Skip to main content
Duke University Libraries
DukeSpace Scholarship by Duke Authors
  • Login
  • Ask
  • Menu
  • Login
  • Ask a Librarian
  • Search & Find
  • Using the Library
  • Research Support
  • Course Support
  • Libraries
  • About
View Item 
  •   DukeSpace
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • Nicholas School of the Environment
  • View Item
  •   DukeSpace
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • Nicholas School of the Environment
  • View Item
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Sustainable Duke: Procurement & Waste

Thumbnail
View / Download
3.4 Mb
Date
2013-04-26
Authors
Liu, Yang
Shepherd, John
Advisor
Clark, Charlotte
Repository Usage Stats
928
views
1,388
downloads
Abstract
This report examines Duke University’s Procurement Department and Waste Reduction & Recycling Department to identify opportunities for environmental improvement. With regard to waste reduction and recycling, we conducted two different waste reduction and recycling efforts to increase Duke’s 39 % recycling rate, thereby lowering the amount of trash the University sends to the landfill. We conducted a series of waste audits to better understand Duke’s to-landfill stream. Our audits revealed that 47% of the material sent to the landfill could have been recycled, and that 23% could have been composted. Second, we investigated whether Duke should consider switching to single-stream recycling (versus multiple-stream). We created models project potential impacts if Duke were to transition to single-stream recycling; the models predict that transitioning could: reduce Duke’s annual tipping fee by up to$46,568 and reduce the commensurate CO2e emissions by up to 281 tons CO2e. With regard to Procurement, we evaluated the effectiveness of Duke’s current sustainable procurement policies and practices through website information review and interviews. Additionally, we investigated the widely varying sustainable procurement approaches used by thirty other institutions of higher education to evaluate their relative merits. Our work resulted in a list of recommendations to improve upon Dukes already successful model. Regarding waste management, we suggest that Duke implements single-stream recycling and post-consumer compost collection program simultaneously on campus. Regarding procurement, we recommend that Duke moves to a more centralized purchasing system and propose several suggestions to promote sustainable purchasing.
Type
Master's project
Department
Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences
Subject
Sustainability
green procurement
waste management
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6881
Citation
Liu, Yang; & Shepherd, John (2013). Sustainable Duke: Procurement & Waste. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6881.
Collections
  • Nicholas School of the Environment
More Info
Show full item record

Scholars@Duke

Yang Liu

Postdoctoral Associate
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Rights for Collection: Nicholas School of the Environment


Works are deposited here by their authors, and represent their research and opinions, not that of Duke University. Some materials and descriptions may include offensive content. More info

Make Your Work Available Here

How to Deposit

Browse

All of DukeSpaceCommunities & CollectionsAuthorsTitlesTypesBy Issue DateDepartmentsAffiliations of Duke Author(s)SubjectsBy Submit DateThis CollectionAuthorsTitlesTypesBy Issue DateDepartmentsAffiliations of Duke Author(s)SubjectsBy Submit Date

My Account

LoginRegister

Statistics

View Usage Statistics
Duke University Libraries

Contact Us

411 Chapel Drive
Durham, NC 27708
(919) 660-5870
Perkins Library Service Desk

Digital Repositories at Duke

  • Report a problem with the repositories
  • About digital repositories at Duke
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Deaccession and DMCA Takedown Policy

TwitterFacebookYouTubeFlickrInstagramBlogs

Sign Up for Our Newsletter
  • Re-use & Attribution / Privacy
  • Harmful Language Statement
  • Support the Libraries
Duke University