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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Food Fight: EPA's Food Recovery Challenge Strives to Reduce Food Waste
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)
Food is the number one material reaching landfills and accounts for 13% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. In order to decrease the significant environmental impact of food …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Scaling up Campus Vermicomposting: A Cost Effective Methodology for Dealing with Pre-Consumer Organics
- The University of British Columbia (BC)
A large institution produces thousands of tonnes of solid waste annually, a large portion of which is taken to the municipal landfill. With increasing land values and rising fuel prices, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Creating a Socially Responsible Revenue Stream for Sustainability: The (Your University Name Here) E-Waste Collection Center
- University of San Diego (CA)
How many old cell phones do you have stuffed in drawers in your kitchen? Has your old laptop been collecting dust under your couch since you bought your new MacBook? …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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A Case Study of the Campus-wide Dining Waste Audit at West Virginia
- West Virginia University at Parkersburg (WV)
- West Virginia University (WV)
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, less than three percent of the 34 million tons of food waste generated was recovered or recycled in 2010. Food waste now …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Campus Re-Store Comes Into Its Own: Sustainability Meets Entrepreneurship
- Bowling Green State University (OH)
The university's Re-Use store makes variety of items available to students in a unique retail format based on the sustainable theme of re-use and resource conservation. Items are available on …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Role of Dining Services in Sustainability Programming
- Ithaca College (NY)
Ithaca College and their food service provider, Sodexo Corporation, have worked together since 2009 to give continued support to the campuses Climate Action Plan through a Comprehensive Energy Initiative. Staffers …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Suburban Composting at Johnson County Community College: Looking at the First Year of Operations.
- Johnson County Community College (KS)
The process of composting food residuals from dining service operations has been gaining in popularity at college campuses across the country in recent years. While an estimated 12% of the …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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RecycleMania Update & Planning Roundtable
- Keep America Beautiful (CT)
This session will combine a brief presentation with facilitated roundtable discussions. RecycleMania staff will give a 10 minute presentation previewing the 2013 program including new categories and promotional resources. The …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Recycling can be the Most Cost-Effective Method of Solid Waste Management for Colleges and Universities
- Loyola Marymount University (CA)
Collegiate recycling programs have proliferated to almost all higher educational campuses, yet many administrators from continue to believe that recycling services can add tens or hundreds of thousand dollars to …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Researching Two On-site Food Waste Reduction Technologies at an Urban University
- Loyola Marymount University (CA)
This presentation will discuss two research projects conducted at Loyola Marymount University on the effectiveness of on-site food waste reduction technologies. The first study analyzed a food waste dehydration system …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Bridging the Digital Divide Through E-Waste Diversion And Electronic Resources Management
- Temple University (PA)
This session will provide a case study of how a university can implement a life-cycle management approach to electronic waste that is financially sustainable and that works to bridge the …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Changing the Game: Moving Your Institution to a Zero-Waste Paradigm
- University of Calgary (AB)
How do you go from one-off projects to a transformational shift in the way your campus manages waste? Introduce a Zero Waste paradigm-shift on your campus by bringing cross-departmental teams …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Campus Compost Initative
- University of California, Riverside (CA)
Correct post-consumer waste placement is often overlooked in many sustainable, waste diversion efforts undertaken by Universities. It is usually harder to collect because it is up to the person throwing …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Roadmap to Increased Waste Diversion
- Waste Management (TX)
In order to drive and support sustainability goals on campus and to specifically increase waste diversion, Waste Management has worked with many university partners to both drive and assess campus …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Campus Citizenship Behavior: A Motivational Analysis for Change
- Chatham University (PA)
All intentional behavior is a function of motivational forces within the individual to engage in certain actions while forgoing other actions. Classic theories of motivation such as expectancy theory, equity …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Toward Zero Waste: An Initiative for the Student Union
- Boston University (MA)
Campus dining is an intimate part of student life at any university, with the potential to have a major impact on culture. Learn how Dining Services can align with the …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Striving and Planning for Zero Waste
- The University of British Columbia (BC)
Many universities are now striving to become 'Zero Waste' campuses, where all materials are diverted away from a landfill or incinerator through recycling and composting efforts. This lofty, but important, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Institutionalized post-consumer composting
- Harvard University (MA)
This session briefing will present a case study on the development of post-consumer composting initiatives at one of our Graduate Schools. The project involved two key areas 1) Development and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Institutionalizing Zero Waste
- Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
Once organizations (student clubs, departments/schools, campuses, etc.) begin experimenting with Zero Waste ("ZW"") efforts, additional leaders pick them up and want to incorporate such experiences and benefits into their programming. …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Developing partnerships to reach campus sustainability goals: ASU's Collaboration with UPS
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- UPS (GA)
Leading universities are looking closely at their campuses environmental impact, and finding novel ways to reduce carbon emissions and waste. ASU has four specific sustainability goals including Carbon Neutrality, Zero …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Community Partnerships for a University-based Renewable Energy Biodigester
- University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (WI)
The university is operating the first commercial-scale dry anaerobic biodigester in the western hemisphere. The facility will provide the equivalent of up to 10% of campus electricity and heat, and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Improving Recycling with an Existing 83% Diversion Rate: Solving Iowa State University's Recycling Enigma
- Iowa State University (IA)
Recycling opportunities are a challenge for a university that collectively diverts 83% of its campus waste by partnering with a city refuse-derived fuel system. As a result, current campus wide …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Owning Your Recycling Infrastructure: How to Understand It, Manage It, & Improve It
- The Ohio State University (OH)
At many institutions large and small it is difficult to understand, manage, and improve your recycling infrastructure. It is especially difficult, if you entered the picture after it already started. …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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How Green is Your Move-In? Maximizing Your Opportunities During Student Move-In Operations
- Baylor University (TX)
Move-In operations for colleges and universities offer a unique opportunity to immediately engage the student, faculty, and staff communities in sustainable practices. Uniting a diverse set of on-campus groups with …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Bearathon: Striving to be America's greenest student-run half marathon
- Baylor University (TX)
The Bearathon is a student-led half-marathon and 5k held every spring semester and serves as the Student Foundation's main fund raising event. Over the course of the last two years …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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On-Campus Food Scraps Composting: Sustainability in Practice
- Kean University (NJ)
It has been suggested that "harvesting food waste as a reusable resource is the next frontier in recycling."" This presentation will highlight the steps involved in creating a highly successful, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Beyond Paper and Plastic: A New National Trend in Textile Recycling on College Campuses
- West Virginia University (WV)
On average, Americans dispose about 68 pounds of clothing per person per year. Annually, this represents 4% of solid waste generated in the United States and trending upward. Today, new …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Paper Steps on Campus - 9 Steps to Protecting the Climate and Reducing Waste through Campus Paper Policies
- Environmental Paper Network (ID)
Paper is changing the climate. Paper's impact is one of our planet's most significant environmental challenges. The industry uses vast amounts of fossil fuels and chemicals, prevents forests from sequestering …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Hoosier to Hoosier: Reducing Student Move-out Waste with the City
- Indiana University Bloomington (IN)
Student move-out is one of the busiest times of year, and students at Indiana University find themselves pressed for time with an apartment full of items they no longer need. …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Cost of Printing vs. iPads: A Paperless Student Union at University of British Columbia
- The University of British Columbia (BC)
As touchscreen technologies continue to advance in functionality and decrease in cost, more organizations will need to carefully examine their ability to replace paper use with such devices. A group …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Campus Re-use store: What's Old is New Again!
- Bowling Green State University (OH)
The campus re-use store opened in spring, 2011 to huge popular acclaim and participation by the student body. Conceived, organized and implemented by students with the support, guidance and advice …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Moving Beyond the Hole: From Waste Stream to Resource Stream
- Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus (NJ)
- GreenerU (MA)
- Waste Management (TX)
Solid waste management on campuses has gone from containers on the curb hauled to a hole in the ground, to iterations of recycling, to the once previously unfathomable and now …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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How to close the loop for your campus' surplus books
- Better World Books (GA)
Almost every campus has paper recycling but many still do not consider books in this process. With the variety of difficult considerations to be made, books do not seem to …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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A Feasibility Study of Bio-Gas Digesters and Composting Systems for A University Campus
- Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
Our research examines the feasibility of building and operating a biogas digestion unit for Carnegie Mellon University as a way to compost organic waste, offset energy use, and output a …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Collaboration, Partnership, and Community - Development and Implementation of Waste Focus Team
- Cornell University (NY)
Proposed briefing is to discuss the Waste Focus Team; part of the Focus Team initiative developed at our university in response to the institution's 2010-2015 Strategic Plan which calls for …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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From Policies to Practice: Moving Departments to the Digital Realm.
