Cornell University
OP-22: Waste Minimization

The baseline year was changed from 2005 to 2013. It is the most honest representation of our waste minimization, as Cornell's R5 Operations has collected far more data during these two years (2013 and 2014). For example, films, rigid plastics, yard waste, wood, and dining oil were not included in 2005 metrics but are included in 2013 (baseline) and 2014 (performance) metrics.

Cornell University surplus programs are currently decentralized and include the CATS program, the STACS Program, and donations to not for profit groups. Additionally, the University contracts with Sedgwick Business Interiors utilizing their Asset Inventory Management (AIM) program: CATS Program: The Cornell Assets Transfer System (CATS) run by the Division of Financial Affairs - Cost and Capital Assets Department. This system is intended for items with a value exceeding $5,000 (though often used for items under $5,000), and is designed to connect those with available campus assets with those who can put the assets to further use. The Office of Community Relations coordinates equipment requests from the off-campus community where it is appropriate for assets to be gifted to an individual or outside agency. STACS Program: R5 Operations manages both the System for Trade and Auction of Cornell Surplus (STACS) and the Facilities Services Reuse Program. As items are collected for disposal R5 Operations appropriately sorts furniture and office supplies for use by University Departments, for sale to the general public, and for the annual Dump and Run sale organized by Campus Life. Sedgwick Business Interiors Asset Inventory Management (AIM) program: AIM Program inventories all furniture for an account/project. The Sedgwick project team generates a customized Internet based asset inventory (AIM) list of all items stored. Items cataloged are rated as to their present condition to be used as a reference when items are re-deployed to other areas. AIM allows users to view all reserved, stored product online for future moves and reconfigures, leaving anything un-used stored. By managing active customer inventory, through reliable consistent information, better utilization of assets may be achieved and less product will be purchased; customer standards may be identified and managed, allowing for reduction in asset levels and customer storage costs. Current accounts/projects on the Cornell campus include those in the College of Human Ecology, the Statler Hotel, Campus Life, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and more. Donations: Donations of Cornell owned items are coordinated by the Department of Community and Government Relations. Human Services Coalition Listserv: The mission of the Human Services Coalition is to identify information and service needs, to provide planning and coordination, and to enhance the delivery of health and human services in the Tompkins County area. The listserv is open to persons who are affiliated with the non-profit sector. This may include employees or volunteers at not-for-profit agencies, county and city departments, elected officials, board members, or other affiliates. An award by the Appalachian Regional Commission to the Tompkins County Collaborative Communications Project, in cooperation with Cornell University, provided funding for this service. Over 11,000 individuals subscribe to the listserv. Departments at Cornell University frequently utilize the listserv to post items available for reuse. Listserv addess: http://www.hsctc.org/

Cornell has placed its course catalog online for a number of years while reducing the number of paper copies that are printed. As of the 2011-2012 academic year, paper catalogs were eliminated altogether. Users can select pages or sections of the online catalog and turn them into pdf files that they can keep on their computers and/or print themselves. http://courses.cornell.edu/ Cornell has a searchable "course and time roster" posted online. http://registrar.sas.cornell.edu/courses/roster/ The university has an online directory that replaced a printed phone book that was discontinued in 2009. http://www.cornell.edu/search/?q=&submit=go&tab=people

There is a cost for all printing at libraries and computer labs. Printing at these facilities is managed through a program named "Net-Print" which allows students, faculty, and staff to create an account, make payments in advance or, for students, be charged monthly on one's University Bursar bill. Costs vary depending on location, paper size and color choice (black and white or color print). In addition to printers photocopy machines are located in libraries. There is no charge for scanning a document to a flash-drive, or sending a scan of a document to an email account. All printed photocopies incur a cost paid by cash, or with advance purchase of a copy card. Costs vary depending on location, paper size and color choice (black and white or color copy).

