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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Promoting Sustainable Menstruation On Campus and Beyond
- AASHE (MA)
- Dot Cup (IL)
- Dallas College (TX)
Menstrual cups offer a sustainable solution to the environmental impact of tampons and pads and offer a solution for people who menstruate who, either because of location or economic insecurity, …
- Posted March 10, 2022
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Williams College Reusable To-Go Ware Case Study
- Williams College (MA)
This reusable container program was rolled out when students returned to campus in the Fall of 2020 and was proposed with both sustainability and cost savings in mind. What differentiates …
- Posted Feb. 1, 2022
- Case Studies
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Atlas Zero Waste Certification as a Tool for Changemakers
- University of South Dakota (SD)
Atlas is a certification program that assesses campuses' progress toward zero waste. It looks at the whole materials management system, including purchasing, reusing, and discarding. The Atlas assessment will be …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Improving Campus Sustainability With RenewSU
- Seattle University (WA)
With the goal of reaching zero waste by 2025, our group teamed up with Seattle University's Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainability and the Facilities Department to create a platform, …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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The Pathway to Zero Waste at Georgia Tech
- Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)
- Cascadia Consulting Group, Inc. (WA)
In order to significantly move the needle towards becoming a Zero Waste campus, Georgia Tech assembled a project team to assess current conditions on campus and provide recommendations for improvement. …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Implementing Centralized Waste Collection as Part of a New Zero Waste System
- Stanford University (CA)
Stanford University announced its Zero Waste Goal by 2030 in May of 2018 and developed a plan and budget in the fall of 2019. The Zero Waste Plan calls for …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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A Zero Waste Plan "Of The People, By The People, For The People"
- Boston University (MA)
How do we set ourselves up to achieve a goal as ambitious as Zero Waste? Boston University's approach to this started with a Zero Waste planning process focused on engaging …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Zero Waste Networking Meeting
- Post-Landfill Action Network (NH)
This is a meetup for all students, staff, companies, and professionals that are working on campus Zero Waste efforts. Whether you're helping your campus achieve Zero Waste goals, or focusing …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Channeling Student Energy to Expand Campus Composting Efforts
- University of Dayton (OH)
- University of Virginia (VA)
- Washington and Lee University (VA)
Are students at your institution interested in composting? Are campus leaders prioritizing composting efforts as you work towards ambitious waste minimization goals? Join students and staff from the University of …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Compost Cats Bucket Program: Bringing Composting into a Campus Community
- University of Arizona (AZ)
This proposed online session will discuss the Compost Cats' residential food scrap collection and composting program open to University of Arizona students, faculty, and staff, as well as Tucson community …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Collaborations for Campus Composting
- Georgia State University (GA)
Students these days want their academic experiences to not only contribute to career development but to benefit the environment and society as well. Food waste is a significant problem that …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Sign Me Up! Creating Effective Waste Bin Signage
- University of Texas at Austin (TX)
What does it take to get useful sorting signage on your bins that is standardized across campus departments? We'll take you through our collaborative campus process complete with a working …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Strategic Contracting for Zero Waste
- Boston University (MA)
How can Universities re-structure their waste contracts to secure a strategic partnership with a waste hauler aligned with their goals, and support the necessary transformation of business operations within the …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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What the Fork: A Case Study in Bioplastics
- University of Arizona (AZ)
The University of Arizona Compost Cats was founded in 2011 by a small group of students with a mission to divert food waste from the Student Unions away from local …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Using Black Soldier Fly Larvae for Campus Organic Waste Bioconversion and Closed-Loop Agriculture
- The University of Findlay (OH)
Multiple studies have found that Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae is highly efficient in reducing organic waste, converting it into high quality animal feed and nutrient-rich fertilizer (e.g. Deiner, …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Conducting Campus Dining Operations Successfully in the Middle of a Pandemic
- Mount Holyoke College (MA)
Mount Holyoke College started tracking food waste with the Leanpath food waste prevention system in October of 2019. With the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic in early 2020 the …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Benchmarking Higher Education Zero Waste Programs
- Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) (MI)
Sometimes building a zero-waste program can feel like you are on an island. But according to recent research conducted by RRS that looked at over 300 universities and colleges across …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Implementing a New Campus-Wide Bin Infrastructure: From Setting Standards to Deploying Bins
- Austin Community College (TX)
- Case Western Reserve University (OH)
- Busch Systems International Inc. (ON)
Have you ever dreamed about completely replacing all of the waste and recycling bins on your campus with shiny new, perfectly selected, and ideally placed bins? What would you do …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Zero Waste as a Tool for Transformation: How Swarthmore College Engages Campus and Reduces Waste
- Swarthmore College (PA)
Swarthmore College’s Office of Sustainability hires 20 student employees annually to participate in its Green Advisor program. Green Advisors act as campus sustainability advocates and often express concern about living …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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A Fresh Take on Recycling Contamination Education: Moving Beyond the Traditional Waste Audit
