| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.00 |
| Liaison | Jessica Krejcik |
| Submission Date | Dec. 22, 2021 |
Concordia University
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.64 / 8.00 |
Faisal
Shennib Environmental Coordinator Facilities Management |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 232.59 Metric tons | 243 Metric tons |
| Materials composted | 101.31 Metric tons | 46.30 Metric tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 27.60 Metric tons | 0 Metric tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Metric tons | 0 Metric tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 888.63 Metric tons | 977.50 Metric tons |
| Total waste generated | 1,250.13 Metric tons | 1,266.80 Metric tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
N/A
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | May 1, 2018 | April 30, 2019 |
| Baseline Period | May 1, 2015 | April 30, 2016 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
The 2015-2016 academic year was used as the baseline year as it reflects the trends in waste diversion and minimization at Concordia University.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 905 | 910 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 29,911 | 27,964 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 4,121 | 4,497 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 25,750.25 | 24,573.25 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.05 Metric tons | 0.05 Metric 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 | No |
| Animal bedding | No |
| White goods (i.e. appliances) | No |
| Electronics | Yes |
| Laboratory equipment | Yes |
| Furniture | Yes |
| Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | Yes |
| Scrap metal | Yes |
| Pallets | No |
| Tires | No |
| Other (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Wood, Fibers, Tools & Equipment, Office Supplies, Art/Craft Supplies and Miscellaneous.
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:
To reach Concordia University's goal for zero solid waste, the University has developed waste-related behavior change initiatives which serve students and staff:
1. Zero Waste Week & Challenge, Workshops and waste reduction challenge: Zero Waste Week is a series of workshops and info sessions on how to cut down on your waste, as well as a challenge to the Concordia community to produce as little landfill waste as possible.
2. Concordia is transitioning to an entirely low-waste office model. This means that standard desk-side trash bins are being replaced by mini-bins which users sort out into landfill, compost and recycling at centralized waste sorting areas. This saves a remarkable amount of recyclable and compostable waste from landfill.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Concordia measures its waste diversion by tracking the weights of materials sent to landfills versus recuperation on a yearly basis. Additionally, waste audits are conducted periodically to find out how much of what we trash is actually recyclable or compostable.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
Paper is one of the most used resources at Concordia University. All departments and students are encouraged to purchase sustainable paper that meet the following criteria:
1. 100% post-consumer recycled paper
2. Local
3. Chlorine-free
4. Environmentally certified: FSC, EcoLogo, Processes Chlorine Free, or Rainforest Alliance
For reducing its consumption, it is encouraged to print double-sided, using electronic documents, and reuse paper
https://www.concordia.ca/about/sustainability/sustainability-initiatives/zero-waste/paper.html
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
CUCCR (Concordia University’s Center for Creative Reuse) is dedicated to diverting materials from inside Concordia’s waste-stream and offering them to the general community free of cost. It reuses materials coming out of offices, departments, studios, and labs on our campus. A variety of wood, glass, metal, fibers, office supplies, plastics, paper, tools and equipment, and arts & crafts supplies fill the shelves.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
Through the CUCCR (Concordia University’s Center for Creative Reuse).
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
All Concordia University's course catalogs, course schedules, and directories are primarily available online. In addition, a variety of books and coursepacks are available as e-books.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Through the CUCCR (Concordia University’s Center for Creative Reuse), students moving in or out from the residencies are encouraged to reuse or donate items.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
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:
Sustainability initiatives: https://www.concordia.ca/about/sustainability/sustainability-initiatives.html
Sustainable eating: https://www.concordia.ca/campus-life/food-services/eating-responsibly/sustainable-eating.html
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.