| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 80.87 |
| Liaison | Megan Butler |
| Submission Date | Jan. 26, 2024 |
Macalester College
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.99 / 8.00 |
Paula
Solis Custodial Services Manager Facilities |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 229.74 Tons | 87.37 Tons |
| Materials composted | 67.40 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 1.34 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 126.03 Tons | 370.10 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 424.51 Tons | 457.47 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Period | June 1, 2022 | May 31, 2023 |
| Baseline Period | June 1, 2007 | May 31, 2008 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
Our GHG Emissions and Zero Waste baseline year is the FY 2007-2008.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 1,247 | 1,007 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 7 | 10 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 2,154 | 1,873 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 661 | 521 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 2,424.75 | 2,049.75 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.18 Tons | 0.22 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 | No |
| 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:
Mini-fridges
Mirrors
Mattresses
Clothing, Shoes, and Accessories
Bedding
Books and Textbooks
Household Goods
Miscellaneous Plastics
Styrofoam
Shredded Paper
Packaged and canned food
Electronics
Plastic Bags
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:
Our waste hauler has not returned any pickups for contamination and contract provisions permit them to do so.
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
Macalester Utilizes the Ozzi program, which helps eliminate single use to-go containers in the dining hall and across campus. Students instead take reusable to-go containers and return them after use to be cleaned and reused. This program was utilized over 20,000 times by students during the 2022-2023 FY.
Macalester also has a program called MacShare, which is used by students, staff, and faculty. MacShare is a student organization who buys produce and other items (granola, olive oil, kombucha) in bulk and allows for the campus community to purchase them at an affordable rate weekly. This helps reduce the amount of plastics and single use containers/packaging across campus.
In the fall of 2022 first year students and others new to campus participated in an hour long training program that took place in each dorm for individual floors. Students learned about resources the campus offers towards sustainability and how to reduce their waste on campus. They also learned the basics of correctly sorting their waste stream into compost, trash, or recycling. As well as the speciality recycling locations and offerings across campus.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Facilities Services Sustainability and Custodial staff performs waste audits three times per year.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
Macalester has banned the sale of plastic water bottles on campus
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
There are currently two programs that promote the reuse of materials specifically in office spaces on campus. There is a furniture surplus space in the basement of the science building, which is open twice monthly for staff/faculty to select office furniture that has been donated from various parts of campus instead of ordering new. Starting in the spring of 2023 plans began for an office supply reuse space in the library. This program was launched during the fall of 2023 and helps reduce the amount of office supplies offices/departments order.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
Macalester has two locations for redistribution on campus. The first is known as The Free Swap and it is located in a garage behind The Sustainability Office. It is open to those on campus and the surrounding community 9am-6pm daily. Students, staff, and faculty can also come "shop" for items for free to take. The other location is a larger, warehouse style space located at 1550 Summit Avenue, which is called 1550. This space is where move out items are brought in May/June. This space is open to the campus community weekly to come "shop" for items for free. It is also opened multiple times a year for non-profits/community partners to come shop.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
PaperCut tells community members how many pieces of paper they have printed, and encourages them to not waste paper. We also have a program called "onsies" that reuses half-printed on paper to make notebooks that are handed out to students.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
The catalogs are available online for students. Course schedules are not printed and are only available online for students. The college directory is also available online instead of in print.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Waste containers are completely removed from residence hall floors, requiring all students to bring items for central sorting which allows for reuse and recycling of almost all items including clothes, food, hangers, appliances, and electronics.
Donations are then sorted between items used for resale or to be given away. Resale items are stored and sold in the fall to raise money for a trip students go on every year through the Civic Engagement Center. The other items are brought to the 1550 Summit space and redistributed to students, staff, faculty, and non-profits throughout the year.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
2009-Present: Papercut software: ITS installed Papercut software to count pages printed by student
2009-Present: 100% Recycled Letterhead: Letterhead changed to a 100% post consumer waste recycled paper
2009-Present: Student Account eBilling: Switched from paper bills to eBilling
2009-Present: Move Out: Extensive recycling and reuse program put in place, Recycling rate jumped from 17% in 2008 to 46% in 2009
2010-Present: Onesies: Reused one sided paper notebooks, “onesies” given to all first year students from the Library in 2010
2010-Present: CFL and ewaste recycling on campus: Bins available in the Sustainability Office for student, staff and faculty
2010-Present: Reusable dishware and dishwashers: MCSG bought a set of reusable dishware for student organizations
2010-Present: MacFreeSwap: Items can be donated or received from 1657 Lincoln Avenue. In the garage open to the Macalester community and public 7 days a week from 9am-6pm.
2010-Present: 100% Recycled Copy Paper: 100% recycled copy paper standard started as campus standard
2010-Present: Print release stations: Reduces accidental printing
2011-Present: Plastic water bottle ban implemented
2013-Present: Composting started on campus
2014-Present: Catering and Food Service start using all compostable dishware
2014-Present: Compostable dishware promoted to departments
2014-Present: Macalester College joined the national Food Recovery Network Organization which donates surplus food from the dining hall to local charities. The network, composed of students, collects donations one night a week for every week during the school year, and typically diverts around 1000-1500 pounds per semester."
2021-Present: Move-Out donations managed and redistribution handled internally to promote a circular economy instead of by a third party vendor.
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.