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Goals and Results

Track the Institute’s progress in creating a sustainable campus.

As part of its commitment to students, faculty, and the general public, the Institute publishes summary statistics of its sustainability efforts.

Greenhouse Gas Audits

Here you can find information on the Institute’s greenhouse gas and waste audits. These statistics serve as a tracking device for you. Every year we continue to work toward our goals to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions and non-recyclable waste. Below are the results of our FY17-18 audit.

Year-by-Year CO2 Emissions Comparison

Year Travel Electricity Natural Gas Landfill Mobile Total
06–07 2,865 304 212 15 2 3,398
07–08 2,725 273 218 44 2 3,262
08–09 1,945 294 241 54 7 2,541
09–10 1,433 281 235 47 2 1,998
10–11 1,654 257 213 50 1 2,175
11–12 1,643 234 214 46 8 2,145
12–13 1,213 239 224 45 9 1,730
13–14 1,356 240 200 32 1 1,829
14–15 706 191 142 47 1 1,087
15–16 1,136 229 178 18 2 1,612
16-17 748 173 206 18 0 1,145
17-18 1021 172 190 17 0 1,402
Chart of Total Emissions FY 06-18

Since the first audit in 2006, the Institute considerably reduced its carbon footprint. In FY 2006–2007, greenhouse gas emissions associated with the Institute were equivalent to the emissions from 718 passenger vehicles driven for one year. In FY 2017– 2018, the Institute’s travel carbon footprint dropped to equal the equivalent of emissions from 298 passenger vehicles driven for one year.   

Emissions by Source 2017–2018

Chart FY 2017-2018 Emissions Breakdown

Emissions resulting from the Institute’s travel remain the largest component of the campus footprint. This is a major challenge that is currently being addressed by the Sustainability Council. More details about our campus improvements to mitigate our greenhouse gas emissions can be found in the “Carbon Neutrality” section of our “Current Initiatives” webpage.

Campus Waste

The Institute is committed to minimizing waste and increasing recycling whenever possible. The Sustainability Council continuously monitors, documents, and tracks the progress of weekly campus waste output. Our 2015–2016 waste metrics were as follows:

  • Average Weekly Waste: 1,297 lbs.
  • Average Waste Recycled Weekly: 599 lbs.
  • Average % Waste Recycled Weekly: 46%

Goals

On July 1, 2010, the Institute officially merged with Middlebury to become a Graduate School of Middlebury College. Accompanying the merger, the Institute set a goal of recycling at least 40 percent of its waste. At 46 percent waste recycled weekly, we reached out recycling rate goal! However, we are not stopping here. We will continue to work with students, staff, and faculty to ensure that this upward trend continues into the coming year. In addition, we are also working on increasing our composting capacity. Stay tuned for more news soon!

Battery recycling 

Since February 2008, the Institute has been collecting used batteries in special recycling bins throughout campus. To date, the Institute has recycled more than 2,475 pounds of batteries!