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Waste

Introduction

Waste reduction mitigates the need to extract virgin materials from the earth, such as trees and metals. Reducing the generation of waste reduces the flow of waste to incinerators and landfills which produce greenhouse gas emissions, can contaminate air and groundwater supplies, and tend to have disproportionate negative impacts on low-income communities. Source reduction and waste diversion also save institutions costly landfill and hauling service fees. In addition, waste reduction campaigns can engage the entire campus community in contributing to a tangible sustainability goal.

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Launched in 2020, the University of Pittsburgh's textile recycling program collects unusable textiles in academic and residential locations.

University of Pittsburgh Textile Recycling

  • University of Pittsburgh (PA)

Given that clothing and textiles make up approximately 6.3% of the U.S. waste stream, University of Pittsburgh established a textile recycling program to help keep textiles in the circular economy. …

Pay As You Throw results

Pay As You Throw at Yale University

  • Yale University (CT)

In Spring 2019, Yale University launched a Pay As You Throw (PAYT) pilot program. PAYT is a materials management model where campus entities are charged for the amount of trash …

Food Choice and Waste in University Dining Commons—A Menus of Change University Research Collaborative Study

  • Lebanon Valley College (PA)
  • Rice University (TX)
  • University of California, Santa Barbara (CA)
  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)
  • University of California, Davis (CA)

The purpose of this multi-campus research was to investigate the relationships of food type and personal factors with food choice, consumption, and waste behaviors of college students at all-you-care-to-eat dining …

Zero-Waste Planning at Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study of Western Kentucky University

  • Western Kentucky University (KY)

Over the past two decades, the number of universities that pursue zero-waste strategies has steadily increased. However, more study is required on several interrelated factors, policy barriers, and infrastructural fundamentals, …

CALPIRG Students Break Free From Plastics campaign

  • California Student Public Interest Research Group (CA)

The CALPIRG Students Break Free From Plastics campaign aimed to address the problem of plastic pollution at the source by phasing out single-use plastic items both at our university campuses …

Painting the shed

The People’s Fridge- A Community Fridge to Reduce Food Insecurity and Food Waste

  • University of California, Merced (CA)

The People’s Fridge is a community fridge in Merced, California at a local community garden which also holds a free food distribution every Saturday called the Pop-Up People’s Pantry. The …

Senior Ally Esmond feeds a bottle into the glass crushing machine.

Glass Recycling at a Rural Georgia College Campus

  • Georgia College & State University (GA)

Glass has quickly become a hard to recycle material in many places in the U.S. and around the world. This is especially true for geographically rural areas with an already …

Senior Ally Esmond feeds a bottle into the glass crushing machine.

Glass Recycling at a Rural Georgia College Campus

  • Georgia College & State University (GA)

Glass has quickly become a hard to recycle material in many places in the U.S. and around the world. This is especially true for geographically rural areas with an already …

Durham Tech Break Free From Plastics

  • Durham Technical Community College (NC)
  • The Student PIRGs (OR)

Student leaders at Durham Tech Community College, worked with the Student PIRGs in NC to run and win a campus campaign to Break Free From Plastics in order to protect …

Examination of US University Sustainability and Recovery Activities

  • Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) (MI)

Resource Recycling Systems conducted research on the U.S. university and college landscape to enable a better understanding of the level of campus sustainability and recovery practices and to provide peer …

Safety and Sustainability: Reusable Dining during COVID-19

  • Northwestern University (IL)
  • Oregon State University (OR)

As part of the College and University Recycling Coalition 2021 Webinar Series, Northwestern University and Oregon State University developed and presented programs for reusable dining methods during the pandemic. The …

  • Posted May 4, 2021
  • Videos & Webinars
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Keynote Speaker Michelle Gabrieloff-Parish

SUNY Broome Virtual Earth Fest

  • SUNY Broome Community College (NY)

Equity: The Greatest Opportunity for the Sustainability & Climate Movements?

http://earthdaysoutherntier.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Earth-Fest-2021-Events-Flyer.pdf

SUNY Broome Earth Fest Lecture – Saturday, April 24th Schedule of Events: 10:00 am: Reducing Household Waste, Chris Burger, …

