Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.61
Liaison Alan Brew
Submission Date Feb. 26, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Northland College
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.11 / 8.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 20.90 Tons 28.24 Tons
Materials composted 14.68 Tons 16.43 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold 3.20 Tons 3.20 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 92.22 Tons 94.82 Tons
Total waste generated 131 Tons 142.69 Tons

A brief description of the residual conversion facility, including affirmation that materials are sorted prior to conversion to recover recyclables and compostable materials:
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Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year Jan. 1, 2016 Dec. 31, 2016
Baseline Year Jan. 1, 2015 Dec. 31, 2015

A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
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Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 405 386
Number of employees resident on-site 2 2
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 579 557
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 149 147
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 647.75 625

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.20 Tons 0.23 Tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
11.42

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
29.60

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
29.60

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 No
White goods (i.e. appliances) 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:

The Northland Hockey and Soccer teams collected and donated used sporting equipment for the local community.


Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year (e.g. materials that are actively diverted from the landfill or incinerator and refurbished/repurposed) :
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Does the institution use single stream recycling (a single container for commingled recyclables) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
Yes

Does the institution use dual stream (two separate containers for recyclables, e.g. one for paper and another for plastic, glass, and metals) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
No

Does the institution use multi-stream recycling (multiple containers that further separate different types of materials) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
No

Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program (percentage, 0-100):
18

A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed, e.g. efforts to minimize contamination and/or monitor the discard rates of the materials recovery facilities and mills to which materials are diverted:

Bold placards are placed above the recycling/waste stations, student Eco-Reps address recycling protocol and concerns with the student body several times per year, faculty and staff are reminded of acceptable recycling items directly at meetings and through email.


A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives, e.g. initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices such as signage and competitions:

Signage in the student union building make recycling bins prominent and easily accessible. Periodic competitions and recycling drives raise campus awareness of the importance of recycling. Students also help raise awareness through educational sessions at student government meetings.


A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
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A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
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A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:

The Reuse Room on campus diverts about 3 tons of goods from the landfill every year. We have two Reuse Room student coordinators and two Recycling student coordinators who also oversee a campus move-out collection drive.

We also reuse envelopes for internal mailing and those envelopes are stored in every department. Reuseable mailing supplies are stored at the post office.


A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse (e.g. of electronics, furnishings, books and other goods):

The coordinators of the ReUse Center and Recycling Center send out periodic email announcements to the campus, provide information on the campus schedule webpage, and create colorful posters to raise attention. Furthermore, a textbook reuse room provides shelves of books for many of Northland's academic classes. The books are free and available to everyone for pick up and drop off.


A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption (e.g. restricting free printing and/or mandating doubled-sided printing in libraries and computer labs):

Double-sided printing is encouraged and made as the default on may copy/printing machines.


A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials (e.g. course catalogs, course schedules, and directories) available online by default rather than printing them:

The course catalog, course schedules, directories and many business processes and employee documents are all paperless. The Office of the Registrar and the Office of Human Resources as well as Information Technologies regularly seek ways to reduce paper use.


A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:

The ReUse Center and Recycling Coordinators are on hand during the move-in/move-out process and work with the residence hall director to properly direct materials and eliminate wasteful overlap of resources.


A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:

The College works with Terracycle to recycle foil-faced chip/candy bags. The College also collects plastic shopping bags, batteries, toner cartridges, old pens, and electronics for recycling.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Baseline data (prior to 2015) is not available from either our current or former waste and recycling services provider.


Baseline data (prior to 2015) is not available from either our current or former waste and recycling services provider.

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.