Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
---|---|
Overall Score | 74.42 |
Liaison | Mary-Lee Townsend |
Submission Date | Feb. 1, 2018 |
Executive Letter | Download |
Western University
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion
Status | Score | Responsible Party |
---|---|---|
3.48 / 8.00 |
Connor
Donald Sustainability Coordinator Facilities Management |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Parts 1 and 2: Waste Minimization
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Materials recycled | 1,282.38 Metric tons | 906.63 Metric tons |
Materials composted | 577.42 Metric tons | 362.46 Metric tons |
Materials donated or re-sold | 7.92 Metric tons | 12 Metric tons |
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion | 0 Metric tons | 0 Metric tons |
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator | 1,910.09 Metric tons | 1,604.45 Metric tons |
Total waste generated | 4,164.32 Metric tons | 3,180.76 Metric tons |
If reporting post-recycling residual conversion, provide:
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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 | Jan. 1, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2016 |
Baseline Year | Jan. 1, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2014 |
If end date of the baseline year/period is 2004 or earlier, provide:
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Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Number of students resident on-site | 5,335 | 5,575 |
Number of employees resident on-site | 8 | 19 |
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 32,529 | 31,448 |
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 6,220 | 6,000 |
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 875 | 822 |
Weighted campus users | 29,741.25 | 28,868 |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Total waste generated per weighted campus user | 0.14 Metric tons | 0.11 Metric tons |
Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
0
Part 3: Waste Diversion
49.44
Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
49.44
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 | Yes |
Other (please specify below) | Yes |
A brief description of other materials the institution has recycled, composted, donated and/or re-sold:
Electronic equipment
Batteries
Cardboard
Wood skids
Lightbulbs
Motor Oil
Tires
Optional Fields
Active Recovery and Reuse
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Recycling Management
No
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?:
Yes
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
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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:
Western University performs annual audits to our waste stream, to ensure that recyclable materials are not sent to landfill. We also work closely with the London Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) to ensure that our dual stream recycling is not contaminated.
Programs and Initiatives
We actively participate in Orientation Week, and have a presence in residences and other buildings on campus throughout the year. We develop campaigns and get students engaged in competitions, to ensure that the message around waste management is reinforced
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, as required by the Ontario Government under Ontario Regulation 102/94, Western performs waste audits of a representative sample of buildings. The audit includes all common recyclables (i.e. glass, paper, plastics, etc.), as well as waste that is destined for landfill.
A brief description of the institution's procurement policies designed to prevent waste (e.g. by minimizing packaging and purchasing in bulk):
Western's Sustainable Procurement Policy encourages the use of Western's Sustainable Procurement Guidelines, within which purchasers are encouraged to procure items with minimal waste outputs.
A brief description of the institution's surplus department or formal office supplies exchange program that facilitates reuse of materials:
At Western, furniture and other assets can be diverted from the waste stream and sold through the "asset disposal" program. People who have items for sale can contact the "Purchasing" department. All items for sale will be listed on the web and open to the public. Items will be posted for two weeks. If there are no successful bidders, the item will be removed from the sale listing and the department will have to consider alternate options (e.g. donation).
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):
New this year, we offered the first "Reusology at Western" campaign, where students helped gather materials donated by students, and put for donation at one of our main buildings, the University Community Centre.
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):
At Western, students do not have access to free printing at libraries and computer labs. There are printing stations at most libraries; however, students need to buy a "Copy Card" which costs $1.00 (non-refundable) and can be purchased at the service desk of any library.
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:
To lessen the impact on the environment, the Office of the Registrar only produces an online version of the Academic Calendar for students. The Faculty Dean's Offices and Academic Counseling Offices will receive a limited number of printed copies.
In addition, the limited copies of Academic Calendars are printed on recycled paper and there are a few available for students to view in each of the on-campus libraries.
Western encourages everyone to use the online Academic Calendar, which is updated monthly.
Course schedules are all kept online, and most faculty choose to keep their syllabi online as well.
A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
The move-out waste program is coordinated by Housing Staff. They arrange for large boxes to be placed at the front lobby area of each residence. Clothing/small furnishings, and even office supplies collected are donated to charity. Housing also collects any non-perishable food items to be sent to the London Food Bank.
In the apartments, Housing runs a program where exchange and international students can drop off items like small appliances, utensils, etc. These items are stored and the following year they are made available to new exchange/international students so they do not have to purchase all new items that only get used for a few months.
The Off-Campus Housing Office also runs a "take it or leave it" program. People can "shop" (for free) for good furniture or leave behind stuff they do not need. This is operated in conjunction with a program to provide large bins that can be used by off-campus students rather than leaving garbage on the street and bothering neighbors.
Also, Western encourages students to start cleaning their rooms and bringing things home around Easter to decrease the amount of things they will have to move or dispose at the end of the year.
A brief description of the institution's programs or initiatives to recover and reuse other materials intended for disposal:
- Textbook donations overseas
- Battery collection bins across campus
- Ink/toner take-back program from Western's preferred stationery supply vendor
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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.