| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 81.96 |
| Liaison | Lindsey Lyons |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2024 |
Dickinson College
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.29 / 8.00 |
Lindsey
Lyons Assistant Director Center for Sustainability Education |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 313.70 Tons | 172 Tons |
| Materials composted | 56 Tons | 98 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 2 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 477.10 Tons | 627.20 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 848.80 Tons | 897.20 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, 2022 | June 30, 2023 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2011 | June 30, 2012 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
The baseline of our fiscal year 2012 was established by the college-wide waste working group (July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012). After a yearlong waste analysis and consolidation of data collection, the committee realized data gaps. Our data from 2008-2012 did not include accurate compost data and landfill, and recycling invoices were missing providing an unequal comparison. Data from 2012-present has been collected in a consistent and comparable manner so FY 12 was established as a baseline year to maintain reporting consistency.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 1,880 | 2,155 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 19 | 26 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 2,045 | 2,349 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 809 | 835 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 2,615.25 | 2,933.25 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.32 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 | 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 | Yes |
| Tires | Yes |
| Other (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
We also recycle college-owned e-waste consisting of batteries, light bulbs, computers, printers and accessories.
Here is what e-waste is recycled:
https://www.dickinson.edu/info/20052/sustainability/2284/waste_and_materials
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:
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
Dickinson sponsors multiple events each semester focused on waste reduction and diversion that target students, faculty and staff. These are coordinated in conjunction with our Eco-Reps program, which strives to create a community of leaders in sustainability who in turn work to empower others to make sustainable changes in their lives and in their communities through peer education, programming, and outreach. These include residence hall events and campaigns on recycling, green move-in, sustainable move-out campaigns, construction waste reduction, and diversion assistance from our Green Devil sustainability mascot at large events.
We have large-scale collection of college e-waste and clean plastic film/bags for recycling.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Interns in the Center for Sustainability Education conduct waste audits at various campus locations at least once per semester. Eco-Reps living and serving in a residence hall are encouraged to conduct waste audits bi-weekly. At Dickinson, these audits are critical to initiating change and monitoring progress. Recommendation reports are shared with stakeholders as appropriate.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
Dickinson makes an effort to purchase in bulk and prioritizes items that possess minimal packaging whenever possible. Specifically, there are sustainable purchasing policies within our dining services that help to reduce waste, as this is a large single source.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Facilities Management has an in-house warehouse with used furniture and redistributes this furniture to departments by request. The college's inventory manages surplus inventory and fulfills requests for item exchange. Additionally, items that are no longer needed are sold or donated to the community through online venues and a yard sale model.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
Dickinson College values sustainability and prioritizes and promotes reuse of goods and sharing of skills and services within the Dickinson community. We have two outlets for this: The Free xChange (physical exchange space) and DsonMarket (online).
The Dickinson Free xChange aims to 1) reduce waste and promote reuse, 2) provide a safe, equitable and accessible space for the exchange of secondhand clothing, accessories and textbooks to every Dickinsonian and 3) create awareness of the social, economic, and environmental impacts of consumerism. This is a space on campus open to all students, faculty and staff 24/7.
https://www.dickinson.edu/freexchange
The DsonMarket online community was designed to support the buying, selling and trading of goods and services by Dickinson students, faculty and staff. Built and maintained by Dickinsonians, for Dickinsonians. It aims to create a safe, inclusive online marketplace where members can save/make money, reduce carbon emissions and interact with others in support of sustainability. This platform is intended for the buying, selling or trading of personal items, not college-owned property.
This free online platform is supported by the Center for Sustainability Education but was built and maintained by Dickinson students who saw a problem and created a solution using a combination of academic knowledge, technical skills, networking, and determination. This new initiative was launched in 2023 with much success.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
At the start of each term all enrolled students are given a Free Page Credit sufficient for printing 600 black & white pages. Color pages are the equivalent of two black & white pages. Students are charged a per-page fee for pages printed beyond their Free Page Credit. This system helps to offset students’ costs for printing associated with their courses while significantly reducing waste and contributing to Dickinson’s sustainability efforts.
Please see this document for more information:
https://www.dickinson.edu/download/downloads/id/10458/student_printing_policy.pdf
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Departments and divisions across the college are committed to reducing printing and increasing the availability of online forms and resources. All college announcements, payroll and student resources are online. Additionally, sustainability statements are common when printing items.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Students, faculty and staff donate unwanted furniture, appliances, clothes, food and school supplies in the annual U-Turn End-of-Year collection and sale that benefits the local United Way, with over $18,000 worth of sales at a community yard sale.
The Center for Sustainability hosts a two-day Green Move-In program for first-year students where 20 student sustainability volunteers host waste stations to maximize diversion during move-in. This program has been done annually since 2012 with excellent results, as demonstrated with waste diversion data.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
These efforts are focused primarily in our construction and demolition programs. This is an established policy for all large renovations or new construction as part of our commitment to construct to LEED Gold standards and to prioritize using local and reused materials as much as possible in the construction process.
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:
Dickinson is committed to reducing materials consumption, reusing materials, recycling and composting. We are also committed to using sustainable products. Dickinson's single-stream recycling system accepts paper, cardboard, plastics (#1-7), glass and metals in all recycling receptacles.
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.