Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.30
Liaison Dave Barbier
Submission Date May 14, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
OP-19: Waste Minimization and Diversion

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 5.16 / 8.00 Shelly Janowski
Sustainability Coordinator
Facility Services
"---" 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 254.92 Metric tons 288.48 Metric tons
Materials composted 57.15 Metric tons 6.35 Metric tons
Materials donated or re-sold 15.42 Metric tons 233.15 Metric tons
Materials disposed through post-recycling residual conversion 0 Metric tons 0 Metric tons
Materials disposed in a solid waste landfill or incinerator 427.28 Metric tons 571.53 Metric tons
Total waste generated 754.78 Metric tons 1,099.51 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:
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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, 2006 June 30, 2007

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):
First year we did our greenhouse gas inventory. Through 2006, our waste service provider did ACTUAL weighing of refuse, however, a new waste service provider started in 2007 and ESTIMATED weights. There is a noticeable difference in recorded weight after 2006.

Figures needed to determine "Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 3,467 3,211
Number of employees resident on-site 0 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 8,292 8,165
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 1,126 1,001
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 48 0
Weighted campus users 7,894.25 7,677.25

Total waste generated per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Total waste generated per weighted campus user 0.10 Metric tons 0.14 Metric tons

Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline:
33.24

Part 3: Waste Diversion

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, donating or re-selling, performance year:
43.39

Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator (including up to 10 percent attributable to post-recycling residual conversion):
43.39

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:
Concrete, styrofoam

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?:
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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?:
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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?:
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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:
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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:
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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:
The mission of the Surplus Property office is to coordinate the collection, processing and disposal of unneeded or unused surplus property generated on the UWSP campus or from other state agencies. Every effort will be made to accomplish this in an environmentally and fiscally responsible manner beneficial to both our campus and community. The Surplus Property Office was started in June of 1995. The goal was to handle the large amount of university property that each year was catalogued as either obsolete, unusable in present programs, overstock or outdated. Through various federal and state programs, surplus items from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point have ended up in such places as Mexico, Bulgaria, Nicaragua, the West Indies, St. Thomas and other islands located in the Caribbean. The program has grown to not only serve the University, but also many other state or federal entities that require the disposal of surplus property. UWSP offers students a unique and cost effective service through the Text Rental Department. Students check out books in the beginning of the semester, and return them on the last day of finals. Students save approximately $200.00 - $400.00 per semester with UWSP Text Rental Program.

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):
In each students' semester tuition a $10.00 credit is allowed for printing. When that allowance is used, the student starts to acquire additional printing charges.

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:
All registration, course, scheduling, forms and directories are easily and commonly found online. http://www.uwsp.edu/regrec/Pages/default.aspx Desire2Learn (D2L) is an online Learning Management System where assignments can be uploaded, emails sent out to class, online quizzing and grading, anything from syllabus to PowerPoint files can be shared.

A brief description of the institution's program to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste:
The move-out event is promoted by Residential Housing Association, Facility Services and the Office of Sustainability. Tents are set up to collect large items, such as furniture, that is either swapped or taken to Goodwill. There are bins in the lobby of each hall to collect clothes, food and small appliances to be donated to local Goodwill. Non-perishable food is collected and donated to a student food pantry on campus. Bins for recycling are available.

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