| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 50.31 |
| Liaison | Amy McElhinney |
| Submission Date | Sept. 29, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Mount Union
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.07 / 8.00 |
Jamie
Greiner Sustainability and Campus Outreach Manager Nature Center |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 181.82 Tons | 25 Tons |
| Materials composted | 1 Tons | 1 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 15 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 479 Tons | 510 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 676.82 Tons | 536 Tons |
A brief description of the residual conversion facility, including affirmation that materials are sorted prior to conversion to recover recyclables and compostable materials:
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2015 | June 30, 2016 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2006 | June 30, 2007 |
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):
Started Stars & GGER in 2006
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 1,444 | 1,337 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 9 | 6 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 2,254 | 2,082 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 437 | 406 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 16 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 2,369.50 | 2,201.75 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.29 Tons | 0.24 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 | No |
| Cooking oil | Yes |
| Plant materials | No |
| Animal bedding | No |
| White goods (i.e. appliances) | Yes |
| Laboratory equipment | No |
| Furniture | Yes |
| Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | Yes |
| Scrap metal | Yes |
| Pallets | No |
| Tires | Yes |
| Other (please specify below) | No |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
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) :
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?:
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?:
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?:
Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program (percentage, 0-100):
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:
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:
Signs are posted above all recycling containers that detail what can go into the bins. The campus participates in RecycleMania and Game Day Challenge each year. The Green Raiders have had numerous table top displays about recycling. The Green Raiders have a "Recycling Relay" event each year as part of Freshman Orientation to train incoming students on what can be recycled. Recycling training is part of the RA training.
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Food waste audits are conducted each year to access the amount of food being discarded. We have seen a decrease in food waste.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
We do not have any procurement policies designed to prevent waste.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Yes, we currently do an exchange program within the department for office supplies.
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):
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):
Students are charged for printing.
Desktop printers are no longer supported.
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:
Yes, we currently promote making all documents electronic to negate the need to print.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
MOVE OUT: Trash to Treasure Sale
2017 marked the 9th year Mount Union has conducted "Trash to Treasure", a move-out donation and sale that benefits the United Way of Greater Stark County. On average every year, about $1,000 is donated from items students donate to the sale during move out time.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Mount Union is a participant in RecycleMania, an international waste minimization and recycling competition and Game Day Challenge Football, a national waste and recycling competition. 2017 marked the 10th consecutive year Mount Union has been a participant in RecycleMania.
"RecycleMania is a friendly competition and benchmarking tool for college and university recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities to their campus communities. Over an 8-week period each spring, colleges across the United States and Canada report the amount of recycling and trash collected each week and are in turn ranked in various categories based on who recycles the most on a per capita basis, as well as which schools have the best recycling rate as a percentage of total waste and which schools generate the least amount of combined trash and recycling. With each week’s updated ranking, participating schools follow their performance against other colleges and use the results to rally their campus to reduce and recycle more."-recyclemaniacs.org
"The GameDay Recycling Challenge is a friendly competition for colleges and universities to promote waste reduction at their football games. During the challenge, colleges and universities implement waste reduction programs during home football games. Schools track and report waste reductions and disposal data that is used to rank the schools.The competition is run by a partnership of the College and University Recycling Coalition (CURC), RecycleMania, Keep America Beautiful (KAB) and EPA’s WasteWise program."-gamedaychallenge.org
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
RECYCLING AND TRASH PERFORMANCE YEAR CALCULATION
The performance year trash amount was taken from the GHG report. The recycling amount was calculated tallying the number of hauls from our recycling vendor for the entire year. Using RecycleMania's Volume to Weight Conversion chart the capacity for RECYCLING was calculated for the entire campus (single stream, corrugated cardboard).
RECYCLING AND TRASH PERFORMANCE YEAR CALCULATION
The performance year trash amount was taken from the GHG report. The recycling amount was calculated tallying the number of hauls from our recycling vendor for the entire year. Using RecycleMania's Volume to Weight Conversion chart the capacity for RECYCLING was calculated for the entire campus (single stream, corrugated cardboard).
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.