| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 52.43 |
| Liaison | Wesley Enterline |
| Submission Date | Nov. 13, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.13 / 8.00 |
Wesley
Enterline Sustainability Coordinator Facilities Planning and Management |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 281.75 Tons | 259.38 Tons |
| Materials composted | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 779.05 Tons | 842.59 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 1,060.80 Tons | 1,101.97 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, 2017 | June 30, 2018 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2015 | June 30, 2016 |
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):
Baseline chosen was changed to FY 2016 since this was the first year data was recorded and reported to us by our waste hauler using a new methodology.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 3,948.50 | 4,154 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 10,887.87 | 10,927.20 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 1,254.69 | 1,200.07 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 595.28 | 589.40 |
| Weighted campus users | 9,647.59 | 9,691.90 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.11 Tons | 0.11 Tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
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:
Cell phones and different types of media are included in the electronic waste recycling collection.
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) :
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?:
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?:
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?:
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:
Contamination rate is determined by waste audits conducted by the waste hauler. The contamination rate is applied to actual weights reported from trucks as the methodology of tracking performance. No other control methods have been implemented in an organized fashion to monitor discard rates other than on-campus waste audits performed in selected Dining Services retail locations.
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:
The campus participants in RecycleMania each year and runs a residence hall competition with visual measurement estimates to compare different hall complex performances against each other during the same duration as RecycleMania. Additional signage experimentation has begun in dining areas and a waste study looking at office and classroom bin removal and going with more common area collections have started and will continue in the future.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Previous waste audits performed by the waste hauler was used to determine the percentages for commingled recycling estimates broken down by material type. Waste audits have been performed in dining retail locations by a student organization using a model waste audit performed by the Sustainability Office to look at waste primarily to create social media and training video content.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
http://vendornet.state.wi.us/vendornet/procman/prod19.pdf
The State of Wisconsin has a policy in the State Procurement Manual to to establish policy on recycling-related procurement in accordance with 1989 Wisconsin Act 335, including: the purchase of recycled products; the purchase of products with reduced waste; the purchase of products that can be recycled; the choice of durable, multiple-use products; and the use of life cycle costing.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
http://www.uww.edu/policies/disposal-of-university-property
The Director of Procurement Services shall coordinate all property disposal activities on campus as the official Property Control Officer for UW-Whitewater. All such property disposition shall be in accordance with regulations found in the "State Procurement Manual" section "PRO-F3, 4, & 5" as published by the Wisconsin Department of Administration.
The Surplus Program tracks individual donations and ultimate use (sale, recycling, or landfill) in an Excel spreadsheet, but global numbers for weight or amount generated is not actively recorded.
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):
No peer-to-peer exchange programs currently exist.
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):
General printing policy (no specific notes on paper or ink consumption limitation efforts): http://www.uww.edu/icit/policies-agreements/printing-policy
UW-Whitewater students can access printing services for quality black and white, 8.5"x 11", duplex output, from network printers that are centrally located within each General Access lab. A monitoring system manages the printouts; students must go to the printer release station to login with a personal Net-ID and select and print their documents. General Access Printing is limited to students for academic purposes only. Printing student organization materials, department materials, or chapters of books is prohibited. While printing is not directly charged, it is monitored and tracked by individual.
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:
The UW-Whitewater Information Network for Students (WINS) is a personal online information network that is available for registering for classes, checking financial reords, and viewing the Academic Advising Report.
The Course Catalog is publicly available, searchable, and web-based: http://uww-public.courseleaf.com/
The campus directory is completely online and a printed version is no longer available to save on cost and paper use: http://wp.uww.edu/
Andersen Library is going green with paperless fine notices. Starting in mid-February, the library will only send out email notices for overdue and lost items. In the past, patrons have received a letter from the library listing the items and charges due. By switching to email notices, the library saves money that would have gone to the cost of printing, mailing and paying for staff time to compile the notices. Every year the library spends $6,000 to send out these notices. Not only will the change save money, but will also save ink and nearly 15,000 sheets of paper every year. That is 60 pounds of paper! Please be aware of the changes taking place, and remember to check your accounts regularly by logging on to http://library.uww.edu/myaccounts.html.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
University Housing has partnered with Goodwill Industries to coordinate a collection event as part of the move-out activities. These events have been very successful and productive to help reduce the amount of waste generated, although specific numbers have not been tracked at this point. However, the value to Goodwill prompted them to place two permanent on-site collection bins near each residence hall area to facilitate year-round collection.
From August 2017-May 2018, University Housing collected 11,006 pounds of donations for Goodwill.
Move-in waste is generally handled with additional recycling haul-away dumpsters to accommodate the increase in cardboard during this period. Recycling magnets have also been provided the last couple years to clearly articulate what items are and are not recyclable on campus.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
https://www.uww.edu/icit/policies-agreements/surplus-equipment
http://www.uww.edu/icit/policies-agreements/repurposing-and-surplus
Surplus Equipment Processing is the service for removing unwanted technology equipment from campus offices, labs and classrooms. Once removed, ICIT serves as a clearinghouse for the equipment, which is evaluated, and either kept for potential redeployment or recycled as part of the TREE (Technology Repurposing & Electronic E-cycling) program. Asset inventory is tracked and records are updated. Before computers are removed from campus, hard drives are cleaned and data are destroyed based on an industry-approved reformatting process; non-functioning hard drives are physically disassembled and destroyed. The intent of the surplus process is to ensure that computer equipment is not removed from campus while still having a useful purpose, and can be redeployed or put to use on campus for temporary needs or special projects.
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:
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.