California State University, Monterey Bay
OP-22: Waste Minimization

This baseline year was chosen because it was the first full year with our new waste hauler, GreenWaste Recovery Inc., who provided compost, landfill and recylcing data by weight. Our previous hauler Waste Management provided data by a volume to waste conversion. An audit found that the campus was grossly over-serviced and went from 3x/week pick up to 1x/week pick up. Compost pick up was also added in 2013.

In Fall 2014, a Main Campus waste audit was performed. The goal of the audit was to resize the dumpsters around campus in relation to how frequent this fill up. This audit also gave us a better understanding of what areas are generating the most waste meaning they may need more frequent pick-ups.

Our procurement policies follow the CSU general provisions which can be found here: http://www.calstate.edu/CSP/crl/GP/GP.shtml Contracts with key vendors, including food service, custodial, and landscape management all have waste minimization and management requirements detailed in a scope of work. Chose firms are selected based on their ability to minimize wastes at CSUMB.

We do not have a formal office supplies reuse program on our campus, but some offices on campus take the iniative in their own hands. For example, the Campus Planning and Development department clean out office spaces frequently when staff move office spaces. The Campus Planning and Developing Department collects all the left over supplies and first offers the supplies to their own office, then the entire campus population by word of mouth. If items are left over, some staff from Campus Plannng and Development take the left over supplies to local schools in their area.

Most professors have online versions of documents in order to reduce the need for printing, however there are circumstances when documents need to be printed, but typically this documents are printed double sided and sized to reduce paper prints. Our campus does not print the course catalog anymore in order to reduce printing, you can find all resources online.

Each student is allotted about 100 pages to print per semester. The ink is also only in black and white. We do not mandate double sided printing, but it is the default for all printers on campus. Professors don't usually require printed documents because they want to keep everything electronic.

For residential move-in, we recruit volunteers to be the "Otter Welcome Team". Their job requires them to direct new residents, help them move and direct movers to the appropriate waste bins to recycle cardboard and other items. For move-out, volunteers are recruited as the zero waste team. The zero waste team members are assigned a location on campus where they direct movers to the appropriate diversion stations (landfill, recycling or donations). We have extra roll off bins brought to each residential hall from our waste hauler in order to eliminate over flow in already existing dumpsters. Volunteers are stationed at each roll off station so they can intersect anyone who may be throwing away items in the wrong place. Donation bins for food, clothing, furniture etc.are placed in every residential hall for increased diversion from the landfill. These donation items are picked up by local non-profits in the area for donation distribution in our community.

Procurement policy portion, online purchasing (recycled content purchases) and EC swaps/garage sale (Leon Habrik). Also, contracts with vendors require waste minimization and contractors are selected based on their ability to do so.

Spring 2015, All eateries on campus were visited to be evaluated on their current composting efforts. Reccommendations were given to improve diversion and reduce contamination. March 2016, our campus' grab and go/ sandwich shop was audited. 2 days of trash were collected from the eatery and then sorted to see th eamount of trash that was actually able to be composted or recycled. This eatery does not have current composting services. What we found was that 27% was landfill, 40% was compostable and 33% was recyclable. From what we found, we will be making efforts to add composting to their form of diversion, as well as imprive current waste bins and signage to improve diversion rates.

Our food provider, Sodexo, uses LeanPath tracking system to assist them in eliminating food waste. The system is user friendly and allows workers to input the amount of food waste heading to the compost in order to adjust food portions and purchasing. For more information visit: http://www.leanpath.com/

Sodexo has introduced trayless dining in the Dining Commons in order to discourage diners from taking to much food at once. Having trays makes it easier for diners to take more than they can consume, thus the trayless dining system helps reduce that potential food waste. Sodexo also offers samples of each dish for diners to have before getting the entre plate of food, which also reduces the potential of food waste. As for student run efforts; Associated Students has held Weigh Your Waste events with in the Dining Commons about 2-3 times a year. During Weigh Your Waste, Associated Students has diners scrape their food waste, pour their liquid waste and dispose of the inedible waste in separate containers that are weighed through out the dining hours. Associated Students uses this event to bring awareness on food waste as well as encourage diners to get smaller portions or ask for a sample beforehand. Associated Students has given the Executive Chef of the Dining Commons feedback after each event.

Spring 2015, our reusable to-go box program was launched in the campus Dining Commons, which supplies food to the majority of our campus. How the program works: You can purchase the to-go box at the cashier once you enter the Dining Commons. They take Card or a Meal Plan. The cost is one block= 1 swip with meal plan or $5 dollars on your card. This first to-go box is not your personal box, you bring the box back at your next visit to get it washed. You then have the choice to either have to-go again with a clean container or choose to eat in at the Dining Commons which then you get a gold card that is used as a token for your next to-go box. The gold card is helpful since not all members of the program want to carry around a to-go box constantly. For certified compostable to-go containers/to-go items, all of our carry put to-go products from the Dining Commons are certified compostable except for our non-reusable to-go boxes that are recyclable. We have certified compostable items, but we do not have compost bins accessible to students, staff and faculty for disposal.

The dining facilities utilize mostly reusable, washable service ware.

There is no discount for using the reusable to-go containers in the Dining Commons, but our campus Starbucks and Peet'es Coffee both take 10% each drink for bringin ga reusable cup or mug.

Baseline year was a demolition year.