Overall Rating	Reporter - expired
Overall Score
Liaison	Chelsea Hamilton
Submission Date	March 1, 2019
Executive Letter	Download

STARS v2.1

Vanderbilt University
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	Reporter	Chelsea Hamilton Sustainability Outreach Program Manager Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability

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Parts 1 and 2: Waste Minimization

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

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Materials recycled	4,965.16 Tons	154 Tons
Materials composted	239.74 Tons	0 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold	27.65 Tons	0 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion	0 Tons	0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator	7,799.14 Tons	2,309 Tons
Total waste generated	13,031.69 Tons	2,463 Tons

If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:

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

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Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):

	Start Date	End Date
Performance Year	Jan. 1, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
Baseline Year	Jan. 1, 2005	Dec. 31, 2005

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 (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site	6,449	6,210
Number of employees resident on-site	29	7
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds	26	832
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment	12,344	11,037
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty)	8,715	19,437
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education	0	0
Weighted campus users	17,439.75	25,241.75

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:

	Performance Year	Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user	0.75 Tons	0.10 Tons

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

Part 3: Waste Diversion

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

40.15

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

40.15

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
Laboratory equipment	Yes
Furniture	Yes
Residence hall move-in/move-out waste	Yes
Scrap metal	Yes
Pallets	Yes
Tires	No
Other (please specify below)	Yes

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

Used electronics, batteries, ballasts, and lamps

Optional Fields

Active Recovery and Reuse

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) :

124.15 Tons

Recycling Management

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?:

Yes

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?:

Contamination and Discard Rates

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:

All recycling is visually inspected and is collected in clear bags during collection to remove contamination before the recycling is taken off campus.

Programs and Initiatives

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:

Vanderbilt includes signage at all of the residential recycling areas and dining areas that instruct what materials are recyclable and what containers they should be recycled in. This signage includes text and pictures, with an emphasis on materials that should be recycled, and also includes trouble items that are common contaminators.

A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:

Vanderbilt’s waste and recycling vendor, Waste Management, Inc., conducts thorough waste audits periodically as part of their contract with the University.

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

In 2016 a new agreement was signed which consolidated construction and demolition waste under Vanderbilt’s master service agreement with Waste Management. Communication efforts around the new agreement have been made and all projects are aware of diversion efforts with the intent of increasing diversion rates, performing more robust due diligence, and developing better metrics. In 2014, Procurement partnered with our office supply vendor to mandate that orders for many brand-name printer toner cartridges and various general office supplies are fulfilled with comparable re-manufactured toner cartridges. This supports Vanderbilt’s ongoing efforts to lower costs while enhancing sustainability efforts by using recycled products. Office supply orders require a $25 minimum order. This change eliminates 988 pounds of shipping waste per quarter, further contributing to Vanderbilt’s commitment to sustainability. http://www.vanderbilt.edu/sustainvu/2014/03/changes-made-to-vu-office-supply-procurement-policy-promote-sustainability/ Vanderbilt Campus Dining has eliminated plastic straw, bag, and lid use. In addition, they have replaced containers with compostable and recyclable packaging. Also in 2014, a new policy was implemented expanding the use of Cintas confidential paper collection bins to facilitate paper recycling. The Cintas collection bins now accept all paper (confidential and non-confidential). All paper securely collected from Cintas is immediately shredded, pulped, and recycled. http://www.vanderbilt.edu/sustainvu/2014/06/improved-paper-recycling-options-through-partnership-with-cintas-inc/

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

The Vanderbilt ReUse Surplus program disposes of unwanted, Vanderbilt-owned items. After items are collected by surplus, they are either: donated, sold, or otherwise recycled or disposed of. Surplus items that can be redistributed through Vanderbilt are handled by Vanderbilt Procurement. This includes items such as: furniture, office supplies, office equipment, laboratory equipment, etc. https://www.vanderbilt.edu/sustainvu/what-we-do/surplus/

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):

Vanderbilt also has an online “Vandy FreeSwap” initiative to allow students, faculty and staff the opportunity to give their items away to others on campus.

