Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 49.48
Liaison William Clancey
Submission Date Jan. 3, 2023

STARS v2.2

Durham College
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.26 / 8.00 Tanya Roberts
Sustainability Coordinator
Facilities Management
"---" 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 293.11 Tons 199.40 Tons
Materials composted 0 Tons 0 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 584.14 Tons 419.90 Tons
Total waste generated 877.25 Tons 619.30 Tons

If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:

A brief description of the residual conversion facility:
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Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Period Jan. 1, 2020 Dec. 31, 2020
Baseline Period Jan. 1, 2019 Dec. 31, 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:
The baseline was adopted in 2018, with the introduction of an annual 3rd party waste audit.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 1,171 1,229
Number of employees resident on-site 8 6
Number of other individuals resident on-site 7 1
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 11,624 10,873
Full-time equivalent of employees 838.58 818.91
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 455.50 0
Weighted campus users 9,307.06 9,078.68

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.09 Tons 0.07 Tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
0

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:
33.41

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
33.41

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) Yes
Electronics Yes
Laboratory equipment No
Furniture No
Residence hall move-in/move-out waste No
Scrap metal Yes
Pallets No
Tires No
Other (please specify below) Yes

A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Textbooks through the company Textbooks for Change
e-waste through Greentec
batteries through Raw Materials Co. (RMC)
Pens through Terracycle

Optional Fields 

Active Recovery and Reuse

Materials intended for disposal but subsequently recovered and reused on campus, performance year:
---

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?:
No

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

Contamination and Discard Rates 

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

A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
---

Programs and Initiatives 

A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
The College has implemented a Green Office Certification program to help foster and guide sustainable waste reduction behaviors throughout campus admin and faculty offices.

A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
waste/recycling audits are performed across campus annually by a third party contractor

A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
Our Purchasing Policy states the following:

3.6. Where possible, and without compromising overall best value, purchasing
preference will be given to locally sourced goods and services.

3.7. Where possible, and without compromising overall best value, purchasing
preference will be given to environmentally friendly goods and services.

A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
Durham College has piloted and will soon be launching a pen recycling program through Terracycle

A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
---

A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Students are allocated a specific dollar amount per academic year to go towards printing.
Signage is located at printers across campus to encourage students and staff to limit printing waste.
Computers default to double sided.

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
Course catalogs and descriptions, course schedules, information about the school and employees contact information can be found online. Students can access class powerpoint's and handouts online to prevent paper copies of notes. Online versions of some textbooks can also be purchased at the bookstore. As an institute of technology, electronic versions are encouraged.

A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Both Durham College and our campus partner Ontario Tech University host a bi-annual Thrift Swap event in Partnership with Residence Life. Clothes, e-waste, batteries, paper, books, non-perishable food, pens, clothing and plastic bags are collected and recycled twice a year through this program

A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Signage is located above co-mingle bins to remind people to recycle appropriately. Waste audits are also completed on campus.

Our Whitby campus has implemented a steel recycling program as well as wood recycling program, where wood skids are recycled internally where possible

There is an on-site composting area designated for grounds maintenance

Website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization and diversion efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
OP 22 is reported as performance year of Jan 1 - Dec 31 2019, while IC 3 is reported as current 2020 data

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.