| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.91 |
| Liaison | Julie Hopper |
| Submission Date | Dec. 20, 2023 |
University of Southern California
IN-32: Single-Use Plastic Ban
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Julie
Hopper Data Analyst Office of Sustainability |
Has the institution banned or eliminated the on-site sales and distribution of at least one type of single-use disposable plastic?:
A brief description of the single-use disposable plastics that have been banned or eliminated:
USC implemented a 'Single-use Plastics Elimination- Beverage Bottles" Policy on July 1st 2022. The purpose of this university-wide policy is to eliminate Single-use Plastic Beverage Bottles from campus and medical enterprise operations. By shifting procurement practices, prioritizing reuse and increasing waste diversion and reduction measures, over the next few years, USC intends to transition away from all Single-Use Plastic Beverage Bottles on campus and reach its zero waste goals.
The policy applies to:
* the use of USC Funds for beverage product purchases;
* any functions or events held in association with USC on USC property, whether USC Funds are
utilized or not; and
* all facilities and operations across HSC and UPC, as well as off-campus operations. USC Village retail and food venues are expected to make this transition over time as lease contracts are renewed.
In addition to this policy, USC is:
* Transitioning to beverage container alternatives including glass and aluminum which can be more sustainably sourced than plastic and have increased recyclability.
* Encouraging the use of hydration stations, water coolers/dispensers, and water fountains instead of single-use plastic water bottles.
~ Over a million plastic bottles were kept out of landfill due to this policy as of November 17th 2022. https://news.usc.edu/203736/usc-plastic-bottle-ban-1-million/
Website URL where information about the single-use disposable plastic ban(s) is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Data current as of 9/21/23
Data current as of 9/21/23
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.