| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.57 |
| Liaison | Rebecca Collins |
| Submission Date | Dec. 14, 2023 |
Temple University
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
6.35 / 8.00 |
Rebecca
Collins Director of Sustainability Office of Sustainability |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 1,487.48 Tons | 1,031.50 Tons |
| Materials composted | 0 Tons | 270 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 42.10 Tons | 20.50 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 1,260.48 Tons | 4,439.88 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 2,790.06 Tons | 5,761.88 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 | July 1, 2022 | June 30, 2023 |
| Baseline Period | July 1, 2005 | June 30, 2006 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
FY 2006 was the first year of reliable reported data
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 4,610 | 4,550 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 8 | 12 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 1 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 30,683 | 25,280 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 6,718 | 6,478 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 2,770.11 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 27,128.67 | 24,959 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.10 Tons | 0.23 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 | Yes |
| Tires | No |
| Other (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Tyler School of Art glass, office supplies, construction waste, theater sets and unwanted installation projects from the Tyler School of Art (via Revolution Recovery). Office furnitute, preconsumer food waste.
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:
Recycling and waste containers are placed in pairs to reduce contamination. Educational signage and lids for recycling units encourage proper recycling.
A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
Temple participates in Campus Race to Zero Waste every year. We also provide guidance on recycling right via the sustainability website and social media channels.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
The university conducted waste and recycling audits of the exterior trash and recycling containers to determine the recycling rate and the potential diversion opportunities in the waste stream during June 2016.
Additionally, Temple hired a third part to audit waste compactors to identify opportunities to reduce contamination, increase recycling, and minimize waste.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
The technical specifications for the university require contractors to meet a 75% diversion rate for C&D construction waste for new buildings and renovations.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
1. Temple's Computer Recycling Center and the Office of Sustainability partnered to accept donations of unwanted office supplies and makes them available at no cost to other departments and students on campus through Swap Tables and the Swap Room located in the Office of Sustainability.
2. The computer recycling center also recycles and upgrades retired university computers, printers, and other electronic equipment. They make the items available online for discounted prices to university departments and members of the Temple community. The program also establishes computer labs in area schools.
A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
The Office of Sustainability holds Temple Thrift every fall.
A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
1. All currently-enrolled Temple University students paying the University Services Fee receive a free printing quota. This quota may be used for standard (8.5" x 11" black and white) and color laser printing only. There is a charge for plotters and some specialty printing. The amount of your quota depends on the amount of University Services Fee paid (based on credit hours) for the semester in which you are enrolled. If you exhaust your quota, your Diamond Dollars account will be automatically charged for any printing. At the end of each six-month printing period, any unused quota is deleted. The quota has no cash value; there are no refunds or transfers for unused quotas.
2. Duplexing is the default setting for printers in the Tech Center. This reduces the amount of used paper generated.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Temple University uses self-service banner for all of its course catalogs and schedules. Hard copies of the catalogs and course schedules are no longer made available. The university's directory is hosted online via the Cherry and White directory, and hard copies are not made available. Student Affairs has also utilized the online app for programming information.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Temple's Residential Life Department organizes an end of the year clean-out, which focuses on collecting donations from students leaving the residence halls. The clean-out targets clothing, food, carpet, household items, and electronics. With the exception of electronics, the items are donated to local charities. The electronics are recycled through the university's computer recycling center.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
1. Since 2011, over 100 water bottle filling stations have been installed throughout Temple campuses, providing cool, filtered water to the Temple community. Most water bottle filling stations have a counter located on them to track how many bottles were diverted from the waste stream through the use of the station.
2. Rentacrate supplies durable plastic containers for moves, offering a sustainable alternative to throw-away cardboard boxes. Rentacrate bins can be used for dormitory move-ins and also by university offices for small or large moves.
3. Staples and Alpha have developed a program in partnership with Temple University where ordered office supplies are delivered in reusable boxes and returned back to Alpha. The program is estimated to remove 16,000 boxes or 12.8 tons of cardboard from the waste stream per year.
4. The university's dining services vendor offers discounted refills for individuals who use a reusable cup.
5. Bulk waste like Theater sets/Art installation material is recycled through Revolution Recovery, a C&D recycling program.
6. The university hosts a sheet music swap each semester for members of the Boyer College of Music and Dance.
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:
Updated for FY2023
Updated for FY2023
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.