Williams College
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.80 / 8.00 |
Mike
Evans Assistant Director Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 112.43 Tons | 193 Tons |
| Materials composted | 36.59 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 1 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 751.32 Tons | 696 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 901.34 Tons | 889 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 | July 1, 2020 | June 30, 2021 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2009 | June 30, 2010 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
This baseline was set because it was the first time we completed STARS and therefore the first time we collected this comprehensive waste data.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 1,975 | 1,984 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 4 | 124 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 70 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 2,143 | 2,088 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 1,140 | 1,050 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 3,027 | 2,880.50 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.30 Tons | 0.31 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) | No |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
The college collects books for donation in its annual end-of-year donation program - Give It Up! The 1 ton listed under items sold/donated includes just books.
The other items that are collected and resold through give it up are not inventoried and weighed. Furniture is also donated and sold, but weights are not calculated.
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:
The college uses color-coded bins for recycling, trash, and compost containers and includes signage paired with bins. Also, the custodial staff will occasionally remove recyclables from the trash stream when they see them.
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
Signage in the dining hall with numbers that tell the students how much food is wasted each year to motivate people to compost and only grab food they will eat.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
We perform periodic waste audits - most recently in March 2019 on outdoor trash and recycling bins. We were looking to see whether areas where there were a trash and recycling bin next to each other may increase diversion rates of recyclable materials and what we can do to improve recycling outdoors.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
We do not have a formal office supplies exchange, but Williams does reuse manilla folders, binders, and other supplies through each department. Old office furniture such as filing cabinets are kept in storage for new employees to reuse.
The college's Furniture Specialist manages surplus furniture in an off-site location.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
We have a program at the end of the year during move out called "Give it Up!" The program enables students to donate unwanted items to local charities and non-profits. Storage pods are located throughout campus around dorms. Unwanted items are placed in the pods and the charities pick up the donations after all of the students have moved out. The pods will store everything from unwanted electronics to sports equipment. Clothing exchanges are also held multiple times throughout the year. Two online platforms exist for exchanges - Switchboard and WSO - that can facilitate material reuse.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Students are given a quota of free printing for each semester through a program called Paper Cut. The quota applies at all computer labs, libraries, and networked printers. If a student prints more than their quota, they have to pay for printing beyond it. The print quota system has decreased student printing by 25-30%.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
The course catalog, class hours, and faculty/staff directories are all available on-line by default.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Williams works with several local non-profit organizations on the "Give it Up" end of the year donation campaign. Large storage pods are deployed around campus during the several weeks when students are moving out. Students are encouraged to donate clothing, furniture, food, school supplies, books, and household goods in the pods. The items are retrieved by local non-profits, who re-sell the items at a large fall tag sale and clothing sale.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Williams collaborates with a local church for a giant tag sale. Lamps, rugs, refrigerators, appliances, couches, and random trinkets are collected to keep used goods circulating in the community and raise money for the church. It’s the church’s largest fundraiser of the year. It is held at the beginning of the school year for students to buy items for their dorm.
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:
Contamination rate for recycling comes from Casella.
Contamination rate for recycling comes from Casella.
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.