| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 59.76 |
| Liaison | Lindsey MacDonald |
| Submission Date | June 6, 2023 |
Western Washington University
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.22 / 8.00 |
Ashley
Olson Data Ambassador Sustainability Engagement Institute |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 297.29 Tons | 432.80 Tons |
| Materials composted | 650 Tons | 78.12 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 5.28 Tons | 21.94 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 12,315 Tons | 1,604.85 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 13,267.57 Tons | 2,137.71 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | Jan. 1, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2022 |
| Baseline Period | July 30, 2015 | Aug. 1, 2016 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
The baseline we use comes from the most recent STARS submission. No official policies and plans have included a baseline for measuring our waste measurement.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 3,383 | 3,882 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 14,450 | 14,486.20 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 4,635 | 1,914 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 255 | 134 |
| Weighted campus users | 14,968.25 | 13,170.15 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.89 Tons | 0.16 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 | 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:
All used PLA material is reused for 3D printers along with the reels in which the material is packaged. All state-owned equipment and goods goes to the surplus first and is either re-used or recycled by the surplus facility.
Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year:
Does the institution use single stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Does the institution use dual stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Does the institution use multi-stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program:
A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
When collected by AS Recycle Center employees barrels of recycling are sorted for contamination. This involves removing material that is in the wrong type of recycling bin or items that should be sent to a landfill or composted.
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
Some 100-level classes and residence hall groups receive waste sorting on-campus lessons from the Zero Waste Coordinators. This involves a PowerPoint lesson on sorting recycling, compost, and landfill. This is intended to target new students on campus who have a broad range of backgrounds in waste sorting. There is current work on campus to standardize recycling and compost signage to minimize contamination and improve our recycling stream. Additionally, some student groups and employees are working on creating a waste sorting virtual course that would be taken by all students and staff.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Waste audits of different types of waste streams are performed by the campus Zero Waste Coordinators. These involve hand sorting all the recycling from a collection period, and a representative sample of the trash and compost from one building per audit. The waste is then re-sorted into appropriate categories and the contamination percentage and sources are recorded. Audits are performed for the different types of waste streams that come from residential, academic, and food service buildings to better understand each stream.
Visual audits of the compost contamination and volume are accessed weekly by Housing Facility Assistants to target where more frequent waste collection and education are needed.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
Banned the use of single use plastic bags per state law in 2021.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
WWU offers a materials exchange program for furniture and a few other office supplies. These items include tables, chairs, couches, file cabinets, and various other pieces. https://business-services.wwu.edu/central-services/surplus-equipment
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
The Residence Hall Reuse Program is a program run on residence hall donations including mini-fridges, microwaves, rugs, plates, and many other things for residence hall rooms. Students can rent these items for use in their residence hall rooms free of charge.
Furniture Fest is a student-run furniture exchange program where students donate furniture when they move out in the spring, the furniture is stored over the summer, and then students in the fall can take the items free of charge.
Additionally, there are many clothing swaps run on campus hosted by clubs and programs that allow students to donate clothes they don't wear anymore and others can exchange their clothes for items they want to wear instead. There are many free pantries on campus where staff and students leave non-perishable food and items they do not want and others can take them. There is also the Recovery Drive run by the AS recycle center which collects items from residence halls like half-used shampoo, old binders, and abandoned plants and they are properly disposed of or donated.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Western Washington limits on campus printing for students. Starting in the fall of 2011 a new printing quota was implemented where every student receives $2.50 of printing on campus per quarter paid through the Student Technology Fee. Once the quarterly quota has been met students are required to pay $.05 per black and white page and $.25 per color page.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Western Washington University administration makes sure to only print out necessary materials. Course schedules and catalogs as well as directories are available online and are promoted to be viewed in that fashion. If an individual requests one of these documents in print form they will receive them on 100% recycled paper.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
The Residence Hall Reuse Program is a program run on residence hall donations including mini-fridges, microwaves, rugs, plates, and many other things. Students can rent these items for use in their residence hall rooms free of charge. Furniture Fest is a student-run furniture exchange program where students donate furniture when they move out in the spring, the furniture is stored over the summer, and then students in the fall can take the items free of charge. There is also the Recovery Drive run by the AS recycle center which collects items from residence halls like half-used shampoo, old binders, and abandoned plants and they are properly disposed of or donated. (Additional) During move-in and move-out seasons, there are more frequent recycling center runs to manage additional waste.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
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:
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.