Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 81.67
Liaison Mark Lichtenstein
Submission Date Feb. 28, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.86 / 8.00 Christine Langlois
Assistant Director of Physical Plant for Maintenance and Operations
Physical Plant
"---" 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 34.55 Metric tons 77.66 Metric tons
Materials composted 45.36 Metric tons 0 Metric tons
Materials donated or re-sold 0.45 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 63.87 Metric tons 80.68 Metric tons
Total waste generated 144.22 Metric tons 158.33 Metric 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:
---

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year April 1, 2017 March 30, 2018
Baseline Year July 1, 2004 June 30, 2005

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):
Same baseline year (2005) as in the original official STARS report submission (2011), and first pilot (2007).

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 569 0
Number of employees resident on-site 5 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 2,067 1,955
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 515 540
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 43 0
Weighted campus users 2,047.75 1,871.25

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.07 Metric tons 0.08 Metric tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
16.76

Part 3: Waste Diversion

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
55.72

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
55.72

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 Yes
Tires No
Other (please specify below) Yes

A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Fluorescent light bulbs

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:
---

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:
ESF purchased new exterior recycling containers across campus with clear signage to increase recycling efforts and limit contamination. In addition, new recycling signage was placed at the student dining facility to promote composting and recycling.

A brief description of the institution's waste audits and other initiatives to assess its materials management efforts and identify areas for improvement:
Each year the students in the Green Campus Initiative (GCI) club perform a waste audit during earth week on the college main quad. GCI is a student-run club at ESF. This collection of hard working students advocates for better recycling programs and productive sustainability projects on campus. Along with hand crafting and maintaining a composting system at ESF, GCI works to analyze and improve the current recycling status of the school.

A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
1 - College Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling Policy http://www.esf.edu/au/documents/SolidWasteReductionRecyclingPolicy.pdf 2 - Sustainable Materials and Supplies Purchasing Policy http://www.esf.edu/au/documents/SustMatsSuppls.pdf College Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling Policy Introduction: "The materials, supplies, equipment, and furniture used in a building all contribute to the quality of the environment as a whole as well as the indoor environment of the building itself. The environmental impact of these products can be reduced by purchasing materials that have been salvaged, recycled, are rapidly renewable, contain certified wood, or are manufactured locally. SUNY ESF has committed to reducing the environmental impact of materials and supplies including office paper, office equipment, furniture, furnishings, and building materials through the purchasing criteria stated in this policy."

A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
The “Property Control” program at ESF manages a list of surplus items. These surplus items are offered to other departments on campus and to other NYS institutions. The property control program can also obtain surplus items from other state institutions.

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):
Campus news/e-mail is used to notify campus community of items available such as ink cartridges, furniture, etc.

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):
ESF limits students to 500 pages of printed material per year. If the student runs out of printing credits, they can purchase additional credits.

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:
ESF takes steps to avoid printing out hard copy materials. All course catalogs, students’ schedules, and directories are online. Students can access this information via the registrar’s website, Myslice and the ESF online directory. http://www.esf.edu/registrar/ https://myslice.syr.edu http://www.esf.edu/help/

A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
Along with Syracuse University, ESF participated in the "Ten Tons of Love project 5/3-11/2018 to benefit charities and individuals in the Syracuse Community with donated food, clothing and household items collected during residence hall move out.

A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
---

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---

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.