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):

VUprint, Vanderbilt’s pay-for-print service, is designed to provide convenient, cost-effective and sustainable public access printing to students, faculty, staff and eligible guests at a variety of locations across campus. All public access printers in libraries, most computer labs and common areas use this system. Most libraries on campus are set to default double-sided printing. Vanderbilt also implemented the CampusPrint initiative in 2016. The CampusPrint program allows users to print a document remotely to any CampusPrint-enabled device, and only release the print job when they scan their ID card. The benefits of the program include: • Pay-per-use pricing model • Secure printing using your Vanderbilt ID/Commodore Card • Campus-wide access, giving you the ability to send and release your print job at any CampusPrint-enabled device • Unlimited training and support • Reduced administrative burden for departments - no individual leases, POs, or service agreements • Energy-efficient machines, stocked with environmentally-friendly FSC® certified paper • Multi-function devices, combining copy, print, scan, and fax (most devices) in one machine. This new initiative will have a direct impact on Vanderbilt University’s office paper use and the efficiency and number of the devices across campus.

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:

Vanderbilt course catalogs, schedules and directories are available online. Printed copies of the Undergraduate Catalog are available on request from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Catalogs of the Graduate School and post-baccalaureate professional schools of the university are available on request from the dean of the appropriate school. http://www.vanderbilt.edu/catalogs/undergrad/ In 2009, Vanderbilt stopped automatically printing hard copies of the phone directory for all staff. The phone directory is now only available online through Vanderbilt People Finder. https://phonedirectory.vanderbilt.edu/cdb/

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

Vanderbilt has a robust move-in and move-out waste reduction strategy. During move-in, extra recycling bins are placed around campus and in addition to normal recycling collections, cardboard, plastic film, packing materials, and molded Styrofoam are also collected. Water bottles have been completely eliminated during move-in activities in favor of eco-friendly, recyclable cups and large coolers of water placed around campus. In 2017, 47 tons of cardboard recycled. This equaled a 570% increase since 2007. Cardboard crew also recycled 2 large box trucks of plastic film, Styrofoam and packing materials. During Earth Friendly Move Out, Vanderbilt’s Office of Housing and Residential Education (OHARE) sets up donation locations across campus benefitting a variety of non-profit charities. Students can donate many items, including clothing and old textbooks, at any of these locations or post them on Vandy FreeSwap. In addition to donating, there are many convenient locations for recycling common items on campus. Electronics, tablets, computers and appliances, such as refrigerators, can be placed in the specially designated areas outdoors around the residence halls that are set up only during move out. For ink and toner cartridges, batteries, and pens, markers and mechanical pencils, recycling is available year round at the Sarratt and Commons Center main desks. Battery recycling is also available at all Reeve desks. For more traditional recycling items such as plastic, paper (including textbooks), aluminum and flattened cardboard, students are encouraged to use the residential recycling areas located next to their dumpsters rather than throwing items away. Vanderbilt also has award-winning recycling videos (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZXoHg7lHPyzt-wK9p_pZ8A) which instruct students on how to properly recycle items from their residence halls. Maps and descriptions of all recycling locations can be found on the SustainVU website (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/sustainvu/what-we-do/waste-and-recycling/)

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

A scrap metal collection program was implemented in 2014. In five years, 850 tons of scrap metal were recycled. Also in 2014, Vanderbilt donated 35 tons of wood chips to the TN State Parks Department to be used on walking paths. The wood chips resulted from downed tree limbs and debris on campus.

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/sustainvu/what-we-do/waste-and-recycling/

Additional documentation to support the submission:

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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Vanderbilt University embarked on a new journey as an independent legal entity from Vanderbilt University Medical Center on May 1, 2016. Baseline data for waste represents the old Vanderbilt + Vanderbilt University Medical Center while the current data represents the University only. Weighted campus user baseline data for employees was not recalculated because data is not available.

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.