Solid Waste
REDUCTION GOAL: By 2012, reduce net emissions from solid waste to no more than 300 t CO2e
| FY07 | FY08 | FY09 | FY10 | FY12 Target |
| 300 | ||||
Goal Overview
In FY08, emissions from solid waste contributed more than 350 t CO2e. These emissions resulted from methane released from OSU’s landfilled waste. Though the quality of our historical solid waste data is unknown, the amount of landfilled solid waste appears to have stayed consistent over the years. This can be attributed to the rise in enrollment, coupled with higher recycling rates. Historically, all of OSU’s solid waste has been landfilled at Coffin Butte landfill, where since 1995 methane has been captured and used to generate electricity. This technology drastically reduces OSU’s emissions from solid waste, but reduction of the overall waste stream is necessary as well to meet goals.
Progress Summary
| Strategy | Implementation Period | FY10 Progress | Estimated FY10 Reduction |
| 1: Decrease size of waste stream (or Encourage alternatives to landfill) | |||
| 2: Minimize climate impact of solid waste | |||
| 3: Offset remaining emissions from solid waste |
For more detail, please see OSU Climate Plan pages 30-31.