Northern Arizona University
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion

The baseline year FY2006 was adopted because it was the first year that amounts were accounted for.

Note: The metrics for the baseline year have notably rounded figures. This rounding is due to the less precise data available in FY 2006.

Composting Efforts: Compost machines are installed in both dining halls, allowing for the collection of both pre and post-consumer food waste. These machines actively divert over 300,000 pounds of food waste each year, converting it into soil that is used on the NAU campus, preventing approximately 250 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. This initiative includes a collaboration with the city, through which they have received 700 yards of Flagstaff's grounds waste for composting.

Donate, Don't Ditch Program: Since 2006, Campus Living has been operating the "Donate, Don't Ditch" program, encouraging students to donate their gently-used items instead of discarding them. This program benefits several local charities and has helped divert over 39,000 pounds of waste from the landfill annually. In total, the program has donated nearly 300,000 pounds of goods to those in need.

We also have collection stations for used batteries and ink cartridges in all residential communities.

Property Surplus Program: The university's Property Surplus department plays a crucial role in waste minimization by managing the disposition of end-of-life assets. This program aims to extend the useful life of items that are no longer needed by campus departments. By utilizing Property Surplus, NAU ensures that surplus property is handled in a manner that maximizes returns to the University while meeting applicable disposal requirements, diverting items from the waste stream, and providing affordable goods and materials to foster stronger ties with the local community, benefiting both projects and personal use.

Food Recovery Network: The Food Recovery Network, initiated in 2014, utilizes student volunteers to collect leftover food from dining locations and donate it to local Flagstaff food banks. This program recovers approximately 4,000 pounds of hot food every semester, addressing food insecurity while reducing food waste.

Louie's Leftovers: This program is aimed at minimizing food waste during catered events. Event hosts can use the NAUgo app to notify students about leftover food after events, providing an opportunity for those with food insecurities to access food on campus.

Thrift Jacks Student Club: Thrift Jacks is a student club established as part of waste minimization efforts. They collaborate with dorms and Louie's Cupboard to donate or repurpose old clothing, shoes, and school supplies, fostering a culture of sustainable reuse among students. Additionally, the Career Closet initiative offers donated professional attire at no cost, supporting students in their professional endeavors while promoting a circular economy on campus.

The Office of Sustainability, in collaboration with the Green Fund, is streamlining the recycling process on campus by upgrading the recycling and landfill bin system. To increase recycling rates and reduce solid waste generation, the project involved implementing a consistent bin system with blue recycling bins and white recycling symbols, and brown bins with landfill symbols. We utilize signage educated by behavior change research, bin uniformity, and messaging consistency. Additional capacity for recycling and landfill bins is now available in common areas, while deskside bins are now designated for recycling only. The new large-scale recycling program aims to improve recycling rates, reduce recyclable contamination, and make recycling more convenient for everyone on campus. The team is utilizing waste sensors in dumpsters to track recycling and landfill waste generation and has conducted a waste audit with environmental science capstone students and ENV 101 lab students. The metrics gathered from the pre and post-infrastructure deployment audit are allowing the team to evaluate the effectiveness of the new binning system, promoting sustainability practices both on and off-campus.

The infrastructure rollout is wrapped up in the summer of 2023, and we look forward to monitoring its progress in the years to come.

These waste-related behavior change initiatives, along with the aforementioned Thrift Jacks, Property Surplus, and Louie's Leftovers programs, aim to shift individual attitudes and practices toward responsible waste management.

O2GO Reusable Container Program: Launched in collaboration with the Green Fund, the O2GO program, introduced in the Spring of 2018, targets reducing single-use disposable waste in retail dining locations. By successfully implementing reusable containers, NAU Campus Dining has become the largest university (by population) to embrace this program, leading to a significant reduction in single-use waste.

Straw-Free NAU: NAU's commitment to behavioral change is evident in its decision to eliminate plastic straws from all dining locations in Fall 2018. Compostable straws are now available only upon request, leading to an impressive 87% reduction in straw usage during the first semester. This initiative prevented approximately 1 million plastic straws from entering the waste stream, encouraging environmentally conscious disposable practices.

LeanPath: Implemented in the back-of-house, the LeanPath program focuses on measuring food waste by type, enabling chefs to identify wastage patterns and adjust menu planning accordingly, thereby reducing food waste.

Sustainable Catering: The catering program actively minimizes plastic disposables by making reusable dishware the standard for University Union events. Beyond the University Union, event organizers can request reusable dishware at no additional cost, promoting sustainable practices. Additionally, catering offers sustainable box lunches in reusable containers, including reusable utensils and cups, further curbing single-use waste.

Through these impactful initiatives, NAU fosters behavioral change among its community members, inspiring a culture of sustainability and waste reduction on campus.

