| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 49.46 |
| Liaison | Margaret Bounds |
| Submission Date | March 2, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Connecticut College
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.66 / 8.00 |
Margaret
Bounds Director of Sustainability Office of Sustainability |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 250.86 Tons | 157.28 Tons |
| Materials composted | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 5.86 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 373.19 Tons | 368.73 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 629.91 Tons | 526.01 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility, including affirmation that materials are sorted prior to conversion to recover recyclables and compostable materials:
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2016 | June 30, 2017 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2014 | June 30, 2015 |
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):
Recycling and waste data was not tracked by the Office of Sustainability between 2008 and 2014. Therefore, we adopted 2015 as the baseline because it is the first year with more complete information readily available. However, the scope of data collected has increased between the baseline year and performance year.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 1,928 | 1,998 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 27 | 20 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 34 | 30 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 1,995 | 1,998 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 776 | 759 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 2,601 | 2,602.25 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.24 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 | No |
| Cooking oil | Yes |
| Plant materials | No |
| Animal bedding | No |
| White goods (i.e. appliances) | Yes |
| Laboratory equipment | No |
| Furniture | Yes |
| Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | Yes |
| Scrap metal | Yes |
| Pallets | No |
| Tires | Yes |
| Other (please specify below) | No |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Food waste is collected from Dining Halls for use as animal feed. However, we do not receive regular reports on the weight. Therefore, food waste is not included.
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:
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:
All recycling and trash bins are paired for ease of disposal and bins were standardized across campus. Standard recycling signage has been developed by a student Waste Reduction Team and is currently being piloted. We will be participating in RecycleMania in 2018 for the first time since 2010.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
A waste audit was completed in Fall 2017 to get baseline information on the amount of recyclables in the trash. Recycling signage was then piloted in the student union and a follow up waste audit was held to determine if the signage had helped reduce the amount of recycling going into the trash. We plan to continue to implement two waste audits per year and will report the results to the campus community.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
The Office of Sustainability Waste Reduction Team has run an Office Swap Program for surplus office supplies and furniture since January 2016. Student collect unwanted items from offices, post them on an internal advertisement board, and then re-distribute the supplies to other offices across campus.
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):
CamelsList is an online platform where students, faculty and staff can post items for sale or freecycling.
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):
Each student is provided with a $30 allocation of printing funds per academic school year. After this initial amount, students must pay for each page printed. Departments pay for printing through the college-wide PaperCut system. Double-sided printing is cheaper than single-sided in an effort to encourage this practice.
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:
The course catalog has been available only online since the 2012-2013 academic year.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
At the end of each spring semester, the Spring Give N' Go Program allows for students to donate unwanted clothing, furniture, electronics, books and non perishable food items as they move out of their residence halls. Donated items are made available to local non-profits at an "Agency Pick-Up Day" co-run by the United Way of Southeastern Connecticut and Safe Futures.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
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:
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.