| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 71.36 |
| Liaison | Michael Chapman |
| Submission Date | Sept. 20, 2023 |
Nova Scotia Community College
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
6.13 / 8.00 |
Martha
MacGowan Project Assistant- Sustainability Facilities & Engineering |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 46.60 Tons | 252.90 Tons |
| Materials composted | 75 Tons | 162 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 202.60 Tons | 302.30 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 324.20 Tons | 717.20 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 | Sept. 5, 2022 | Sept. 5, 2023 |
| Baseline Period | Sept. 7, 2011 | Sept. 7, 2012 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
During the 2011/ 2012 academic school year it was decided that a college wide waste audit should be conducted to begin the process of monitoring our waste management practices. This is the first year we have a solid baseline for data at all 13 NSCC campuses.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 309 | 180 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 2 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 12,817 | 10,215 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 1,945 | 1,619 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 926 | 70 |
| Weighted campus users | 10,454.75 | 8,868 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.03 Tons | 0.08 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 | No |
| 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 | No |
| Tires | Yes |
| Other (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
NSCC recycles as many materials generated on-site as possible. NSCC also has greenhouses at specific campuses, and those campuses complete their own on-site composting of food waste. Sawdust at many campuses with carpentry programs is also saved, and local farmers collect it for animal bedding and farming. Wood scraps from our carpentry programs are available to reuse.
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:
The campuses follow the "Pack it in, pack it out" program, where no classrooms or offices have waste bins. Hallways and common areas have quad stream sorting stations (landfill waste, compost, plastic/glass recyclables, paper). This encourages staff and students to use the sorting stations and not have "catch-all" type garbage bins. Some campuses also do secondary sorting; the facilities staff remove the waste from the sorting stations and go through and do a final sort before ultimate disposal.
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
NSCC campuses follow the "Pack it in, pack it out" program, where no classrooms or offices have waste bins. Hallways and common areas have quad stream sorting stations (landfill waste, compost, plastic/glass recyclables, paper). This encourages staff and students to use the sorting stations and not have "catch-all" type garbage bins. The signs for the sorting stations are photos of everyday waste items on campus to make it easier to sort your waste.
Waste audits are conducted bi-annually (once a semester) at every NSCC campus. At many campuses, students participate in the audits and assist with sorting. Students then take on waste diversion as a class project. They will have education sessions on campus, including information booths at lunchtime, students stationed at waste sorting stations to assist with sorting, and social media campaigns to promote waste sorting.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Waste audits are conducted every semester at every NSCC campus. The sort and weigh method is used, and a projection formula is used to determine the annual amounts of each waste category.
Waste is weighed for each category to determine the campus' diversion rate (what percentage of total waste is being diverted from landfill), capture rate, and waste reduction rate. NSCC follows the Recycle Council of Ontario's Standard Waste Auditing Method.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
According to the NSCC procurement policy's section on sustainable procurement (copied below), the waste impact must be considered when purchasing products.
3.1.7 Sustainable Procurement
Sustainable Procurement involves a holistic approach to obtaining the best value for goods and services. NSCC, where economically viable and operationally feasible, shall ensure that sustainable procurement criteria are embedded in all purchasing decisions. Sustainable criteria may include, but are not limited to:
Environmental Considerations: Greenhouse gas impact, waste impact, recycled content, re-usability/ end-of-life disposal requirements.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
The Nova Scotia Community College is committed to ensuring stewardship in managing and using its resources. It is College policy that all assets of the College are correctly recorded, tracked, used, and safeguarded. The Director of Facilities is responsible for the execution of this policy. Any assets that have become surplus are offered to other NSCC campuses, schools, or provincial departments. Items that remain unused by any of these departments are sold through public notice.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
NSCC campuses have an office supply exchange program, where other employees are encouraged to leave supplies they don't need or use anymore, such as empty binders, staplers, file folders, etc., they are left in a particular area (i.e. a table outside of the leading offices), and other employees can take them to use them.
NSCC also has "dump-and-run" stores for its three student housing sites for students to donate unwanted items during move-out, which allows other students to take things for move-in the following year. Items can include clothing, books, furniture, and appliances.
Many NSCC campuses have clothing closets, and employees and students are encouraged to donate clothes that the campus community can take from when in need.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Each student has been allocated printing credits of $50 for the school year. These credits cover printing errors, such as ruined prints due to low toner conditions, prints lost because of power outages, etc. No further credits will be allocated free of charge. Printing credits can be accessed from the Campus computer lab or any computer workstation in the Library. Credits will be deducted based on the following:
• 10 cents/page for black and white laser output prints;
• 50 cents/page for colour laser output prints;
• Costs of plots will be based on plotted area.
If a student uses all their printing credits, purchasing additional credits from the Campus Business Office [or Campus Bookstore] during regular office hours is possible. A minimum purchase of $5 is required.
The college also has all printers set at default double-sided, black-and-white printing college-wide.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Although course catalogues are printed, potential students are encouraged to visit www.nscc.ca to view course information, which is more accurate than printed catalogues. Course schedules and directories are available exclusively online through "MyNSCC" on the NSCC website.
For NSCC staff, the College uses "Connect," an intranet service that provides all forms, documents and information the staff requires. These files are not printed and distributed.
This year the College's Annual Sustainability Report is 100% electronic with no printed copies available. Many other major public reports are going in this direction.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
The College has three student housing sites. Each site hosts a "dump-and-run" store where students can donate unwanted items, clothes, books, furniture, and appliances. These donated items are made available to other students to take. Leftover items are stored and then presented upon move-in to new students.
The College also follows a multi-tiered disposal system, and staff assist students during moving in/move to out to properly sort their waste. All plastics and cardboard are recycled by NSCC.
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:
Since the baseline, NSCC has observed a drop in the total waste produced. This can be attributed to our efforts to educate individuals on waste diversion and reduction, as evidenced by our data. For the 2022/23 audit period, the most recent data indicates a significant reduction in waste quantities, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and our implementation of a flex work policy. Many of our employees now work remotely, either full-time or part-time, and a greater portion of our students participate in online learning, which was previously conducted entirely on campus. With fewer individuals on-site, we have noticed a decrease in waste quantities.
Since the baseline, NSCC has observed a drop in the total waste produced. This can be attributed to our efforts to educate individuals on waste diversion and reduction, as evidenced by our data. For the 2022/23 audit period, the most recent data indicates a significant reduction in waste quantities, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and our implementation of a flex work policy. Many of our employees now work remotely, either full-time or part-time, and a greater portion of our students participate in online learning, which was previously conducted entirely on campus. With fewer individuals on-site, we have noticed a decrease in waste quantities.
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.