| Overall Rating | Bronze - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 37.31 |
| Liaison | Stephan Classen |
| Submission Date | March 6, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Cascadia College
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.60 / 8.00 |
Jodie
Galvan Assistant Director of Sustainable Practices Student Learning |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 1 Tons | 1 Tons |
| Materials composted | 1 Tons | 1 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 1 Tons | 1 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 1 Tons | 1 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 1 Tons | 1 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 5 Tons | 5 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility, including affirmation that materials are sorted prior to conversion to recover recyclables and compostable materials:
We don't have a residential conversion facility
We don't track tons of materials donated or re-sold
Our waste hauler - Recology - doesn't track tons of waste hauled from individual customers. We pay by the number of bins they empty each week so we do not have measurements of the tons of waste being recycled, composted or landfilled from campus.
We participated in RecycleMania in 2017 and ranked #30 out of 190 schools with a recycle rate of 56.45%
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | Jan. 1, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2017 |
| Baseline Year | Jan. 1, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2017 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
We do not have a waste generation baseline that we are measuring against
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 2,984 | 2,984 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 157 | 157 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 2,355.75 | 2,355.75 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.00 Tons | 0.00 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 | No |
| Plant materials | Yes |
| Animal bedding | No |
| White goods (i.e. appliances) | Yes |
| Laboratory equipment | Yes |
| Furniture | Yes |
| Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | No |
| 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:
Cascadia contracts with Recology to provide single-stream recycling and compost service in addition to trash service, which allows the campus community to recycle al commercially recyclable and compostable materials.
Cascadia and UW Bothell also compost food waste and yard waste on site. The grounds team manages a bin of red wriggler worms who compost food from a shared campus Subway restaurant and expired newspapers from the library. They also manage yard waste hot composting that they supplement with coffee grounds from campus cafes.
Facilities Management (a UWB team that is contracted by Cascadia) coordinates the collection of block styrofoam, wood pallets, and scrap metal. There are additional waste receptacles throughout campus for collecting lightbulbs, batteries, and cell phones to keep these materials out of the waste stream. Large equipment, appliances and furniture that are no longer needed are returned to the UW Surplus program which handles the collection and re-allocating of all extra materials throughout campus.
Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year (e.g. materials that are actively diverted from the landfill or incinerator and refurbished/repurposed) :
Does the institution use single stream recycling (a single container for commingled recyclables) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
Does the institution use dual stream (two separate containers for recyclables, e.g. one for paper and another for plastic, glass, and metals) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
Does the institution use multi-stream recycling (multiple containers that further separate different types of materials) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program (percentage, 0-100):
A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed, e.g. efforts to minimize contamination and/or monitor the discard rates of the materials recovery facilities and mills to which materials are diverted:
We are in the process of overhauling our current waste diversion system on campus. We are moving toward having triple stations in all common areas and removing single waste stream containers from common areas. We are working to add high efficiency electric hand dryers to all bathrooms and to establish paper-towel only compost bins in all bathrooms. We are improving our signage at existing triple stations to reduce the contamination rate of our recycling and compost waste streams.
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives, e.g. initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices such as signage and competitions:
We participated in RecycleMania in 2017 and 2018 in partnership with UW Bothell (both institutions tracked and reported separately but did the monitoring together). The Cascadia Sustainability Club is working on developing waste diversion education initiatives on campus and our BAS in Sustainable Practices students will be hosting a 'what goes where' waste diversion game at the Sustainability Festival on campus during Earth Week this April.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
One of our BAS in Sustainable Practices seniors is midway through completing a comprehensive waste audit on campus to determine which waste collection systems and signage result in the best waste diversion rates. He is using this information to develop a budget proposal to remove all single waste stream containers from common areas on campus and replace them with strategically placed and clearly signed triple stations. This budget proposal will be voted on in April and if approved the project will be implemented over the summer.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
We do not have written procurement policies designed to prevent waste. However, the campus is moving toward using only compostable materials for events and at the coffee shop on campus to minimize landfill contributions.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Our Classified Staff host an annual supply swap every spring.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse (e.g. of electronics, furnishings, books and other goods):
We have an active Gift Everything Facebook Page on campus
We also host an annual 'garage sale' on campus every spring hosted by Campus Safety which stores all of the items left on campus or turned in to Lost and Found over the course of the year.
Our International Programs office also hosts 'garage sales' on campus whenever groups of students return to their home countries after living in the States for several months or years.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption (e.g. restricting free printing and/or mandating doubled-sided printing in libraries and computer labs):
All computers/printers default to double sided printing.
Students have limits on the amount of free printing they are able to do on campus each quarter.
All classes have the ability to use CANVAS (an online platform) to post materials online and have students submit electronic versions of their assignments.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials (e.g. course catalogs, course schedules, and directories) available online by default rather than printing them:
Our annual course catalogs and course schedules are only available online. We do not distribute printed versions of these materials.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
not applicable
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Annual Classified Supply Swap
Annual 'garage sale' hosted by Campus Safety
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Cascadia's 2017 RecycleMania results can be found here https://recyclemania.org/scoreboard/past-results/
Cascadia's 2017 RecycleMania results can be found here https://recyclemania.org/scoreboard/past-results/
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.