Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.58
Liaison Brad Spanbauer
Submission Date Sept. 12, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
IN-3: Innovation 3

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Brian Kermath
Sustainability Director
Sustainability Office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Title or keywords related to the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
Plastic Film Recycling program

A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:

The plastic film recycling program was initiated at UW Oshkosh by a part-time employee and a student intern who both work for the Office of Sustainability. The idea came about by analyzing the waste stream and figuring out how to reduce the campus' impact. The obstacle for this program was finding the partner to accept large quantities of plastic wrap that are otherwise not recycled through the campus' waste service provider. After several attempts to reach out to various organizations, it was discovered that the plastic wrap could be recycled in large quantities at a local big-box grocery store. This partnership was established by the part-time employee and the material which is collected monthly is delivered to the grocery store by the part-time employee and student intern.

The program initially focused on receiving areas to collect plastic wrap from palleted boxes and other items. In November of 2015 this program expanded to include collection bins on campus where campus community members could recycle their plastic bags and plastic wrap.


A brief description of any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation (if not reported above):

This program began in January of 2015 and has resulted in 50-100 lbs of plastic wrap being recycled each month, rather than being landfilled.
The response to the expansion of the plastic film recycling program has dramatically increased the amount of plastic film being recycled to over 100 lbs/month in recent months (November 2015 - January 2016).


A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise:
Which of the following STARS subcategories does the innovation most closely relate to? (Select all that apply up to a maximum of five):
Yes or No
Curriculum No
Research No
Campus Engagement Yes
Public Engagement No
Air & Climate No
Buildings No
Dining Services No
Energy No
Grounds No
Purchasing No
Transportation No
Waste Yes
Water No
Coordination, Planning & Governance No
Diversity & Affordability No
Health, Wellbeing & Work No
Investment No

Other topic(s) that the innovation relates to that are not listed above:
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The website URL where information about the innovation is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.