| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.14 |
| Liaison | Lindsey Kalkbrenner |
| Submission Date | May 3, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Santa Clara University
OP-22: Waste Minimization
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.48 / 5.00 |
Chris
Young Assistant Director - Buildings & Grounds Facilities |
Waste generated::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 453.87 Tons | 255.82 Tons |
| Materials composted | 653.22 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials reused, donated or re-sold | 8.47 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 807.34 Tons | 1,343.53 Tons |
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 2,744 | 2,156 |
| Number of residential employees | 31 | 31 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 10,866 | 7,050 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 1,462 | 1,263 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 0 | 0 |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | Jan. 1, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2013 |
| Baseline Year | Jan. 1, 2005 | Dec. 31, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
A brief description of any (non-food) waste audits employed by the institution:
SCU has quarterly “Waste Characterizations”, in which waste composition from different areas of campus is analyzed to determine which aspects of waste diversion SCU needs to improve upon.
A brief description of any institutional procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
SCU strives to reduce waste and inefficiency in all areas, especially through responsible consumerism. The Facilities Department has made recent changes for campus like rebuilding batteries with new components instead of purchasing new ones and the purchasing of waste and recycle liners that are made of at least 70% post-consumer recycled content.
A brief description of any surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
www.scu.edu/classifieds allows SCU students, faculty and staff to find new homes for unwanted or no-longer-needed items, like old office furniture or supplies.
A brief description of the institution's efforts to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
SCU Course Evaluations moved from paper format to online in 2008. This includes surveys through email and responses collected online, rather than using paper surveys and spreadsheets. All course catalogs are available only online: www.scu.edu/courseavail
A brief description of any limits on paper and ink consumption employed by the institution:
Students are given an original allotment of $48.00 for printing, per year. Charges of $0.08/page are issued for single-sided printing, while double-sided printing is at a reduced cost of $0.06/page. Statistics show that 90% of students do not exceed this allotment. Faculty and students are highly encouraged to print double-sided for all materials, with the option available in all residence halls, SCU library, and many other campus buildings.
A brief description of any programs employed by the institution to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
The Center for Sustainability, Facilities and the Housing Office coordinate with a local non-profit agency to provide donation opportunities for students in spring and during move out. There are also food donation programs, linen drives for local shelters, and collection areas to recycle electronic waste and carpets.
A brief description of any other (non-food) waste minimization strategies employed by the institution:
SCU hosts a Swap for Good event each Spring, which is a large clothing-swap program for students, staff, and faculty. All leftover items are donated to local non-profit community-serving organizations.
A brief description of any food waste audits employed by the institution:
Waste Characterizations periodically focus on the waste of SCU’s main dining hall and kitchen.
A brief description of any programs and/or practices to track and reduce pre-consumer food waste in the form of kitchen food waste, prep waste and spoilage:
Dining Services by Bon Appetit prepares food from scratch and practices "batch-cooking" in order to not prepare more food than needed.
A brief description of programs and/or practices to track and reduce post-consumer food waste:
Meals are served in portions, not in buffet-style trays, which reduces the food waste that consumers decide they can't finish. Students dispose of their food scraps in provided compost bins. Dining Services strives to reduce landfill waste and divert properly at all times.
A brief description of the institution's provision of reusable and/or third party certified compostable to-go containers for to-go food and beverage items (in conjunction with a composting program):
All to-go containers and beverage items are compostable, recyclable, or reusable at SCU.
A brief description of the institution's provision of reusable service ware for “dine in” meals and reusable and/or third party certified compostable service ware for to-go meals (in conjunction with a composting program):
Students are able to choose between two sets of service ware: steel, reusable utensils for dining in, and the alternative recyclable utensils for to-go meals. To-go cups and plates are compostable.
A brief description of any discounts offered to customers who use reusable containers (e.g. mugs) instead of disposable or compostable containers in to-go food service operations:
Customers who use their own reusable mug receive a $0.10 discount at SCU Cafes.
A brief description of other dining services waste minimization programs and initiatives:
“Eco-Tray” that can be purchased with a refundable $5 deposit. Students receive a key chain that they exchange for a clean and sanitized tray. They can drop off the dirty tray at any venue and pick up the key chain to start the exchange over again.
The website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization initiatives is available:
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.