Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 38.93
Liaison Veronica Johnson
Submission Date May 10, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Southwestern University
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.21 / 8.00 Keara Hudler
Student Sustainability Coordinator
Environmental Studies
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Parts 1 and 2: Waste Minimization 

Figures needed to determine total waste generated (and diverted):
Performance Year Baseline Year
Materials recycled 120 Tons 6.58 Tons
Materials composted 94.88 Tons 45 Tons
Materials donated or re-sold 2 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Tons 0 Tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 2,880 Tons 916 Tons
Total waste generated 3,096.88 Tons 967.58 Tons

If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:

A brief description of the residual conversion facility, including affirmation that materials are sorted prior to conversion to recover recyclables and compostable materials:
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Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2016 June 30, 2017
Baseline Year June 1, 2009 May 31, 2010

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 (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
Student Capstone projects led to the waste generation baseline in 2010

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 1,142 1,072
Number of employees resident on-site 3 2
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 1,508 1,309
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 407 438
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 11 29
Weighted campus users 1,714.25 1,557

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 1.81 Tons 0.62 Tons

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

Part 3: Waste Diversion

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
7.00

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
7.00

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
Laboratory equipment Yes
Furniture Yes
Residence hall move-in/move-out waste Yes
Scrap metal Yes
Pallets No
Tires Yes
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 (e.g. materials that are actively diverted from the landfill or incinerator and refurbished/repurposed) :
---

Recycling Management 

Does the institution use single stream recycling (a single container for commingled recyclables) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
Yes

Does the institution use dual stream (two separate containers for recyclables, e.g. one for paper and another for plastic, glass, and metals) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
No

Does the institution use multi-stream recycling (multiple containers that further separate different types of materials) to collect standard recyclables (i.e. paper, plastic, glass, metals) in common areas?:
No

Contamination and Discard Rates 

Average contamination rate for the institution’s recycling program (percentage, 0-100):
---

A brief description of any recycling quality control mechanisms employed, e.g. efforts to minimize contamination and/or monitor the discard rates of the materials recovery facilities and mills to which materials are diverted:
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Programs and Initiatives 

A brief description of the institution's waste-related behavior change initiatives, e.g. initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices such as signage and competitions:
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A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Texas Disposal Systems, our waste haul and landfill contractor, sends annual reports of how much waste, compostable material and recycling the university generates. We keep this historical data and compare year to year

A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
N/A

A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
All unwanted office furniture is collected and warehoused then made available to other departments who have a need for. Annual garage sales are held to sell off any furniture or office equipment that is no longer needed by the university.

A brief description of the institution's platforms to encourage peer-to-peer exchange and reuse (e.g. of electronics, furnishings, books and other goods):
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A brief description of the institution's limits on paper and ink consumption (e.g. restricting free printing and/or mandating doubled-sided printing in libraries and computer labs):
n/a

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to make materials (e.g. course catalogs, course schedules, and directories) available online by default rather than printing them:
n/a

A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
• We partner with Goodwill to provide two trailers during move-out for collection of unwanted items the students leave behind • Cardboard recycling collection stations are set up during move-in for empty moving boxes

A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Recycling containers are provided everywhere trash cans are located on campus. The recycling is collected by the custodians and sent to an off-site recycling center

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives 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.