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STARS Facts and Best Practices: Waste Reduction and Diversion

Last month, STARS Participants joined the ranks of hundreds of U.S. and Canadian institutions to participate in Recyclemania, a friendly competition to see who can reduce, reuse, and recycle the most on-campus waste. While this annual competition recognizes institutions based on data submitted over an eight-week period, the Waste subcategory in STARS recognizes ongoing initiatives that move institutions toward zero waste. March’s STARS Facts and Best Practices blog focuses on OP 17: Waste Reduction and OP 18: Waste Diversion.

Overview of Credits

  • OP 17: Waste Reduction recognizes institutions that have reduced waste generation over time. While other credits recognize the benefits of recycling, this credit acknowledges the importance of preventative measures to reduce total waste generation (garbage, recycling, and compost).
  • OP 18: Waste Diversion recognizes institutions that are reducing waste and conserving resources. Institutions earn points by diverting materials from the landfill or incinerator by recycling, composting, reusing, donating, or re-selling.

STARS Facts
Based on the current STARS data, there is tremendous room for improvement to minimize waste on college and university campuses.

  • OP 17: Waste Reduction – On average, institutions earned 1 point out of 5. Only 8 out of 175 institutions achieved waste reductions of 50% or more compared to a 2005 baseline.
  • OP 18: Waste Diversion – On average, institutions earned 1 point out of 3. Overall, 22% of all waste has been diverted from the landfill or incinerator through recycling, composting, re-using, donating, or reselling.

With campus populations growing steadily, data submitted for OP 17: Waste Waste Reduction show that total waste generated per campus user has decreased by 4%, even while overall waste has increased by 5%.

average_rate_of_waste_in_tons2.png In comparison to the 2005 baseline, average recycling and composting rates have increased for STARS-rated institutions while rates for disposed goods have decreased:

  • 11% increase in recycling
  • 2% increase in composting
  • 13% decrease in disposed waste

AASHE Resource Center
Click here to access resources on Sustainable Management of Campus Waste & Materials.

Highlighted Institutions

  • Arizona State University (STARS Gold, July 2011) published a Strategic Plan for Sustainability Practices in 2011 that declares zero waste as a primary goal for on-campus sustainability efforts. ASU has pledged to eliminate 90 percent of campus solid waste from the landfill by 2015. Over the last five years, ASU has launched over four dozen projects and initiatives, for both waste aversion and diversion, across diverse areas of operations, resulting in a 52% drop in total waste generated.

  • In accordance with its strategic plan, Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA (STARS Silver, February 2012) has established a campus-wide policy to “reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink”. Campus community members participate in aggressive waste reduction programs that include single-stream recycling, paper reduction initiatives, and numerous others. With a 2011 diversion rate of 73%, Agnes Scott College is on its way to achieving its zero waste goals.

The most successful campus waste reducers have established challenging waste reduction goals and are implementing broad and numerous initiatives to achieve these goals. Moving forward, a challenge for institutions is to systematically reduce total waste while still accommodating for campus growth. The STARS team would love to hear readers’ feedback on ways to shape STARS in the future to further promote zero waste initiatives. Please send your ideas to stars@aashe.org.

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Posted: March 1, 2012, 12:59 PM

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