Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 49.75
Liaison Keaton Schrank
Submission Date April 26, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Westminster University - Utah
OP-22: Waste Minimization

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.89 / 5.00 Rosanise Odell
Sustainability Fellow
Environmental Center
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Waste generated::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 59.41 Tons 41.05 Tons
Materials composted 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials reused, donated or re-sold 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 218.11 Tons 217.16 Tons

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of residential students 697 645
Number of residential employees 6 6
Number of in-patient hospital beds 0 0
Full-time equivalent enrollment 2,078 2,926
Full-time equivalent of employees 254 476
Full-time equivalent of distance education students 0 0

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2014 June 30, 2015
Baseline Year Nov. 1, 2012 Oct. 31, 2013

A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:

Baseline is the performance year used in the last STARS assessment and we are recording the change from then until now.


A brief description of any (non-food) waste audits employed by the institution:

The Environmental Center contacted the waste management/collection company ACE Disposal for an audit including pick-up dates and weights of landfill and recyclable materials.


A brief description of any institutional procurement policies designed to prevent waste:

The food supplier, Bon Appetit, has a "Trim Trax" program used to reduce waste and over production. Daily they measure their green waste and monitor their overproduction. On average, using this tool a campus has the potential to reduce their food cost by 2%.


A brief description of any surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:

Facilities stores office furniture and other materials not currently needed for use in future locations.


A brief description of the institution's efforts to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:

All teachers are strongly encouraged to use an online learning management program called Canvas -- allowing them to post tests, quizzes, grades, attachments and essentially any documents to supply students with the necessities for their class. The Registrar's office has put most materials online, and eliminated the printing of the course catalogue. Campus has also recently implemented printing restrictions for each student to discourage printing of large documents and unnecessary printing.


A brief description of any limits on paper and ink consumption employed by the institution:

The campus recently implemented a print cap to reduce on-campus printing. It limits the amount of free printing that can be done by each student and reduced overall campus printing by more than 60%.

http://www.westminstercollege.edu/support/?parent=1144&detail=15301


A brief description of any programs employed by the institution to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:

During the move-out period, collection sites for unwanted but reusable items are put out. The donations (including clothing, housewares, kitchen and bath supplies) are sorted through and donated to a local charity. For move-in waste, collection sites were put up for cardboard boxes, the cardboard was separated and recycled which reduced waste thrown in the landfill by an entire roll-away dumpster.


A brief description of any other (non-food) waste minimization strategies employed by the institution:

The Environmental Center supplies a Green Events Kit to check out, for free, for any event to students, faculty, staff and alumni. It has re-usable cups, plates, and silverware.


A brief description of any food waste audits employed by the institution:

Bon Appetit uses the Trim Trax program - they measure daily so they can know where their food is going.


A brief description of any programs and/or practices to track and reduce pre-consumer food waste in the form of kitchen food waste, prep waste and spoilage:

Production records and Trim Trax.


A brief description of programs and/or practices to track and reduce post-consumer food waste:

None at this time.


A brief description of the institution's provision of reusable and/or third party certified compostable to-go containers for to-go food and beverage items (in conjunction with a composting program):

The campus food supplier, Bon Appetit, provides a 9"x9"x3.5" Eco three compartment container instead of the plastic or compostable to-go container when students order food to-go. They are from www.get-melamine.com. They have collection sites in all buildings and residence halls on campus to encourage students to return the containers. Bon Appetit charges students $0.75 extra for throw-away compostable to-go containers to discourage use of those and encourage use of reusable containers.


A brief description of the institution's provision of reusable service ware for “dine in” meals and reusable and/or third party certified compostable service ware for to-go meals (in conjunction with a composting program):

Bon Appetit provides a full range of dine-in service ware. The provide plates, coffee cups, beverage cups, soup/breakfast bowls, forks, knifes, spoons and chopsticks for the guests to re-use. The Eco-container program encourages use of reusable containers for to-go meals rather than disposable and compostable containers.


A brief description of any discounts offered to customers who use reusable containers (e.g. mugs) instead of disposable or compostable containers in to-go food service operations:

Bon Appetit has a discount for all reusable mugs for coffee. They also partnered with the campus book store for a greater discount if guests use a Westminster Mug. Bon Appetit charges customers $0.75 to use a disposable to-go container, but use of Eco-Containers is free and encouraged. The campus coffee shop encourages customers to bring their own to-go coffee cups, or to use the "Ugly Mug Collection" by offering a $0.80 discount on coffee drinks. The "Ugly Mug Collection" provides reusable mugs to be used by anyone - the mugs must be returned and then they will be cleaned.


A brief description of other dining services waste minimization programs and initiatives:

They recycle all card board boxes from the Shaw café. They also have partnered with the on-campus Environmental Center to provide recycling bins in their areas.


The website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization initiatives is available:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

The waste data (in tons) we received was only for seven months of the year, we found a monthly average and estimated the yearly amounts by multiplying by 12. The following is the data we received:

Single Stream Recycling Weight (tons):
January-3.72
February-4.13
March-4.02
April-5.65
May-5.62
June-5.35
July-5.07
Monthly average: 4.79
12-month estimation: 57.53
Cardboard collected in April-0.23
Glass recycled: 1.65

Total Waste Diverted/Recycled: 59.41 tons

Trash/Landfill Waste Weight (tons):
January-16.29
February-20.19
March-14.93
April-22.09
May-17.23
June-19.98
July-15.19
Monthly average: 17.98
12-month estimation: 215.82
C&D Waste: 2.29

Total Waste Disposed in Landfill: 218.11 tons


The waste data (in tons) we received was only for seven months of the year, we found a monthly average and estimated the yearly amounts by multiplying by 12. The following is the data we received:

Single Stream Recycling Weight (tons):
January-3.72
February-4.13
March-4.02
April-5.65
May-5.62
June-5.35
July-5.07
Monthly average: 4.79
12-month estimation: 57.53
Cardboard collected in April-0.23
Glass recycled: 1.65

Total Waste Diverted/Recycled: 59.41 tons

Trash/Landfill Waste Weight (tons):
January-16.29
February-20.19
March-14.93
April-22.09
May-17.23
June-19.98
July-15.19
Monthly average: 17.98
12-month estimation: 215.82
C&D Waste: 2.29

Total Waste Disposed in Landfill: 218.11 tons

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.