| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 52.81 |
| Liaison | Chad King |
| Submission Date | Feb. 26, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Denver
OP-22: Waste Minimization
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.26 / 5.00 |
Chad
King Sustainability Coordinator Sustainbility |
Waste generated::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 287 Tons | 209 Tons |
| Materials composted | 103 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials reused, donated or re-sold | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 1,222 Tons | 4,621 Tons |
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 2,517 | 2,180 |
| Number of residential employees | 6 | 6 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 10,520 | 8,741 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 2,343 | 2,117 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 667 | 0 |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2013 | June 30, 2014 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2004 | June 30, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
This baseline aligns with the energy baseline.
A brief description of any (non-food) waste audits employed by the institution:
The Center for Sustainability hosts a one day waste audit for all campus waste. Volunteers and classes help sort and weigh waste for building level data on current and potential diversion rates. Additional building level audits are conduct as a part of projects, on request.
A brief description of any institutional procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
NA
A brief description of any surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Faculty, staff and students share old chairs, electronics and unneeded office supplies through a furniture share program managed through the Center for Sustainability.
A brief description of the institution's efforts to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
The University of Denver's course catalogs, course schedules, and directory are available online; our default is to not print these materials.
A brief description of any limits on paper and ink consumption employed by the institution:
Students are provided a set amount of print money each quarter. They are required to pay out of pocket if they go over that amount.
A brief description of any programs employed by the institution to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Housing & Residential Education facilitates a re-using program during the last weeks of the year called "When You Move Out, Don't Throw it Out." The students living in the residence halls donate belongings which are then picked up by a number of non-profit organizations. This program has reduced the amount of end-of-the-year waste significantly; 10-12 large moving trucks, vans, and pickup trucks are needed to move the donated items from the residence halls to the non-profit organizations each year.
A brief description of any other (non-food) waste minimization strategies employed by the institution:
Tiny trash cans have been implemented in two buildings, to emphasize the relatively small amount of waste generated in an office setting, and to encourage recycling. Zero Waste Hockey Games has proven to be a great engagement and educational event, with hundreds of volunteers interacting with thousands of hockey fans to reduce landfill at home games.
A brief description of any food waste audits employed by the institution:
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:
A brief description of programs and/or practices to track and reduce post-consumer food waste:
We are trayless across campus.
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 non-franchised cafes on campus provide nearly all compostable and/or recyclable to-go materials. These can be composted at the cafes, or in pilot compost projects in some residence halls.
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):
All dining halls (not cafes), have reusable service ware and a strong composting program.
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:
Small discounts are available to those using reusable mugs for beverages at to-go food service operations.
A brief description of other dining services waste minimization programs and initiatives:
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.