Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 46.44
Liaison Rachel Kornhauser
Submission Date March 2, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

State University of New York at Oneonta
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.60 / 8.00 Rachel Kornhauser
Sustainability Coordinator
Finance and Administration
"---" 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 331.95 Tons 156.50 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 815 Tons 857.02 Tons
Total waste generated 1,146.95 Tons 1,013.52 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 July 1, 2013 June 30, 2014

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):
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Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 3,498 3,440
Number of employees resident on-site 16 16
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 4 3
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 6,098 6,000
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 973.33 950.66
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 116.33 50
Weighted campus users 6,098.75 6,042.50

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.19 Tons 0.17 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:
28.94

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
28.94

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

A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
- Two tons of pre-consumer food waste per year is donated to a local pig farmer to use for feed. - In 2017 mattresses were recycled diverting over 12,100 pounds of mattresses.from the landill.

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) :
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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):
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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:
Annually, the Office of Sustainability organizes RecycleMania, the national waste reduction competition. Resident Advisors who focus on sustainability help coordinate residence based recycling competitions throughout the year and specifically during RecycleMania. Student created signage is posted all over campus to highlight what can and can not be recycled in our single-stream program.

A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Our dining service sustainability interns conduct waste audits in each dining hall at least once a semester to increase awareness regarding food waste on campus, and to inform diners how they can reduce their waste when ordering.

A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
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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 (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):
Each student is limited to 500 black and white pages per semester.

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:
The College no longer prints course schedules – they are online. Course catalogs are also online, however the College does print some copies for department offices if requested.

A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
A popular Move-Out program has been in place for two out of the past three years collecting

A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
Bins in most residence halls collect gently used items to be re-sold in the campus thrift shop.

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.