- University of Arizona (AZ)
The University of Arizona began a residential waste auditing program over ten years ago. What started as a typical waste audit project with sorting and weighing has grown into something …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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A Zero Waste Campus Is Possible
- Post-Landfill Action Network (NH)
In this workshop we will facilitate a discussion around how students can lead specific efforts to solve waste issues on their campuses. We start with a short presentation on the …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Implementation of a Single-Use Plastics Ban: Navigating Contracts, Procurement, and Outreach
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
In 2020, the UC system passed a single-use plastics policy that aims to greatly reduce plastics on campuses and health systems. The policy went into effect in 2021, starting with …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Move Out Programs: Finding the Solution for Your Campus
- Post-Landfill Action Network (NH)
Every year when students move out of their dorms and apartments, tons of useful stuff is left behind or discarded. Over the past decade or so, campuses all across the …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Reducing Campus Waste: Ten Years of a Campus FreeStore
- Bemidji State University (MN)
Mother earth is crying out for help, and we are the only ones that have the power to do make things better; for this reason the Sustainability office at Bemidji …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Tracking Behavioral Activities to Reduce Waste Generation
- University of Illinois, Springfield (IL)
This study collects primary data from students enrolled in the Introduction to Environmental Health course. This study is a multi-year repeated cross-sectional study where the instructor will collect data each …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Rethinking Pandemic Plastic: Engaging Industrial Design Students in End Use
- Iowa State University (IA)
Over the past year, Plexiglass barriers have populated our campuses and communities. Through barriers strategically placed, in attempts to effectively adhere to safety guidelines from the Center for Disease Control, …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Campuses Launch Innovative and Creative Waste Minimization Practices in Response to Pandemic
- George Mason University (VA)
- National Wildlife Federation (VA)
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and a shift toward sustainable economic practices, colleges and universities across North America have become great sources for innovation that can inspire both long-term …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Analyzing the University of Oregon's 30 Years of Detailed Data: Where We've Been and What's Next
- University of Oregon (OR)
Analyzing nearly 30 years of University of Oregon's solid waste data reveals changes in behaviors and material streams. Specific policy changes are reflected in the waste streams too. We also …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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The People's Fridge: Redistributing Surplus Food and Reducing Food Insecurity
- University of California, Merced (CA)
The People's Fridge is a plant-based community fridge in Merced County with the dual aims of redistributing surplus food and reducing food insecurity. The pandemic further increased food insecurity in …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Supporting a Circular Food Economy: Converting Inedible Scraps Into Renewable Energy and Beneficial Fertilizer
- Kent State University (OH)
- InSinkErator (WI)
- Quasar Energy Group (OH)
More than one third of the food produced today is lost or wasted, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Here in the United States, the …
- Posted Jan. 21, 2022
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Diverting Materials from University Waste-stream - Centre for Creative Reuse
- Concordia University (QC)
Concordia University’s Center for Creative Reuse (CUCCR) is dedicated to diverting materials from inside Concordia’s waste-stream and offering them to the general community free of cost. In 2017, an 800 …
- Posted Jan. 3, 2022
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Place Setting: Enhancing sustainable approaches to food security & community engagement through design of space
- University of Kentucky (KY)
The Campus Kitchen at the University of Kentucky (CKUK) is a student-led service organization that is a partner agency of God’s Pantry Food Bank within the Feeding America’s network. Housed …
- Posted Jan. 3, 2022
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Ditching Desktop Printers: A Behavior Change Guide to Cutting Paper Use, Energy Consumption, and Costs
- AASHE (MA)
- Root Solutions (CA)
Replacing individual desktop printers with a shared office or department ‘multi-function’ printer (MFP) is one of the most impactful ways campuses can reduce paper use. It also generates a suite …
- Posted Dec. 1, 2021
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The First TRUE Zero Waste Certified Academic Building: A Case Study
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
Throughout the two years of working toward zero waste at Chou Hall at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, the Chou Hall Zero Waste Initiative team has learned a great …
- Posted Nov. 16, 2021
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Campus Move-Out Programs
- Carleton College (MN)
Campus move-out can be a busy time for college campuses and its students. What do you do with items left behind from students? Join this networking session to share your …
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Zero-Waste Philosophy Implementation at a University: Initial Steps in Addressing Student Perception
- University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (WI)
Zero waste is a conceptual philosophy that provides a holistic, sustainable approach to addressing and remedying the consequences of a throw-away mentality. The main goal of the zero-waste philosophy is …
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Beyond Diversion: The New Zero Waste Roadmap Strategy - PLAN's Atlas Project
- Colby-Sawyer College (NH)
- Williams College (MA)
- Post-Landfill Action Network (NH)
While diversion has been the go-to metric for evaluating our waste reduction efforts, it skips over several levels of the waste reduction hierarchy, resulting in the prioritization of recycling and …
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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PLASTIC - How to Organize a Movement to Ban Disposable Plastics on Campus!
