
Weighted campus users 6,258.50 7,677.25

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.08 Metric tons 0.14 Metric tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
40.79

Part 3. Waste diverted from the landfill or incinerator

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
52.31

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
52.31

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:
Concrete, styrofoam

Optional Fields 

Active Recovery and Reuse

Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year:
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Recycling Management 

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?:
Yes

Does the institution use multi-stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Yes

Contamination and Discard Rates 

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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Programs and Initiatives 

A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
In 2018, the Green on the Go program was initiated with funding provided by the Green Fund ($12 of every student's segregated fees goes to the Green Fund, which is used for sustainability projects), which incorporated reusable 'to-go' containers into the dining halls on campus. Students who use Green on the Go containers receive a discount on their food purchase.

A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
In March 2021, an audit of the waste from the Lower Marketplace dining location was conducted in order to identify how students could improve their composting and recycling efforts. The results were published in a social media campaign to raise student awareness.

A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
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A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
The mission of the Surplus Property office is to coordinate the collection, processing and disposal of unneeded or unused surplus property generated on the UWSP campus or from other state agencies. Every effort will be made to accomplish this in an environmentally and fiscally responsible manner beneficial to both our campus and community.

The Surplus Property Office was started in June of 1995.
The goal was to handle the large amount of university property that each year was catalogued as either obsolete, unusable in present programs, overstock or outdated.

Through various federal and state programs, surplus items from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point have ended up in such places as Mexico, Bulgaria, Nicaragua, the West Indies, St. Thomas and other islands located in the Caribbean.
The program has grown to not only serve the University, but also many other state or federal entities that require the disposal of surplus property.

UWSP offers students a unique and cost effective service through the Text Rental Department. Students check out books in the beginning of the semester, and return them on the last day of finals. Students save approximately $200.00 - $400.00 per semester with UWSP Text Rental Program.

A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
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A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
In each students' semester tuition a $10.00 credit is allowed for printing. When that allowance is used, the student starts to acquire additional printing charges.

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
All registration, course, scheduling, forms and directories are easily and commonly found online. http://www.uwsp.edu/regrec/Pages/default.aspx

All student billing, financial aid information, housing registration, degree progress, and course registration is done online either through AccesSPoint or the StarRez Housing Portal.

All UWSP classes use Canvas for class materials. Canvas is an online learning management system where assignments can be uploaded, emails sent out to class, online quizzes distributed, and grades displayed.

A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
The move-out event is promoted by Residential Housing Association, Facility Services and the Office of Sustainability.
Tents are set up to collect large items, such as furniture, that is either swapped or taken to Goodwill.
There are bins in the lobby of each hall to collect clothes, food and small appliances to be donated to local Goodwill.
Non-perishable food is collected and donated to a student food pantry on campus.
Bins for recycling are available.

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