| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.32 |
| Liaison | Merry Rankin |
| Submission Date | Aug. 29, 2022 |
Iowa State University
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.60 / 8.00 |
Steve
Kohtz Recycling and Special Events Coordinator Facilities Planning and Management |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 1,062.50 Tons | 1,613.43 Tons |
| Materials composted | 414.29 Tons | 380.58 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 683.61 Tons | 150 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 2,491.89 Tons | 4,237.17 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 4,652.29 Tons | 6,381.18 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
Although not having a residual conversion facility (as defined for this credit) available to us as a landfill diversion option, ISU still commits to utilizing an energy conversion option for waste disposal in lieu of landfilling.
The Arnold O. Chantland Resource Recovery Plant (RRP) was the first municipally-owned and operated waste-to-energy facility in the nation and opened for business in 1975. The plant receives garbage/refuse from Ames and the surrounding communities in Story County.
RRP recovers both reusable metals and refuse. Both ferrous and non-ferrous metal is extracted by magnets and sold to a scrap dealer for recycling. The rest of the refuse is shredded by machines and falls into two categories:
The combustible portion of the refuse becomes Refuse-Derived Fuel, or RDF, which is piped to the City's power plant. Iowa Department of Natural Resources permits the City to burn RDF up to 30% by weight.
Noncombustible material is shredded to reduce volume before being sent to the Boone County Landfill.
Through this process, more than 80 acres of Iowa farmland have been saved from becoming a landfill, while providing electricity to more than 4,600 Ames-area households.
During this reporting period, 1,411.83 tons of waste were diverted from landfilling through the RDF process - 30% of total waste produced.
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | July 1, 2021 | June 30, 2022 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2011 | June 30, 2012 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 8,888 | 9,886 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 1 | 1 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 1 | 1 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 29,458 | 29,991 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 6,131 | 5,704 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 1,108 | 1,469 |
| Weighted campus users | 28,084 | 28,142.25 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.17 Tons | 0.23 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 | Yes |
| Animal bedding | Yes |
| White goods (i.e. appliances) | Yes |
| Electronics | Yes |
| Laboratory equipment | Yes |
| Furniture | Yes |
| Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | Yes |
| 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:
motor oil, fluorescent lamps, batteries, laboratory glass, corrugated cardboard, copier ink cartridges, paper towels, used office equipment and facilities supplies
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:
Truck drivers monitor bin materials and will reject load if contaminated. The material recovery facility monitors truck loads and rejects loads if contaminated. Communication is provided to the University Recycling Coordinator regarding contamination, who in turn communicates with the campus community or targeted building or area of campus toward eliminating contamination.
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
Developed new recycle and waste diversion signage for campus recycle containers and recycle locations. A new messaging campaign "Boss Your Toss" is being developed for the 2022-2023 academic year.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Campus Waste Plan (a subplan of the Strategic Plan for Sustainability in Operations) is currently being finalized, focused on waste reduction of 10% and diversion of 85% by 2025. The plan is made up of subplans from all campus departments related to establishing their individual initiatives and goals toward meeting overarching goals.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
Recognizing our impact as a significant purchaser of goods and services, Iowa State University's goal is to give preference to environmentally friendly products whose sustainability, function and quality are equal or superior to more traditional products and whose cost is equal or less.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Through the university's ongoing ISU Surplus Program, furniture, equipment and a diversity of supplies related to campus offices and operations that are deemed unneeded by one department and/or unit can be utilized by another department and/or unit rather than thrown away.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
Through the university's ongoing ISU Surplus Program, furniture, equipment and a diversity of supplies related to campus offices and operations that are deemed unneeded by one department and/or unit can be utilized by another department and/or unit rather than thrown away.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Through partnerships with Information Technology Services (ITS), a number of departments and units have reduced waste through opting for electronic options for projects, initiatives and day-to-day operations:
Paperless options for functions including purchasing, financial transactions and communications, room scheduling, organization and event registration, venue reservation, record keeping, evaluation and exam administration (reducing paper “bubble sheets” by 61,850 during one academic year).
Resources including the University directory, course catalog and ISU Dining menus have significantly reduced paper purchases, as well as costs and labor related to collection and recycling of diverted paper waste.
Incorporating duplex (double-sided) printing defaults, as well as an updated print count on all ITS managed student printers (that collectively reduced paper use by 33% in one semester).
Implementation of online annual budget book via Workday Planning.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Through partnerships with Information Technology Services (ITS), a number of departments and units have reduced waste through opting for electronic options for projects, initiatives and day-to-day operations:
Paperless options for functions including purchasing, financial transactions and communications, room scheduling, organization and event registration, venue reservation, record keeping, evaluation and exam administration (reducing paper “bubble sheets” by 61,850 during one academic year).
Resources including the University directory, course catalog and ISU Dining menus have significantly reduced paper purchases, as well as costs and labor related to collection and recycling of diverted paper waste.
Incorporating duplex (double-sided) printing defaults, as well as an updated print count on all ITS managed student printers (that collectively reduced paper use by 33% in one semester).
Implementation of online annual budget book via Workday Planning.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
The Move Out Donation Program is the Department of Residence's annual spring move-out collection event in which any reusable item (clothes, furniture, electronics, food, cleaning supplies, etc.) is collected for redistribution. This results in multiple tons being diverted from landfilling each year.
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:
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.