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.
Featured Resources
Latest News from AASHE Bulletin
New Resources
Student and Staff Cooperative Implementation of a Residential Recycling Program at Iowa State University
- Iowa State University (IA)
The Department of Resdidence (DoR) and student leaders teamed up together to implement a residence hall wide recycling program. The program is intended to reduce waste of recyclables in residence ...
- Posted July 1, 2010
- Case Studies
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EcoMug at Western Michigan University: The First Decade
- Western Michigan University (MI)
In 2009, Western Michigan University created a novel, and as far as we know unprecedented, waste reduction initiative. During the first few weeks of school, each incoming student is given ...
- Posted July 1, 2010
- Case Studies
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Grounds Services Green Waste Re-Use Program at Arizona State University
- Arizona State University (AZ)
The Grounds Services department initiated a pair of programs that convert ASU's Tempe campus landscape green waste into valuable assets. One program collects green "waste" and sends it to ...
- Posted July 1, 2010
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Iowa State University Recycling and Sustainability Program
- Iowa State University (IA)
The purpose of our project was to create a more sustainable living environment for students living on campus. The effort included creating a convenient, easy to use department wide recycling ...
- Posted June 30, 2010
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Harvard Medical School Reusable Sharps Container Pilot
- Harvard University (MA)
In collaboration with Harvard Medical School (HMS) Campus Operations, Environmental Health & Safety, and the Office for Sustainability, two large research buildings constituting HMS' 'North Campus' have fully transitioned from ...
- Posted June 30, 2010
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Implementing Vermicomposting in Luther College Residence Halls
- Luther College (IA)
Luther students have started disposing of fruit and vegetable waste in worm composting bins installed in seven of Luther's residence halls by students from the Luther Sustainability program.
Students ...
- Posted June 30, 2010
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Centralized Recycling Pilot at NYU Stern
- New York University (NY)
The NYU Stern Campus Greening Initiative, Facilities, Recycling, Sustainability Office and Green Grants teams partnered to run a pilot project aimed at increasing the volume of recycled material at the ...
- Posted June 30, 2010
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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. Additional content and advanced benchmarking tools will be added to this tab over time.
Programs and Initiatives
The following links connect to specific Content Displays on the STARS website (AASHE membership and log-in required).
- Waste audits
- Institutional procurement policies designed to prevent waste
- Surplus departments and office supply exchange programs
- Limits on paper and ink consumption
- Efforts to make materials online by default rather than printing them
- Programs to reduce residence hall move-in/move-out waste
- Electronic waste recycling programs
Scores
The following link connects to the Score Display on the STARS website (AASHE membership and log-in required).
Waste Partners
7 Rivers Recycling
Onalaska, WIBusiness Affiliate
Busch Systems
Barrie, ONBusiness Affiliate
CleanRiver Recycling Solutions
Aurora, ONBusiness Affiliate
Eagle Protect PBC
South Lake Tahoe, CABusiness Affiliate
Eco-Products
Boulder, COBusiness Affiliate
Foam Cycle LLC
Augusta, NJBusiness Affiliate
Landmark Studio & Design
Muskego, WIBusiness Affiliate
LRP Recycling
Framingham, MABusiness Affiliate
Max-R
Sussex, WIBusiness Affiliate
Post-Landfill Action Network
Dover, NHBusiness Affiliate
RRS
Ann Arbor, MIBusiness Affiliate
The Campus Kitchens Project
Washington, DCBusiness Affiliate