Appalachian State University
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.89 / 8.00 |
Jennifer
Maxwell Resource Conservation Manager Physical Plant Administration |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 569.20 Tons | 400 Tons |
| Materials composted | 260 Tons | 25 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 26.03 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 1,790.55 Tons | 2,241 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 2,645.78 Tons | 2,666 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, 2004 | June 30, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
FY 2005 was the first year that data was collected and recorded for waste reduction and recycling.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 5,566 | 4,803 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 13 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 3 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 18,582.30 | 13,812 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 3,050.20 | 2,564 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 1,112 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 16,788.13 | 13,482.75 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.16 Tons | 0.20 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:
cardboard, book, shredded confidential paper, sawdust, batteries, mattresses, motor oil and filters, anti-freeze, waste gas (Motor Pool),
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:
audits, sorting and trainings, signage, color-coded bins
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
audits, sorting and trainings, signage, color-coded bins
participation in Campus Race to Zero Waste
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 are used for strategic planning purposes. These are publicly conducted by student teams under advisement of the Zero waste leadership team which is comprised of members from the following departments: Office of Sustainability, Housing, Facilities Operations, Campus Dining
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
As a state institution, App State adheres to the standard set forth by the UNC System Sustainability Policy 600.6.1:
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP): Any purchasing shall, to the extent practicable, improve the environmental performance of its supply chain with consideration given to toxicity, recycled content, energy and water efficiency, rapidly renewable resources, and local production and shall also improve the social performance of its supply chain with consideration given to working conditions and historically underutilized businesses.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
"Our mission is to dispose of property declared surplus by using agencies through transfers or sales to other agencies, political sub-divisions, qualified non-profit
tax-exempt organizations, sale to the public or by recycling in a manner that provides the most benefit to North Carolina and its citizens.” -Robert A. Riddle
State Surplus Property Officer
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
App State Surplus Warehouse
Free Store
Don't throw it away/The Big Sale move out donation program
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Students are required to pay for the pages they print on campus.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Course catalogs, course schedules, directories and the registration process are all available online. The application and deposit processes are online only. We do not do paper applications or receive deposits by postal mail.
ASU Learn online application
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
The Don't Throw It Away campaign collects gently used items from students who either no longer need or want, or don't want to take them home.
In the fall, those items are sold to incoming freshmen, transfer students and returning students who are looking for bargains to help outfit their dormitory hall room or apartment. The sale also is open to the public.
The BIG sale, as it is called, donated the money collected to local charities. In fall, the BIG Sale netted over $20,000 for area charities, and the Don’t Throw it Away campaign kept approximately 72 tons of waste out of the area landfill. This program has grown over the years thanks to generous volunteers.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Through App State's commitment to zero waste we have instituted the minibin recycling system in order to bring awareness to individual consumption habits and reduce waste. We have removed trashcans from classrooms as another way to promote connection to individual habits and consumption. We began a zero waste stadium initiative this football season and work with concessions to divert waste through recycling and composting efforts. We continue to work upstream in order to minimize the waste produced on campus.
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:
Data for 2022-2023 has been added (replacing data outside required timeframe).
The link to our zero waste initiatives has been updated.
1-24-24
Data for 2022-2023 has been added (replacing data outside required timeframe).
The link to our zero waste initiatives has been updated.
1-24-24
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.