- Eckerd College (FL)
- The Student PIRGs (OR)
- Post-Landfill Action Network (NH)
Coffee cups, bags, straws, take-out containers, swag, etc. Let's talk about how to build a movement to eliminate all disposable items from campus! Organizing around eliminating disposable plastics can be …
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Sustainable Menstruation: Making Periods Sustainable and Accessible to all
- California State University, Northridge (CA)
- California State University, San Marcos (CA)
Did you know that the average menstruating person throws away 1200 menstrual care products during their time in college? Disposable menstrual care products are wasteful and costly, especially for students …
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Tackling Plastic from Policy to Implementation
- University of California, Office of the President (CA)
- University of California, Los Angeles (CA)
- University of California, Santa Cruz (CA)
Recent changes in the recycling markets have made it more important than ever to prevent waste from being generated before it needs to be managed at the end of life. …
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Unlikely Relationships: Multidisciplinary Cooperation to Divert Textile Waste
- Iowa State University (IA)
Hands-on design courses are an essential component of apparel design curriculum and make up a sizable portion of the classes offered in many university apparel design programs worldwide. However, sewing …
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Celebrating 20 Years of RecycleMania: Campus Impacts, Best Practices and Leadership
- National Wildlife Federation (VA)
This is a proposal to submit a video instead of a poster due to the transition to a virtual conference platform for AASHE 2020. This video will tell the story …
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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What's the plan for LED lighting and it's environmental impact?
- Circadia Group (PA)
LED Lighting is here to stay and very soon you will not have another any other option to purchase. Many have come to know how beneficial the technology is in …
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Revolutionizing Campus Dining: Reducing Waste and Connecting with Staff
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
Dining halls play a critical role in meeting UC Berkeley's ambitious goal of Zero Waste by 2020. Reevaluating the products we use, prioritizing sustainable purchasing, and reducing food waste are …
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Inputs to Outputs: Taking an Event Beyond Zero-Waste to Green Certification
- University of Pittsburgh (PA)
The University of Pittsburgh has a strong hold on zero-waste. This presentation would include an introduction to our zero-waste infrastructure and the progress we have made, while the bulk of …
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Opening up the 'Black Box' of Recycling: Discussion of Justice in Recycling Promotes Waste Reduction
- The University of Findlay (OH)
Although recycling is a popular sustainability practice, college students usually have limited knowledge of how and where the recyclables they put in recycling bins are turned into usable products. It …
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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Food Waste Warriors: Combating Food Waste with Strong Relationships and Education
- University of North Carolina, Asheville (NC)
Through strong partnerships with community members both on and off campus, UNC Asheville Dining Services continues to reduce waste, while increasing educational opportunities around food waste. UNC Asheville Dining Services …
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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From Baby Steps to the High Dive: Bringing Circular Principles Into 2020 Action Plans
- Rheaply, Inc (IL)
What will it take to scale circular efforts in higher education? In this presentation, we will discuss an ingredient of a circular economy that's missing in higher education: using modern …
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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How to create a culture of empowerment around your campus zero waste program
- CleanRiver Recycling Solutions (ON)
This presentation is a critical must-see for anyone seeking tangible strategies to drive engagement in their campus zero waste program. Slides and visual aids will be used to present a …
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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EchoWorks: a Cooperative e-Recycling Program
- Western Dakota Technical College (SD)
Globally, electronic waste is the fastest growing segment of municipal waste. Unfortunately, there is a widespread lack of availability of safe disposal options for the often-toxic e-materials. To provide this …
- Posted Nov. 15, 2021
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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
- Total waste generated per weighted campus user, performance year
- Percentage reduction in total waste generated per weighted campus user from baseline
- Percentage of materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator
- Waste-related behavior change initiatives
- Waste auditing efforts
- Website URL - waste minimization and diversion efforts
OP 19: Construction & Demolition Waste Diversion
- Percentage of construction and demolition materials diverted from the landfill or incinerator
- Website URL - construction & demolition waste diversion efforts
OP 20: Hazardous Waste Management
Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.