With the valuable assistance of environmental science capstone students and participants from ENV 101, intro to Environmental Science, NAU conducted a comprehensive pre-infrastructure deployment waste audit, aiming to assess and improve waste management practices on campus. As part of the audit, approximately 40 paired waste and recycling dumpster stands were surveyed, allowing the students to gain insights into the existing waste disposal patterns.

During the audit, students manually examined lost recyclables, identified recycling contamination, and noted common issues affecting the waste streams. They meticulously analyzed the composition of the waste in each dumpster to identify areas for improvement. Moreover, the students carried out an in-depth analysis to determine which dorms and buildings exhibited the best waste management performance.

By gathering extensive data before the deployment of the new binning system and continuing to monitor the waste streams afterward, the team will be able to make informed evaluations regarding the system's effectiveness. The waste audit not only aids in updating the existing infrastructure to bolster sustainability practices at NAU but also serves as a learning opportunity for the campus community, encouraging Lumberjacks to embrace and implement these positive waste management habits both on and off campus.

The NAU Purchasing department has established policies that address sustainable purchasing in the "Contracting and Purchasing Services Policy Manual." Among other items, when possible, practical, and feasible, the University will strive to select products that are: Durable as opposed to a single-use or disposable, non or minimally toxic, preferably biodegradable, contain a high recycled content, especially post-consumer recycled content, highly recyclable at the end of the life-cycle, and shipped responsibly by combining shipments with other shipments to the University or region with minimal packaging consistent with care of products made from recycled and/or recyclable materials.

Northern Arizona University's Property Surplus Department plays a crucial role in managing the disposition of end-of-life assets and surplus property generated on campus.

Using Property Surplus offers several advantages. It helps the university generate revenue, which can be directed towards supporting various programs and initiatives. Departments at NAU benefit from Property Surplus by obtaining used materials, such as computers, furniture, and vehicles, on campus. Any materials not utilized within the University are sold to the public at discounted rates.

Additionally, the program contributes to environmental sustainability by repurposing or recycling items that might otherwise be discarded, reducing the university's environmental footprint. Furthermore, using Property Surplus can save money by reducing waste disposal costs and promoting efficient resource management.

By actively engaging with the local community and providing affordable goods and materials, NAU fosters stronger relationships and encourages responsible usage beyond the campus. Ultimately, utilizing Property Surplus aligns with the university's commitment to smart and responsible resource management, supporting its overall mission and sustainability goals.

Thrift Jacks Club hosts clothing and personal item exchanges based on student donations in the residence halls throughout the year. Career Closet aims to provide second-hand professional clothing to students from donations.

Louie's Cupboard is a location for students to donate food to our on-campus food pantry to address food insecurity on campus.

Printing on campus has undergone significant changes thanks to Facility Services' initiatives. In the library and computer labs, printing is either unavailable or charged, with limited free printing accessible only in some Graduate Assistant Offices. To promote sustainability, Facility Services implemented three major changes on most centralized printers: default duplex printing to save paper, default black and white printing instead of color, and a secondary setting to reduce toner consumption by lowering print density.

Moreover, Facility Services received a Green Fund grant to acquire 12 tablets for building inspectors, reducing the reliance on printed plans. With these tablets, nearly 600 plans per month are now accessible digitally, eliminating the need for printed copies and contributing to waste reduction efforts. These environmentally conscious measures align with the university's commitment to sustainability and responsible resource management.

Course catalogs are available at: https://nau.edu/catalog/
The directory is found on the front page of the NAU website: https://nau.edu/

NAUGO app:
-View personalized information such as class schedules, grades, and advisors through LOUIEgo.
-Track campus shuttles in real-time.
-Use the dining module to locate venues and get hours, menu, and nutrition information.
-Improved campus maps to find parking, academic buildings, dining locations, event venues, campus, ATMs, gender-neutral restrooms, and more.
-The events module keeps students connected with happenings virtually and around campus.
-Reserve a study room at Cline Library.
-The campus recreation module shows fitness schedules, hours of operation, trips, activities, and intramural sports.

The "Donate Don't Ditch" campaign is a marketing effort to enhance the existing residence hall move-out waste diversion program benefiting local, not-for-profit agencies. Students can donate their unwanted goods during spring move-out that go to benefit non-profit partners. Donate Don't Ditch completed its fourteenth year in Spring 2023, and has partnerships with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Goodwill, and Sunshine Rescue Mission. Items that are collected include gently used clothing, furniture, small household items and electronics, books, cleaning supplies, and non-perishable food.

During move-in, we provide additional roll-offs for cardboard recycling. Temp staff is hired to ensure that cardboard is collected and that other materials are diverted to the other dumpsters.

The aforementioned initiatives: Lean Path, Food Recovery Network, Compost, Louie’s Leftovers, and battery and printer cartridge recycling.