- Indiana University Bloomington (IN)
In academic environments, unnecessary paper use has significant environmental and economic impacts. With advances in technology, there are growing opportunities for reducing printing in the future. Existing paper documentation, however, …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Industrial Scale Composting at James Madison University
- James Madison University (VA)
This project aims to provide James Madison University (JMU) with a sustainable means of recycling food waste generated at the dining facilities on-campus. To this end, an aerobic composting reactor …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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College and University Recycling Coalition Workshop
- Keep America Beautiful (CT)
The College and University Recycling Coalition is hosting a half day interactive workshop on collegiate recycling topics.
The presentations will be followed by facilitated small group discussions lead by collegiate …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Zero Waste at Macalester College
- Macalester College (MN)
To fulfill Macalester College's Zero Waste by 2020 goal, Macalester College has completed a waste sort, developed a work plan for the college, as well as developed a vermiculture pilot …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Do Posters Really Matter?
- Missouri University of Science and Technology (MO)
Effect of Signage on Recycling At Missouri University of Science and Technology
Missouri S&T's recycling program has been in place for many years. A recent campus wide waste audit shows …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Who's Responsible for My Waste - Part II
- Missouri University of Science and Technology (MO)
Effects of Changing Behavior
At Missouri University of Science & Technology
Responsible Waste Management
Changing behavior requires a change of attitude. A change of attitude comes from heightened awareness and …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The importance of food waste recycling on campus
- North American Trading House, LLC (NY)
Greening campuses through energy saving, implementing water efficiency and recycling is having a positive impact on our environment. When greening a campus there is one area that is regularly overlooked …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Waste: the Cornerstone of the Environmental Movement
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
My presentation will discuss why waste must be the first problem in universities and cities to combat before other campaigns can be successfully complete. Waste is at the foundation of …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Developing a Comprehensive Recycling and Waste Reduction Program: A Multi-Campus District-Wide Approach
- Portland Community College (OR)
Portland Community College has been involved in recycling and waste reduction efforts for over a decade. The College serves over 83,000 students per year and spans over a wide geographical …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Evaluating Your University's Waste and Recycling Billing Rates
- CHA (NY)
Today, universities are grappling with how to fund ever expanding and much sought after recycling programs. As university waste management programs grow to include larger volumes and additional types of …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Revamping Your University Waste and Recycling Program
- Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) (MI)
Creating sustainable waste and recycling operations throughout large universities is a daunting task as you deal with a variety of audiences and system users. This task can be especially challenging …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Trashformation: Creating Sustainable, Collaborative Campus Communities Through Interactive Art and Education
- RuckusRoots, Inc. (CA)
This presentation describes an innovative co-curricular event that engages students in a collaborative, creative process focused on sustainability. Trashformation is an interactive and educational art experience in which students collaborate …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Adopting the "Swamp": Creating a Sense of Ownership through a Litter Prevention and Maintenance Program
- University of Florida (FL)
The University of Florida campus provides a beautiful collegiate atmosphere for students, staff and faculty to study and learn. Amidst the over 900 buildings housed on campus are numerous ecologically …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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The Resource Recovery Pilot: A Recycling Rehab
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
Although the recycling rates have been slowly increasing over the past few years, we are not satisfied with the current rate and began to look for new ways to jump-start …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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Does Your Campus Recycling Program Need Recharging?
- University of Missouri (MO)
According to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, universities throughout the country have expanded their recycling efforts contributing to an 11.5 percent decrease in overall campus …
- Posted Feb. 26, 2016
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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.