Overall Rating Reporter
Overall Score
Liaison Lindsey Van Zile
Submission Date Feb. 28, 2023

STARS v2.2

Randolph College
OP-18: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete Reporter Lindsey Van Zile
Sustainability Coordinator & Campus Projects
Sustainability
"---" 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 71.81 Metric tons 15.60 Metric tons
Materials composted 0.45 Metric tons 0 Metric tons
Materials donated or re-sold 1.81 Metric tons 0 Metric tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Metric tons 0 Metric tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 112.37 Metric tons 166.85 Metric tons
Total waste generated 186.45 Metric tons 182.45 Metric 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 July 1, 2017 June 30, 2018
Baseline Period July 1, 2008 June 30, 2009

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:
We started our first greenhouse gas inventory in 2008 and started to keep track of waste as well.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 493 494
Number of employees resident on-site 2 5
Number of other individuals resident on-site 5 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 671 541
Full-time equivalent of employees 287 240
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 847.25 710.50

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.22 Metric tons 0.26 Metric tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
14.30

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:
39.73

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
39.73

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

A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
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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:
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A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed:
The maintenance staff that handle waste and recycling visually inspect the transparent bags from recycling containers for contamination. If significant contamination is visible, they will move the bags to the conventional waste for disposal.

Programs and Initiatives 

A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives:
Randolph College frequently participates in RecycleMania.

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:
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A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse:
During move-out every year, students leave unwanted but still usable materials outside of their dorm rooms for other students to take. In 2017, student sustainability interns expanded this by developing a campus free store, now called the "Rummage Room," to collect usable waste during student move-out. The items are available for students to take, for free, throughout the year.

A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption:
Students have a limited number of pages they can print without additional charges each semester. When going over that threshold, they are not allowed to print anything until they have stopped by the IT department to purchase extra printing quotas. Faculty are encouraged to accept assignments via email or the College's online course platform, rather than require hard copies.
There is a student intern in the IT department that is conducting research on energy efficiency and collecting data on printer usage in each building on campus.

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials available online by default rather than printing them:
All course catalogs, schedules, and directories are available online. If anyone needs hard copies, they have to request them.

A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
The Sustainability Office partners with Goodwill to place donation bins around campus a week before move out to allow students to throw unwanted clothes, books, and other items in the bins instead of the trash. Students also leave items in the hallways after move out to allow students who are staying on campus for longer period to go around and collect items they want. The environmental club also collects items and place them in the Rummage Room, to have available to students during move-in and periodically throughout the following year.

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.