| Overall Rating | Bronze - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 42.88 |
| Liaison | Jim Simon |
| Submission Date | June 28, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Gonzaga University
OP-22: Waste Minimization
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.50 / 5.00 |
Linda
Leonard Custodial Manager Plant Services |
Waste generated::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 1,806.30 Tons | 1,241 Tons |
| Materials composted | 455.50 Tons | 1,598 Tons |
| Materials reused, donated or re-sold | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 823.40 Tons | 895 Tons |
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 3,241 | 2,958 |
| Number of residential employees | 56 | 56 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 7,255 | 5,178 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 1,179 | 1,423 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 714 | 2,465 |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | June 1, 2014 | May 31, 2015 |
| Baseline Year | June 1, 2011 | May 31, 2012 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
We began tracking our Recyclables and Compost information in 2011-2012 Fiscal year, which are derived from the Waste Management invoices.
A brief description of any (non-food) waste audits employed by the institution:
A representative of the City solid waste department completes the audit. Zero waste is being implemented at basketball games. We also implement a single-stream recycling program.
A brief description of any institutional procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
A brief description of any surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
A brief description of the institution's efforts to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Course catalogs, directories, and course schedules as well as course evaluations and other resources are primarily available on "zagweb;" Gonzaga University's self-service web information system.
A brief description of any limits on paper and ink consumption employed by the institution:
A new printer/copier system was implemented campus-wide. The system, requires a code/authentication at the machine prior to printing. This gives employees and students the opportunity to cancel jobs if sent by accident
A brief description of any programs employed by the institution to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
The end of the year student move-out process has been incorporated into Gonzaga's sustainability plan. At the end of the year the local Catholic Charities set up PODs at various points around campus to collect unwanted items. This process helped divert over 6 tons of waste and put unwanted items to use. Additional cardboard collection sites are set up during the move-in period and taken to the recycler.
A brief description of any other (non-food) waste minimization strategies employed by the institution:
Donation of old office equipment, computers, and other materials is strongly encouraged. The University plans to donate the much of the kitchen equipment from the temporary dining facility (in use while the new student center is being built).
A brief description of any food waste audits employed by the institution:
Our on-site dining facilitator, Sodexo, uses LeanPath (pre-consumer waste auditing and tracking system) for audits as swell as an Annual Weigh your waste challenge.
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:
LeanPath & FMS (Food Management System) and stem to root techniques to reduce waste.
A brief description of programs and/or practices to track and reduce post-consumer food waste:
The dining facility in the COG (the former main dining hall) went trayless in 2011. A “Weigh the Waste” night was used to measure how much students discarded after each meal. Based on comparisons of “Weigh the Waste” nights from before and after the availability of trays, 30% less waste is generated since the implementation of tray-less dining. This “Weigh the Waste” program is still used, although now to raise student awareness regarding how much food they throw away. In addition to reducing food waste, going tray-less has resulted in a water savings of approximately 300,000 gallons of water annually and reduced soap purchases by approximately 5%.
The new dining hall (BARC), is also trayless, utilizes a low-water use dishroom with a built-in food compost dehydrator. In addition, Sodexo has implemented smaller portion sizes and an education program to keep food waste low.
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):
The to-go items in the Retail department are compostable from EarthChoice. The main dining hall is an all-you-can-eat model so to-go containers are not used.
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):
Stainless steel flatware used in resident dining locations as well as for all china related catering on campus. All take out containers are compostable and made by EarthChoice. We also have instituted a water bottle ban and added Zip2water filling tanks around campus. Additionally we help sponsorship of the freshmen reusable bottles to support the university stance of no plastic water bottles. All standard dishes and utensils in the main dining hall are reusable and washed in the dishroom. Paper napkins are 100% recycled and any events that do not use china use compostable plates, cups, and silverware.
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:
Customers can bring their own reusable cup to purchase coffee on campus and save at least 35 cents off every time in any location.
A brief description of other dining services waste minimization programs and initiatives:
Trayless, Campus Kitchens, Production meetings, FMS, composting, single stream recycling, batch cooking. Waste education initiatives and special programing fall and spring around the subject. Sodexo has a weigh the waste program to help educate students as well as a zero waste program in the athletics facilities and stadiums.
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.