Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 79.37
Liaison Jillian Leach
Submission Date March 4, 2022

STARS v2.2

California State University, Chico
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.51 / 8.00 Gregory Wiggins
Climate & Energy Analyst
Facilities Management & Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Parts 1 and 2. Waste per person

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 1,442.80 Metric tons 2,506.59 Metric tons
Materials composted 155.13 Metric tons 190.51 Metric tons
Materials donated or re-sold 0 Metric tons 5.72 Metric tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Metric tons 0 Metric tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 2,796.81 Metric tons 2,747.29 Metric tons
Total waste generated 4,394.74 Metric tons 5,450.10 Metric tons

If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:

A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
N/A

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Period July 1, 2020 June 30, 2021
Baseline Period July 1, 2018 June 30, 2019

If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:

A brief description of when and why the waste generation baseline was adopted:
Baseline depicts the waste practices of campus operations during normal campus operations. Decrease in overall waste in the past 2 FY's are strictly due to COVID-19 Pandemic and the virtual nature of campus academics and work.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 1,882 2,027
Number of employees resident on-site 71 65
Number of other individuals resident on-site 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 14,231 14,847
Full-time equivalent of employees 1,460 1,322
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 12,256.50 12,649.75

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.36 Metric tons 0.43 Metric tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
16.78

Part 3. Waste diverted from the landfill or incinerator

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
36.36

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
36.36

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 No
Plant materials Yes
Animal bedding No
White goods (i.e. appliances) No
Electronics No
Laboratory equipment No
Furniture Yes
Residence hall move-in/move-out waste Yes
Scrap metal Yes
Pallets Yes
Tires No
Other (please specify below) Yes

A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Appliances are recycled.

Surplus furniture is largely donated, some taken to landfill.

Empty ink and toner cartridges are recycled.

Optional Fields 

Active Recovery and Reuse

Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year:
9.07 Metric tons

Recycling Management 

Does the institution use single stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
No

Does the institution use dual stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
Yes

Does the institution use multi-stream recycling to collect standard recyclables in common areas?:
No

Contamination and Discard Rates 

Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program:
---

A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
In the student union building and main campus dining area garbage, recycling and composting bins include signage showing examples of what types of materials should be disposed of in which bin.

Programs and Initiatives 

A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
AS Sustainability conducts regular campus outreach related to recycling and conservation through its student programs and events, signage throughout the student union and main campus dining areas.

A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
A comprehensive campus0wide waste audit was last completed in 2010, Spring 2018 the AS recycling program will be conducting a single-day audit of waste and recycling stream characterization from the student union.

A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
Sustainable Procurement:

1. Campuses will promote use of suppliers and/or vendors who reduce waste, re-purpose
recycled material, or support other environmentally friendly practices in the provision of
goods or services to the CSU under contract. This may include additional evaluation points in solicitation evaluations for suppliers integrating sustainable practices. (14-New)

2. To move to zero waste, campus practices should: (1) encourage use of products that
minimize the volume of trash sent to landfill or incinerators; (2) participate in the CalRecycle Buy-Recycled program or equivalent; and (3) increase recycled content purchases in all BuyRecycled program product categories. (14-New)

California State University Sustainability Policy Proposal (RJEP/CPBG 05-14-01)

A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
The University is expected to dispose of usable equipment in a responsible manner under the guidance of Property Surplus. This is done via transfers on campus, to other universities, public sales, donations, recycling and salvage of parts.

For the CSU Administration of University Property Equipment Procedures, please visit: https://www.csus.edu/administration-business-affairs/internal/procurement-contracts/_internal/_documents/3150-01-university-property-equipment-procedures.pdf

The University steps for moving to zero waste are: 1)the use of products that minimize the volume of trash sent to landfill or incinerators; 2) participation in the CalRecycle Buy-Recycled program or equivalent; and (3) increasing recycled content purchases in all BuyRecycled program product categories.

For the CSU Sustainability Policy, please visit: https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/6987526/latest/

For the CSU Buy Recycled Program, please visit: http://www.calstate.edu/csp/special-programs/

A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
AS Sustainability Free Store, materials donated and available.

A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
There is no free printing in computer labs or in the library. Students pay for printing via a print management system, using the campus Wildcat Card debit account system.

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
The University catalog is only available online and is not printed.

Course Schedules and Directories are also available online.
http://www.csuchico.edu/schedule/
http://webapps.csuchico.edu/directory/

The catalog, schedules and directory are clearly available at the top of the home page: http://www.csuchico.edu/

A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Diversion Excursion (DE) is annually hosted by University Housing and Food Services and AS Sustainability. The event aims to divert reusable and recyclable goods from the landfills; donating the goods to local charities while educating residents. DE tables, staffed with volunteers are located near each hall to collect the donations brought down by the residents. We collect non-perishable food items, clothing, books, office supplies, linens, and partially used shampoo, conditioner, soap, and laundry detergent, computers and more. This event is held the last two days of finals week. Over 20,000 lbs of material is recycled or donated to charity each year.

A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
CSU Chico conducts a "Diversion Excursion" at the beginning of each fall semester to promote proper disposal and diversion of items which students may originally opt to through into landfill waste receptacles. The program is aimed for students in on-campus housing to properly dispose/recycle or donate items when moving into or out of campus dorms.

Website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization and diversion efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

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.