University at Buffalo
OP-22: Waste Minimization

FY 2012 was the most recent year used in a STARS Report

A comprehensive audit of all building types was completed in the Spring of 2014.

UB SWAP is designed to efficiently and effectively aid campus departments in redistributing equipment and supplies throughout the UB campus. The purpose of this website is not to replace existing surplus procedures but to give UB Faculty and Staff another option. The main intent of this website is to advertise items to encourage reuse at no cost or for a nominal fee.

Our undergraduate catalog is available only on-line, although there is a printable pdf version for those who want to print it themselves. We do not have a central graduate catalog. Our course schedule is not printed, and is only available on-line (no printable version). Similarly, course descriptions are only available on-line via HUB. In addition, the Alumni magazine and nearly all school publications are predominately available only on-line.

All students, faculty and staff receive a page allowance or allocation to print. This allocation is the amount equal to 650 single-sided pages for the Fall and for the Spring semesters and 200 pages for the Summer semesters.

We utilize an annual Year-End Recycling Program that utilizes many different options for our students to reduce residence hall moveout waste. Bins and boxes have been placed in all areas to receive clothing and non-perishable food. They will be donated to the City Mission and other local charitable organizations. There are also large yellow receptacles placed outside labeled “Planet Aid” for used clothing and shoes. The proceeds are used for programs to aid developing communities in Africa and Asia. In several residence halls, various locations have been identified where students may leave any usable items – furniture, appliances, rugs, shelving materials - anything that can be re-used. Items may be claimed by anyone who can use them. We are co-sponsoring a book recycling program. Bins are located in all residence hall areas and apartment community centers. A donation is made to “Wounded Warriors” (Veterans) for books that are left. All books are re-used or recycled. Last year, we were one of the highest of participating schools in this program. See: http://www.buffalo.edu/ubreporter/campus/campus-host-page.host.html/content/shared/university/news/ub-reporter-articles/stories/2015/08/clothing_drive.detail.html The battery recycling program is being done at all “Area Offices".

Several times each semester Campus Dining and Shops conducts Weigh the Waste Events in the residential dining centers. The information is reported on each units Profit and Loss Report as a metric that can improve both financially as well as environmentally.

As a normal practice, each receiver in the individual operational units are responsible for inspecting produce that arrives to ensure quality and reduce spoilage.This practice decreases the unnecessary waste of viable product as well as decreasing expense inherent in replacing product received spoiled or product that should be used sooner due to shorter remaining shelf life.

Our Residential Dining Centers are trayless. By being tray-free we use less energy and water to wash each tray. It takes about ¼ gallon of water to wash just one tray. Research also shows that by being tray-free, the amount of food waste decreases by one ounce per plate. The average person throws 163 pounds of food away each year!

Available for to-go meals at residential dining centers, these reusable containers reduce over 120,000 disposable containers from seeing the landfill each year.

We offer a 10% discount on beverage purchases made in a Campus Dining & Shops mug.

The University at Buffalo waste diversion efforts are far reaching, and include comprehensive campus-wide single stream recycling and a pre-consumer compost collection program. UB's recycling program started out in the 1970's and continued until the early 1980's before fading out from lack of interest. Recycling was re-instated in the late 1980's by a group of inspired students with University Facilities support. Their program targeted the best sites for computer and office waste paper. The paper was collected by the students and sorted at a campus loading dock. It was a lot of fun and a lot of work but it resulted in recycling only 5% of UB's solid waste stream. A few years later, the program was "institutionalized" and became the full responsibility of University Facilities paid staff. By 1995, recycling was extended to all offices on both campuses with the distribution of under-the-desk recycling bins and "trash buddies." In the meantime, Campus Living developed its own recycling program for UB residence halls. UB Campus Dining & Shops developed a recycling program for its food service areas as well. During the spring 1998 semester, six students participated in an internship which included a campus-wide dumpster dive and a study of recycling potential in UB's residence halls. The dive and study showed the potential for major improvements in campus recycling programs. During 1999 and 2000 public area recycling stations were established in select high-traffic indoor public areas on campus, e.g. lobbies, lounges, walkways. Over 100 public area stations were deployed in various locations throughout UB's two campuses in 2001. In 2011, UB consolidated its three individually managed recycling contracts into a one comprehensive contract for all areas of campus. It was also at this time, that the campus moved to single stream or All In One recycling collection to simplify the program for members of campus. This has resulted in significant improvements in promoting participation in our recycling program. Currently, UB recycles over twenty different materials on campus. UB is also committed to reducing the amount of disposable materials purchased and consumed on our campuses and has undertaken several initiatives to support this approach. Initiatives include eliminating the use of Styrofoam take-out containers in campus-run dining halls, and operating UB SWAP, a web-based program which encourages faculty and staff to keep unwanted equipment and furniture in circulation across campus. CDS information provided by Ray Kohl.