  • Posted April 30, 2021
  • Photographs
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Bowie State volunteers begin the journey to the clean up at local Horsepen Park

Bowie State University Stream Clean Up: Two distinct generations come together to help Mother Earth

  • Bowie State University (MD)

Through a partnership with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Bowie State University invited nearby Collington Retirement Community to join together for an Earth Day stream clean up event in …

  • Posted April 30, 2021
  • Photographs
  • View more

University of Oregon 2020 Materials Report

  • University of Oregon (OR)

The UO Materials Tracking Report covers all material solid waste and recovery categories for the institution. This report applies 27 years of reports to generate a timescale graphs for all …

  • Posted April 29, 2021
  • Publications
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Webinar: Cleaning for Health: Using Natural Aqueous Ozone as an Alternative to Traditional Cleaning Chemicals

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
  • AASHE (MA)

Please join us for this informative, lively discussion on the benefits of using natural aqueous ozone to clean higher education facilities instead of traditional chemical-based cleaners. Three highly knowledgable presenters–a …

  • Posted April 29, 2021
  • Videos & Webinars
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ISU Dining Compost Giveaway

  • Iowa State University (IA)

ISU Dining handed out pots, seeds, and compost to students. The compost was from our campus compost facility, which takes in food waste from our dining centers. ISU Dining contributes …

  • Posted April 23, 2021
  • Photographs
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Behavioral Strategies To Ditch Desktop Printers

  • AASHE (MA)
  • Root Solutions (CA)

Replacing individual desktop printers with shared ‘multi-function’ printers (MFPs) is one of the most impactful ways campuses can reduce paper use. It also generates a suite of other benefits, including …

  • Posted March 26, 2021
  • Videos & Webinars
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SUNY New Paltz Pivots from Plastic Bottles to Aluminum Cans to Move Beyond Plastics

  • State University of New York at New Paltz (NY)

In the fall of 2020, Campus Auxiliary Services (CAS), which contracts on behalf of SUNY New Paltz for beverages to be distributed through vending machines and the dining services contractor, …

  • Posted Feb. 24, 2021
  • Case Studies
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Wasted Food Solutions: University of Rhode Island Spotlight

  • University of Rhode Island (RI)
  • Center for EcoTechnology (MA)

With approximately 17,000 students and 3,800 faculty and staff, meal planning across the University of Rhode Island’s (URI) two dining halls, four cafés, and retail dining outlet, means surplus food …

  • Posted Jan. 12, 2021
  • Outreach Materials
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Desktop Printer Removal and the Transition to Managed Multi-Function Printers: Benefits and Case Studies

  • Root Solutions (CA)

This document was designed to introduce higher ed staff to the topic of printer consolidation, with an emphasis on the many sustainability and other benefits (especially cost savings) of replacing …

  • Posted Dec. 29, 2020
  • Publications
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Material Collected

Piloting Styrofoam Recycling in Research Facilities at Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)

Georgia Tech has systems in place to collect and recycle everything from cardboard and office paper, to plastic and glass. But until 2019, there was no established process for recycling …

Flyer for the DIY fair

Fall 2020 Virtual DIY Fair

  • San Diego State University (CA)

With students being stuck at home due to COVID, I thought that a smart idea to keep students engaged in sustainability would be to have a week-long virtual DIY fair …

Reusable to-go Program at Northwestern Dining During a Global Pandemic

  • Northwestern University (IL)
  • Chartwells Higher Education (NY)
  • Compass Group (NC)

Northwestern University opened its dining commons during the COVID-19 pandemic in the fall of 2020 with an emphasis on reusable to-go service ware. This program used the O2GO OZZI containers …

Lafayette College Farmers Market sells produce sown, grown and harvested by students at LaFarm, the College's 3 acre working farm

Lafayette College Sustainable Food Loop

  • Lafayette College (PA)

LaFarm is a sustainability initiative at the College and the cornerstone of the Lafayette College Sustainable Food Loop.

