| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 49.94 |
| Liaison | Jane Stewart |
| Submission Date | March 3, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Washington and Lee University
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.55 / 8.00 |
Kimberly
Hodge Director of Sustainability Initiatives and Education Student Affairs |
Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Materials recycled | 74.20 Tons | 41.70 Tons |
| Materials composted | 11.80 Tons | 10.30 Tons |
| Materials donated or re-sold | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Tons | 0 Tons |
| Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 797.11 Tons | 935.37 Tons |
| Total waste generated | 883.11 Tons | 987.37 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, 2014 | June 30, 2015 |
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):
Baseline date was chosen based on when we had the most complete numbers. Data collection has stayed the same since this baseline, which will help with further STARS reporting.
Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 949 | 1,038 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 74 | 36 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 2,170 | 2,259 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 901 | 892 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 2,559 | 2,631.75 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.35 Tons | 0.38 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 | Yes |
| White goods (i.e. appliances) | Yes |
| Laboratory equipment | Yes |
| Furniture | Yes |
| Residence hall move-in/move-out waste | Yes |
| Scrap metal | Yes |
| Pallets | Yes |
| 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:
We use multi-stream recycling to minimize contamination. We also take our recyclables to a recovery facility that hand-sorts, rather than machine sorts.
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:
A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
The Department of University Facilities holds frequent "Surplus Sales," offering items that the University no longer needs (ranging from office and dorm furniture to kitchen and grounds equipment) up for sale/auction. There are typically at least four such opportunities in a given year.
Unfortunately, these sales are only tracked in dollar amounts and not weights, so we could not accurately report these numbers above.
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):
The University's "Campus Notices" is a daily email serving essentially as a community billboard for events and notices but also for people looking to buy/sell goods and services. Community members frequently list items they no longer need for free, simply to encourage re-use.
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):
Double-sided printing is the default on all University printers and students and departments alike are charged for printing, with color ink at a higher price, encouraging awareness.
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:
The University Course catalog, Student Handbook, Faculty/Staff Handbook and all University policies are published on-line and only provided in paper form by specific request.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
A Habitat for Humanity van sets up on campus to pick up move-out waste every year.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
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:
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.