Waste Minimization Plan
The Waste Minimization Plan was completed in 2024 and provides an important pillar to the work that the university has done for the past 16 years to advance sustainability. In that time, the university achieved a 37% diversion of waste from the landfill. The Waste Minimization Plan consists of four focus areas, each containing various initiatives to be accomplished by 2029. This plan is focused on the reduction of the total waste produced on campus and an increase in sustainable purchasing and contracting.
Read Our Waste Minimization Plan
Strategies
At a campus-wide level, Bentley University can minimize waste by applying the zero-waste hierarchy. This is a framework that prioritizes prevention and circular practices over disposal. By integrating this approach into purchasing, dining services, residence life and campus events, Bentley can reduce waste at the source and extend the lifecycle of materials. This moves Bentley away from a linear "take-make-waste" system and toward a more sustainable campus culture guided by the zero waste hierarchy levels: rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, repair and recycling.
Reduce
Choosing to create less trash from the start.
Falcons Finding Food is a program where members of the community will be notified when there is leftover food at events. People who sign up can come to the event in a specified period of time and eat the food onsite or take the food to go. The food is first come first served and is not guaranteed. You can sign up here to receive email and text notifications or go to https://bentley.service-now.com/ and search Find Food.
How It Works
Goal: Minimize leftover food waste from campus events.
Sign-Up: People must sign up for notifications ahead of time and agree to follow food safety guidelines. Once you sign up, you will then receive alerts via email and text is optional when leftover food is available.
Availability: The notification released will indicate when the food is available until. The food is not guaranteed to those who receive the notification.
Details in Alerts: Notifications will include the number of servings, type of food and any allergens. They will also include location and time frame that the food is available.
Risks: Pre-cooked meals and transportation carry with them inherent risks that include, but are not limited to, health hazards resulting from improper transport, handling, and storage. By consuming leftover food, participants acknowledge that they accept all risks and waive any potential liability as to Bentley University or any other food donor associated with the donated food that is made available.
To unsubscribe from Falcons Finding Food alerts please email ga_bentley_sustainability@bentley.edu.
Both federal law (42 U.S.C.A. § 1791) and Massachusetts law (Mass. Gen. Law sch. 94 § 328) provide food donors (including Bentley University) liability protection related to food donations. Notwithstanding the above, individuals who sign up to participate in the Falcons Finding Food program and who accept any donated food, as a condition of participation, accept all risks of consuming leftover food and waive any potential claims it may have against any food donors (including Bentley University).
This program helps ensure that surplus food is put to good use, benefiting both the environment and the campus community. Bentley reserves the right to change the access, deny access or cancel the program at any time and in its sole discretion.
Falcons Finding Food is a partnership among the Office of Sustainability, Procurement and Campus Services, Bentley Dining and the Bentley IT Client Services.
Please contact ga_bentley_sustainability@bentley.edu with any questions.
Bentley has a leftover food donation program in the 921 dining hall in collaboration with a local food rescue organization, Rescuing Leftover Cuisine (RLC). Through this initiative, leftover food from the campus’ 921 dining hall is collected and packaged and RLC delivers surplus food to people in need through local community non-profit partnerships.
Reuse
Choosing to keep things out of the trash for as long as possible.
Give 'N Go is Bentley's sustainable move out program where students can donate items they don't want to take with them. Reusable goods like clothing, furniture and kitchen items are collected and donated to Goodwill Morgan Memorial. In addition, all non-perishable food donated by residential students is given to Healthy Waltham. In total, the Bentley community donated 41K lbs of reusable items during their move out cycles since 2023.
Bentley's dining offers a reusable container program called the “Green Box” program to reduce single-use packaging waste and provide the flexibility of a to-go option in the 921 Dining Hall. Community members purchase a reusable plastic to go box for $5 at the beginning of the semester and are allowed to reuse it at the 921 Dining Hall and LaCava rather than using disposable containers. People can return the box to the 921 for cleaning and reuse. When they return their box they can exchange it for a new box or a keychain which will allow them to get a new box the next time they need it free of charge.
Bentley has a Microsoft Teams site called Re-use. This is a place for employees to swap office items with others on campus. Check the Re-use Teams Site before purchasing new items as someone on campus may have the item that you seek.
Please note: This site is for exchanging small office items only. If you have furniture you are no longer using please contact Procurement and Campus Services.
If you would like to participate in the Re-use Team: Go to Teams. In the top right corner click "Join" or "Create Team." In the "search teams" field, type "Re-use." Click on the team and select "Join."
Repurpose
Extending the useful life of materials by turning it into something new.
Bentley has been composting behind the scenes in kitchens since 2013. Food scraps are collected for composting in the university's three main preparatory kitchens servicing The 921 Dining Hall, the LaCava Lower Café, Faculty Staff Dining Room, campus catering operations and the Dana Center Food Court. Post-consumer (i.e. leftover) food from The 921 Dining Hall and catering operations is also collected in the university's compost program. Bentley’s Compost is processed by Anaerobic Digestion, a process which creates energy as well as Pellet fertilizer which is used to grow new crops.
Consumer Composting at LaCava
Community members can participate in composting in the LaCava Café. Diners are encouraged to put food and paper based to-go containers in the compost bins.
Recycle
Keeping valuable materials out of the trash.
Bentley has a robust single stream recycling program with an easy blue and black color-coded system. This means that all recycling goes into the blue bins and trash into the black bins. All common spaces and offices should be equipped with the appropriate bins.
Questions about how to recycle properly? Consult our Trash and Recycling Guide.
If you are missing a trash or recycling bin please put in a work order with Facilities Management here
Remember that anything you recycle must be clean and as dry as possible.
Bentley offers two electronic recycling stations for students, faculty and staff to recycle electronics such as batteries, cell phones, hand-held electronics and inkjet cartridges. Stations are located are on the ground floor of the library (next to the Client Services desk) and the first floor of Morison Hall.
Bentley Owned Electronics
Items such as networked printers, copiers, and fax machines that are marked with a network tag or ID are handled by Client Services. Please contact them if you have one of these items that are no longer being used in your department.
Other Bentley owned electronics such as small desktop printers, scanners and small electronics used in Bentley departments can be recycled through Facilities Management. Faculty and Staff can put in a work order (or call x2208) at least 5 days in advance for the movers to pick up electronics for recycling. Facilities Management will collect these items for recycling by North Coast Services.
Personal Electronics
Bentley does not provide recycling services for large personal electronics. Large electronics can be recycled in a number of ways.
Most towns provide "Household Hazardous Waste Days" or "Electronics Recycling Days" several times per year. Some towns have curbside pickup and some require residents to drop electronics off at the Department of Public Works. Check out your town's website and look under "DPW" or "Solid Waste and Recycling" for more information.
Best Buy offers free recycling services for electronics, even if you didn't buy them at Best Buy! This is a great example of a company taking responsibility for the full life cycle of their products.
Textiles are banned from disposal in trash bins in Massachusetts. To reduce trash generation throughout the state, textiles including clothes, shoes, linens, towels, curtains, and cloth accessories must now be recycled or donated. 95% of textiles can be recycled or donated for reuse. To aid that effort, Bentley has partnered with Helpsy to install three clothing and shoe donation bins on campus located in:
- The parking lot at Lewis Hall
- The parking lot near Rhodes Hall
- Near building B on North Campus
Textiles placed in the Helpsy bins can be in any condition. Please put them into a plastic bag before donating your textiles.