Dump & Run is Cornell’s annual campus-wide waste-reduction and recycling program to reduce move-out waste. Student and staff volunteers collect items students might otherwise throw away when leaving campus in May, sort and organize the collected items over the summer, and resell them at a large community sale when students return in August. Items are collected from both university owned residence halls and apartments, as well privately owned apartments and houses. Items collected include clothing, shoes, organizational units, working appliances and electronics, furniture, sporting items, coat hangers, decorations, new toiletries, non-perishable food, text books, etc. Proceeds from each Dump & Run sale are donated to local nonprofit organizations. This year's sale will benefit Cops, Kids & Toys; Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC); Loaves & Fishes; Shelter Outreach Services, Finger Lakes ReUse, and United Way of Tompkins County. Since Cornell's Dump & Run program began in 2003, the university's program has contributed more than $275,000 to Ithaca-area charities. In 2013, 30 tons of reusable iitems were diverted from landfills. Dump & Run is organized by Cornell students, with support from Campus Life. Cornell's program is modeled after a national program; visit http://living.sas.cornell.edu/explore/news/1308-dump-run-sale.cfm

Outreach and education has been a large strategy for waste minimization including but not limited to: Recyclemania; presentations to classes, student clubs, and campus groups; staff trainings; engagement with event coordinators in planning for low waste events; and the new "Think Big Live Green" outreach education campaign that was piloted in the College of Engineering in 2013 with a component on waste reduction.

During the 2013-2014 academic year, the Dining Student Sustainability Coordinators (SSCs) conducted a three-part food waste study and campaign targeting first-year students. This study consisted of (1) measuring students’ food waste over the course of a week to obtain baseline values, (2) following-up with an online survey to identify individuals’ behaviors, and (3) educating students about the implications of wasting food through a poster campaign. The SSCs found that the average Cornell student wastes 3.2 oz of food per night. This equates to about 152 lbs per night, or 744 lbs for an entire week at one dining hall (Appel’s Market Eatery). At a larger, more frequented dining hall (Robert Purcell’s Market Eatery), the total waste is about two times this amount (1,488 pounds per week). Out of the total number of students sampled, about 25% of the students wasted 5 ounces of food or more per meal. These students accounted for over half of the total waste. Additionally, the people who wasted over 10 oz. of food per night, accounted for a very large portion of the total waste (12%). Most of the survey responses indicated that students leave food on their plates because they didn't like the way food tasted or they took more than they could eat.

Cornell Dining offers a “cook on demand” option, where students can request meals and watch as their food is prepared. For example, some All You Care to Eat Dining Facilities are equiped with an omelet bar, where students choose their own ingredients prior to the omelet’s creation. A similar program is used to make sandwiches, burritos, quesadillas, and salads in Dining’s retail locations.

Cornell Dining introduced trayless dining in 2008 to reduce food waste and to conserve electricity and water. Currently nine of the ten All You Care to Eat Dining Facilities practice trayless dining. Trayless dining has been implemented at all but one of Dining’s retail locations. Cornell Dining offers discounts for hot beverage drinks where the patron brings a reusable mug.

All beverage cups and lids utilized by Cornell Dining, and the majority of contracted vendors, utilize compostable beverage cups and lids. Additionally all opportunities to purchase compostable "to go" containers are made (eg. paper boxes, compostable sandwich wrappings, paper cookie wraps, compostable salad bowls, etc.). Compost is collected widely across campus and processed on campus at an industrial size compost facility.

Cornell Dining utilizes reusable flatware, plates, bowls, cups, and mugs in all "all you can eat" dining areas. In all locations where "to go" meals are served, Cornell Dining, Cornell Catering, and the Statler Hotel dining facilities, as well as most contracted dining vendors utilize compostable flatware and containers (e.g., paper boxes, compostable sandwich wrappings, paper cookie wraps, compostable salad bowls, etc.). Compost is collected widely across campus and processed on campus at an industrial size compost facility.

Cornell Dining sells reusable mugs at four retail locations. Cornell Dining has a discount refill program. A customer can bring in any reusable mug and get a 45-cent discount per drink. At one retail unit (Martha’s Café), Dining offers a "free coffee" program 5 mornings a week. Most student customers bring their own mugs to this coffee stand, rather than paying 25 cents for a cup. The Johnson Graduate School of Management has a daily coffee hour where students may obtain coffee at no charge with a reusable mug (disposable cups are not offered - students wishing to participate without a mug need to purchase a disposable cup from the nearby dining facility).

Cornell Catering offers compostable flatware, cups, plates, and napkins as well as compost bins and compost bin removal at end of catered events.

In regards to the weighted campus user data: the number of partners/family members of staff and professional students that also live on campus and consume resources were placed in the "in-patient hospital beds" category because there is no place in STARS 2.0 to document campus residents that are not students, employees, or in-patient hospital beds. This allows for the most honest representation of Cornell's weighted campus users.