| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.34 |
| Liaison | Ciannat Howett |
| Submission Date | July 25, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Emory University
OP-22: Waste Minimization
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.77 / 5.00 |
Kelly
Weisinger Director Office of Sustainability Initiatives |
Waste generated::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 1,763.91 Tons | 1,735.58 Tons |
| Materials composted | 656.42 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials reused, donated or re-sold | 305.18 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 4,141.08 Tons | 7,501.15 Tons |
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 4,425 | 4,424 |
| Number of residential employees | 23 | 27 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 579 | 579 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 15,995 | 13,507 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 25,902 | 16,665 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 0 | 0 |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | Sept. 1, 2012 | Aug. 31, 2013 |
| Baseline Year | Sept. 1, 2004 | Aug. 31, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
OP-22 does not include construction and demolition waste recycling in the totals. The actual land diversion rate is the same as OP-23 which includes construction and demolition waste.
Date Revised: Sept. 1, 2015
A brief description of any (non-food) waste audits employed by the institution:
Emory Recycles conducts waste audits as needed in different areas of campus. A waste audit of University parking decks was conducted in 2013 in order to assess the types of waste employees and guests are bringing into the buildings; as a result, recycling collection was implemented in all University parking decks.
The Residence Hall Association Sustainability Chairs conducted a waste audit of two residence halls in 2013 of two dormitories so that students could see what percentage of waste was compostable versus landfill. Subsequent audits of seven more residence halls were conducted for the same purpose.
A brief description of any institutional procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
The Procurement office works closely with the Office of Sustainability Initiatives to reduce waste and work toward achieving all of Emory's sustainability goals. Just-in-time purchasing processes are followed, sustainability language is included throughout the Procurement department website, and purchasers are provided with sustainable alternatives to products in Emory's purchasing program whenever possible. Emory has recently signed on as a founding member of the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council to influence national sustainable purchasing behaviors and learn from our peers.
The Procurement Office has most recently instituted a ban on Styrofoam products from our suppliers, requiring alternatives to be made available at competitive price points. Suppliers are also asked to use right-size packaging for shipping to avoid overuse of packaging materials. Procurement is currently working with coffee and tea vendors on analyzing the waste impacts of single-use coffee and tea machines, and find alternatives that produce waste that can be composted in Emory's waste management system.
A brief description of any surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Emory’s Surplus Property, a department of the Campus Services Division, provides the resale, liquidation, salvage or disposal of University-owned surplus furniture, equipment and vehicles. When an Emory department is no longer able to use furniture, equipment or vehicles due to the physical condition, lack of technological capability or inefficiency of operation, Surplus Property can sell the item(s) to another Emory department, to Emory faculty, staff or students, liquidate the item(s), or salvage the item(s).
In addition to Emory Surplus, Emory also participates in an office exchange program called Encore. This experimental program is designed to facilitate and encourage campus event planners to reuse, share, and repurpose event supplies. Too many floral arrangements, packaged foods, rental items, etc. come and go without being used to their full potential. Encore provides an opportunity to offer these items for others to use, as well as to make use of these offerings yourself to reduce your event budgets. You can even post a wish list request for a future need.
Emory's Green Lab program rewards labs that facilitate the reuse of supplies and chemicals between laboratories, and the Chemistry department utilizes a stock room for chemicals and supplies which incorporates redistribution and reuse of unused or partially used items.
A brief description of the institution's efforts to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Course registration at Emory is online only. There is no paper alternative. All course schedules and directories can be found online, as well as course catalogs in the various schools. In general practice, most schools only provide these items to students in hard copy on request or in the main office. Emory College recently decided that the College Course Catalog would no longer be printed in paper and is only available online.
http://atlas.college.emory.edu/index.html
The School of Medicine, which oversees the M.D. program as well as other Allied Health programs, moved two years ago to making all materials only available online. The School of Nursing only prints course catalogs on request, otherwise students are directed to an online version. Several of Emory's academic units use online course evaluations rather that paper evaluations.
Emory's Green Office program rewards offices for taking voluntary steps to make offices more sustainable, which includes reducing paper consumption by making materials available online and utilizing online subscriptions for publications.
