| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.47 |
| Liaison | Ken Foster |
| Submission Date | March 4, 2021 |
Vassar College
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.67 / 8.00 |
Cora
Kenfield Director of Sustainability Office of Sustainability |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Parts 1 and 2. Waste per person
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 208 Tons | 337 Tons |
| Materials composted | 108 Tons | 14 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 10 Tons | 5 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 1,401 Tons | 1,438 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 1,727 Tons | 1,794 Tons |
If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:
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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, 2004 | June 30, 2005 |
If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:
The waste generation baseline incorporates data from July 1, 2004 to July 30, 2005 and was adopted to standardize data reporting across the campus.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 2,409 | 2,411 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 200 | 200 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 2,409 | 2,434 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 999.10 | 1,047 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 3,208.33 | 3,263.50 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.54 Tons | 0.55 Tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
2.08
Part 3. Waste diverted from the landfill or incinerator
18.88
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
18.88
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 | Yes |
| 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 | No |
| Tires | No |
| 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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Optional Fields
Active Recovery and Reuse
5
Tons
Recycling Management
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?:
No
Contamination and Discard Rates
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A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
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Programs and 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:
The Sustainability Office regularly conducts food waste audits in the two main dining locations on campus, The Retreat and Gordon Commons. Multiple bags from Recycling, Composting, and Trash bins were collected in The Retreat and then sorted and weighed to assess both volume and contamination rates.
The Sustainability Office is now working with student groups and courses to develop strategies for improving recycling diversion rates and outdoor garbage bin placement.
The Sustainability Office is now working with student groups and courses to develop strategies for improving recycling diversion rates and outdoor garbage bin placement.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
Vassar Sustainability publicly advocates and helps organizations hosting events to run them as zero-waste. Recent zero-waste events have included campus dinners and all-campus concerts and celebrations.
The Retreat, purchases compostable plates and utensils so that a customer's entire meal can be composted.
The Retreat, purchases compostable plates and utensils so that a customer's entire meal can be composted.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
We also offer various recycling drop boxes around campus for recycling rechargeable batteries found in various electronic devices. We recycle 100-200 pounds a year through a local company out of Pennsylvania called Call2Recycle that recycles the batteries through RBRC (Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation).
The Purchasing and Computing department hosts a surplus sale each October that sells surplus office furniture, supplies, and retired computers back to the campus community. The proceeds of the sale cover storage of the surplus items and provide funding for the Sustainability Committee's programming.
The Purchasing and Computing department hosts a surplus sale each October that sells surplus office furniture, supplies, and retired computers back to the campus community. The proceeds of the sale cover storage of the surplus items and provide funding for the Sustainability Committee's programming.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
The Vassar Greens opened the Free Store in March 2011. The Free Store is located in the Student Center and serves as a materials exchange location for students, faculty, and staff throughout the year. It accepts donations of clothing, books, office supplies and smaller furniture.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Vassar College supplies students with a limited allowance ($20) for printing (V-print points). It also lowers the cost of printing double-sided in comparison to single-sided printing and makes double-sided printing the default setting for campus printers. Many classes post assigned readings and materials to a Moodle page which has built in accessibility settings and allows for easy online reading.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
It is the policy of the Office of Admissions to not send out paper material (catalogs, directories etc.) for incoming and current students. Online versions of most college documents, including all student life documents, are available online. The college catalog is only available on-line. Many classroom required readings are also offered online on the Moodle site that is easily accessible to students and professors.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
SWAPR (Stopping Waste and Promoting Reuse) manages the reuse of discarded materials left by students during move-out. The program has been around since 2002 and routinely fills 3-4 semi-trailers with materials, and donates the rest to 16+ local charities. Student volunteers collect bedding, clothing, furniture, textbooks, and household items. The proceeds from the sellback event in the fall covers the cost of collection and storage.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Zero-waste events are promoted and clubs and organizations are supported in running sustainable events by providing access to compostable and recyclable products and proper disposal locations.
Website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization and diversion efforts is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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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.