Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 47.06
Liaison Daniela Shebitz
Submission Date Dec. 11, 2023

STARS v2.2

Kean University
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.08 / 8.00 AJ Whitmore
Director of Facilities
Facilities
"---" 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 269 Tons 269 Tons
Materials composted 50 Tons 45 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold 11 Tons 8 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 928 Tons 978 Tons
Total waste generated 1,258 Tons 1,300 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, 2022 Dec. 31, 2022
Baseline Period Jan. 1, 2021 Dec. 31, 2021

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:
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Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 1,364 817
Number of employees resident on-site 45 41
Number of other individuals resident on-site 36 36
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 14,427 11,591
Full-time equivalent of employees 1,388 1,305
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 1,051 999
Weighted campus users 11,461.25 9,173.25

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.11 Tons 0.14 Tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
22.55

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:
26.23

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
26.23

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

A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Kean operates a campus wide system of co-mingled recycling for all plastics, glass, metal and paper.
Items sold through Gov Deals Auction site include - all vehicles, utility vehicles, furniture, landscaping equipment.
All food scraps from University dining areas are composted at our aerobic digester on campus. This was not used in 2021.
Materials are also collected and donated to the Cougar Pantry which is a source of free food/pantry items for students in need.

Optional Fields 

Active Recovery and Reuse

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

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

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?:
No

Contamination and Discard Rates 

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

A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
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Programs and Initiatives 

A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
All first floor waste / recycling containers were re-labeled with advanced marketing stickers specifically showing what can be recycled and what cannot.

A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
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A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste:
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A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
As per state purchasing law, all assets no longer used are publicly auctioned as surplus property.

A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
During the move out process, students who reside on campus are able to donate items for future student use.

A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Printers must not be utilized as copy machines. Only two copies of each unique document may be printed (otherwise 10 pages is the maximum allowed).

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
All university catalogs, course schedules, directories, etc. are available on on-line. Printed copies are available only upon request.

A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Each Residence Assistant (RA) facilitates a move-out appointment with each resident. This means that the RA inspects the room for cleanliness and assures that all trash is removed and placed in the correct recycling or trash bin.

A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
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Website URL where information about the institution’s waste minimization and diversion efforts is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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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.