Most of Emory's publications are available in online format, and the Emory mobile app and website includes an online directory, maps, news, calendar, course catalog, and transit maps.
Emory's staff orientation materials are only available online, and new staff must complete these readings and forms and submit online when they are hired.
The doctoral program in Physical Therapy anticipates that this year's incoming students will be a part of the program's first "green class". They have begun by eliminating paper orientation and course materials, encouraging students to use electronic information when possible.
A brief description of any limits on paper and ink consumption employed by the institution:
Admissions offices at Emory have moved to all on-line systems rather which reduces ink and paper. Emory has an on-line course catalog, and most divisions use on-line course evaluations.
A brief description of any programs employed by the institution to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
In addition to normal ongoing Emory recycling services, during move-in and move-out, cardboard collection areas for cardboard recycling are placed outside every residence hall, and Styrofoam recycling will be available for the first time during Fall 2014 move-out. During move-out, Emory Recycles holds a "Don't Dump It, Donate It!" drive. This drive gives students an opportunity to donate items such as clothes, bedding, or furniture for which they no longer have use to local Atlanta charities. During the most recent move-out (2013), this program facilitated the donation of 18,000 pounds of clothing and household goods to local charities.
A brief description of any other (non-food) waste minimization strategies employed by the institution:
Emory Recycles has partnered with local companies to minimize landfill waste coming from unique sources, such as cooking oil which is converted into fuel for our shuttles, tires, e-waste, ice packs, ink and toner cartridges, and pallets. Emory Recycles has also partnered with various departments such as the library's preservation department, to find ways to recycle the unique waste that comes from those departments.
A brief description of any food waste audits employed by the institution:
In spring 2014, Emory Dining launched a pilot waste management system in Cox Hall, the food court available to the entire Emory community. During this pilot, landfill trash cans have been removed, and regular audits of the compost/recycle bins are conducted by Emory Recycles and by the compost/recycle vendor so that Emory can improve its education regarding the most common contaminants. An audit of the waste streams from Cox Hall was conducted in June 2014.
A brief description of any programs and/or practices to track and reduce pre-consumer food waste in the form of kitchen food waste, prep waste and spoilage:
In Emory's main residential dining facility, Dobbs Market, Sodexo has implemented the LeanPath waste management tool where pre-consumer food waste is weighed prior to being composted.
A brief description of programs and/or practices to track and reduce post-consumer food waste:
Emory has two primary undergraduate dining locations. One has a tiered dining area, which in order to comply with ADA regulations cannot be made trayless. Emory’s food court style dining facility, Cox Hall, has limited trays available to customers.
In spring 2014, Emory students, with support from Emory Dining, Sodexo, Volunteer Emory, the Office of Sustainability, and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, launched Campus Kitchens, a student group which collects unused food from campus dining locations and donates it to local charities and food banks. In fall 2014, this group plans to expand their efforts to include post-consumer food waste at catered events throughout campus.
A brief description of the institution's provision of reusable and/or third party certified compostable to-go containers for to-go food and beverage items (in conjunction with a composting program):
All service ware in the main residential undergraduate dining hall, the Dobbs University Center (DUC), is reusable. In the DUC, students are prohibited from taking food to-go so no to-go ware is offered.
All to-go containers in the food court dining venue, Cox Hall, are compostable and compost bins are available to customers inside and immediately outside the facility.
A brief description of the institution's provision of reusable service ware for “dine in” meals and reusable and/or third party certified compostable service ware for to-go meals (in conjunction with a composting program):
All service ware in the main residential undergraduate dining hall is reusable. Dine-in customers in the food court dining venue, Cox Hall, can request reusable service ware instead of compostable.
A brief description of any discounts offered to customers who use reusable containers (e.g. mugs) instead of disposable or compostable containers in to-go food service operations:
At all campus dining coffee locations, customers who bring their own reusable containers are given a $.15 discount
A brief description of other dining services waste minimization programs and initiatives:
In spring 2014, Emory Dining launched a pilot waste management system in Cox Hall, the food court available to the entire Emory community. During this pilot, landfill trash cans have been removed, and regular audits of the compost/recycle bins are conducted by Emory Recycles and by the compost/recycle vendor so that Emory can improve its education regarding the most common contaminants
The website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization initiatives is available:
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.