Our mission is to integrate curriculum and practice in sustainable food and …

LIFE SCIENCE BUILDING

Loyola Marymount University Sustainability Students for Water Refill Challenge

  • Loyola Marymount University (CA)

Fill it Forward Reusable water Bottle challenge co-hosted over 20 events creating $400,000 in value, reached 50,000 people, activated 7,000 people to forgo single use plastic water bottles, initiated 60,000 …

An IUPUI employee uses a compost bin

IUPUI and Butler Collaborate to Launch Commercial Food Compost Program in Indianapolis

  • Indiana University Indianapolis (IN)

IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis) has an ongoing partnership with Butler University to employ a large waste hauler for food waste compost collection. Both universities leveraged their respective networks to …

Waste Characterization with Dunne Hall residents

Santa Clara University Waste Characterization with Campus Residents

  • Santa Clara University (CA)

Center for Sustainability interns Nate Redinbo ('20), Ali Deambrosio ('20), and Amanda Eason ('20) teamed up with Dunne Hall residents for a Waste Characterization event. These events involve gathering waste …

Glean Team in front of Swig Hall. For SCI 2020 Submission.

Santa Clara University - Gathering Fruit with the Glean Team

  • Santa Clara University (CA)

SCU's Glean Team is a volunteer-based group that gathers fruit from the hundreds of fruit-bearing trees on campus and surrounding area. Harvested fruit is donated to on-campus food pantries and …

Cal State East Bay Embraces System-wide Single-use Plastics Policy

  • California State University, East Bay (CA)

The California State University system passed a new system-wide policy in 2019 that applies to all 23 CSU campuses in banning the institutional purchase of all single-use plastics. Plastic straws …

Zero Waste Crew at Move-In

Aquinas College Photos for 2020 SCI

  • Aquinas College (MI)

Pictures for Aquinas' recognition in the waste category of the 2020 SCI.

San Jose State University - System-wide single-use plastics policy

  • San Jose State University (CA)

2020 SCI. System-wide single-use plastics policy highlight picture.

Social Distancing Tiger Sign at Princeton University

COVID-19 and Sustainability Resources

  • Princeton University (NJ)

The Office of Sustainability has compiled this list of resources to support Princeton University students, faculty and staff as they navigate challenges related to sustainability and COVID-19 at this moment …

  • Posted Sept. 11, 2020
  • Publications
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Webinar: Managing Surplus Property for Zero Waste

  • College & University Recycling Coalition (DC)

CURC learned in a 2019 survey that managing surplus property was a key interest of members to learn about. What strategies for managing surplus property work on different campuses, public …

  • Posted Sept. 11, 2020
  • Videos & Webinars
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Reaching Your Collaborators: Communicating for Connection & Education

  • College & University Recycling Coalition (DC)

Welcome to the CURC 2020 Webinar Series!

Trying to implement a campus-wide waste initiative with limited time, influence and staff is a barrier we've all faced. How do we collaborate …

  • Posted Aug. 4, 2020
  • Videos & Webinars
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On-Campus Composting: How to Start, Evolve, and Overcome Challenges

  • Colorado State University (CO)
  • Fort Lewis College (CO)
  • Princeton University (NJ)
  • St. John's University, New York (NY)
  • Western Michigan University (MI)
  • AASHE (MA)

Is your campus considering starting an on-site composting program, but doesn’t know where to start or which system to choose? Or does your campus want to grow its program or …

  • Posted July 16, 2020
  • Videos & Webinars
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UVM’s Roadmap to Zero Waste: Effective Strategies for Enhancing Zero Waste Management Goals at the University of Vermont

  • University of Vermont (VT)

This senior thesis seeks to provide effective strategies for enhancing Zero Waste management goals at the University of Vermont by incorporating the needs of campus stakeholders. As the global garbage …

  • Posted July 10, 2020
  • Publications
  • View more

Understanding Food Waste at Johnson County Community College: A Multi-Method Approach

  • Johnson County Community College (KS)

Food waste and food insecurity are vastly different, yet inextricably linked, social, economic, and environmental problems which afflict societies throughout the world. This study contributes to the literature on individual …

UC Berkeley Move Out 2020

UC Berkeley Move Out Programming 2020 - Safety During COVID-19

  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)

The UC Berkeley 2020 Student Move Out Coalition, in partnership with the City of Berkeley and UC Berkeley's Government & Community Relations office, compiled and created resources allowing for students …

  • Posted May 28, 2020
  • Outreach Materials
  • View more
Chief Sustainability & Carbon Solutions Officer Kira Stoll, Plastic-Free Seas Coordinator Nicole Haynes, and Chancellor Carol Christ at the meeting where this policy was endorsed.

