Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 53.20
Liaison Olivia Shehan
Submission Date Dec. 24, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Wellesley College
OP-23: Waste Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.53 / 3.00 Patrick Willoughby
Sustainability Director
Facilities
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Materials diverted from the solid waste landfill or incinerator:
238.50 Tons

Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator :
1,100.24 Tons

A brief description of programs, policies, infrastructure investments, outreach efforts, and/or other factors that contributed to the diversion rate, including efforts made during the previous three years:

Wellesley College has reuse, recycling, composting, and donation programs in place. Diverted waste may go to recycling and composting facilities or may be donated or sold at our sustainable move-in sale.


A brief description of any food donation programs employed by the institution:

Dining Services occasionally donates non prepared foods to nearby non profit organizations.


A brief description of any pre-consumer food waste composting program employed by the institution:

Dining Services partnered with the Office of Sustainability in the fall of 2012 to begin a pre consumer food waste composting program. This program was very successful; in a three month time span 9,440 pounds or 4.72 tons were diverted from the waste stream. This has led to a full composting program campus wide including pre and post consumer waste.


A brief description of any post-consumer food waste composting program employed by the institution:

See our pre consumer food waste composting response, this program encapsulates both pre and post consumer waste.


Does the institution include the following materials in its waste diversion efforts?:
Yes or No
Paper, plastics, glass, metals, and other recyclable containers Yes
Food donations Yes
Food for animals Yes
Food composting Yes
Cooking oil Yes
Plant materials composting Yes
Animal bedding composting ---
Batteries Yes
Light bulbs Yes
Toner/ink-jet cartridges 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
Motor oil Yes
Tires Yes

Other materials that the institution includes in its waste diversion efforts:

We have upgrading our recycling program by creating community awareness, student involvement, and paid student workers to conduct recycling audits. In 2012 Wellesley College instituted a styrofoam recycling program in addition to our regular recycling efforts. In 2014 the college recycled 700 pounds of polystyrene (Styrofoam)


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.