Committing UC Berkeley to the Strongest Plastic Ban in the Country

  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)
  • CALPIRG Students (CA)

CALPIRG Students, a student-run public interest nonprofit, ran and won their campaign to commit UC Berkeley to eliminate all non-essential single-use plastic by 2030. This is the strongest plastic ban …

CMU's Housing Sustainability Assistants conducting a trash audit as part of the compost pilot

Housing Sustainability Assistants - Compost Pilot

  • Carnegie Mellon University (PA)

Carnegie Mellon University’s Housing Sustainability Assistants team supported a 4-week composting pilot within on-campus housing to ensure successful composting implementation in the future. The student team was tasked with promoting …

Sustainable Food and Dining: Swat2Go 2019-2020 Final Report

  • Swarthmore College (PA)

The Swat2Go reusable container pilot program was developed to avoid and reduce waste through the implementation of this reusable container pilot program. Over the course of the last year, this …

EchoWorks Logo

EchoWorks: An Electronics Recycling Community Partnership

  • Western Dakota Technical College (SD)

EchoWorks is a social enterprise that recycles electronic waste and employs people with disabilities. Located on the campus of Western Dakota Tech, a community college in Rapid City, South Dakota, …

Outreach Flier to the UC Merced Community

No Food Left Behind: A free text service to reduce food insecurity and food waste

  • University of California, Merced (CA)

No Food Left Behind is a free text messaging service that connects students, staff and faculty at the University of California, Merced to events that might have food leftover. People …

Swarthmore College Sustainability Research: Equitable Zero Waste

  • Swarthmore College (PA)

A year long research project developed by students to help and develop an equitable zero waste mindset and framework of thinking.

Kent State University

Kent State University Textile Reuse and Recycling Programs Divert 441,610 pounds (221 tons) From Landfill to Benefit Community and Campus Over Past 5 Years

  • Kent State University (OH)

Kent State University has reduced the amount of materials sent to landfills while providing benefits to the local community, campus, and our students. For the past 5 academic years, 2014-2015 …

UVM's Roadmap to Zero Waste

  • University of Vermont (VT)

This senior thesis seeks to provide effective strategies for enhancing Zero Waste management goals at the University of Vermont by incorporating the needs of campus stakeholders. As the global garbage …

How mindfulness training cultivates introspection and competence development for sustainable consumption

  • Arizona State University (AZ)
  • Leuphana University of Lüneburg

Purpose This paper aims to explore the relationship between introspection and key competencies for sustainable consumption (KCSCs). It investigates whether mindfulness training can cultivate the ability to introspect and stimulate …

Teaching Sustainability in Fashion Design Courses Through a Zero-Waste Design Project

  • Illinois State University (IL)
  • University of North Texas (TX)

With the increased importance of learning about sustainability in fashion design curriculum, this article reports the teaching zero-waste design in existing fashion design courses that teach skills needed to create …

Don't Dump! Donate!

  • South Dakota State University (SD)

Don’t Dump! Donate! takes place during move-out week and keeps reusable material out of the landfill. It provides the opportunity for students to donate unwanted but good quality items as …

University of Vermont Eco-Reps Waste Campaign Case Study

  • University of Vermont (VT)

The University of Vermont has improved its waste infrastructure, from expanding composting facilities beyond dining halls to implementing waste reduction programs like EcoWare and a straw-upon-request policy. UVM Eco-Reps’ work …

This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.

All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.

OP 18: Waste Minimization & Diversion

OP 19: Construction & Demolition Waste Diversion

OP 20: Hazardous Waste Management

Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.

Waste Partners

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