Hazardous Waste Reduction

Purpose
Reduce the generation of hazardous waste, and thereby decrease overall disposal costs and decrease risk to human health and the environment. Related Aspects identified through the EMS process include: Laboratory generated hazardous waste, art supplies, waste in drains, chemical purchase and storage.

Individuals Responsible
Deans Office: Ensure that departments have access to resources needed to implement hazardous waste minimization procedures.

Department Chairs Ensure that faculty understand the Toxic Use Reduction Policy, and encourage participation toward achieving the goals set forth within the policy.

Faculty: Annually review laboratory procedures to determine where new minimization procedures might be applicable.

Environmental Health and Safety staff assigned to manage hazardous materials will support laboratory supervisors in reviewing Hazardous Materials Minimization options and assist with implementation.

Environmental Objectives
Increase awareness of Hazardous Waste Regulations and Toxic Use Reduction.

Reduce Generation of Hazardous Waste.

Related Targets
100% awareness of Toxic Use Reduction Policy by CAS faculty and staff.

Reduce hazardous waste in CAS by 10% per laboratory student.

50% of Focus Group (generators) to participate in a hazardous waste minimization activity.

Target Date (month/year): March 2004

How will awareness of toxic use reduction objective be met?
Measure beginning level of awareness of CAS faculty and staff by randomly surveying individuals.

Faculty and staff receive Toxic Use Reduction (TUR) information through the following media:

Table tents in meeting rooms

Voice mail to CAS faculty and staff
E-mail message to CAS faculty and staff

Speak at faculty assembly or department head meetings about Toxic Use Reduction.

Provide statement at bottom of agenda for All Faculty Day and or Department Head Meetings.

Display UNE SEAS Poster and give away Bike Bottles during Friends and Family Weekend and other University events.

Provide Toxic Use Reduction Brochure to all new employees.

Quiz lab supervisors on TUR information.

How will hazardous waste minimization objective be met?
Review Hazardous Waste Minimization Options with laboratory faculty annually to choose a procedure to be implemented in his or her classroom or research procedures.

Offer workshops on hazardous waste reduction principles.

Distribute “What’s Hazardous Waste Minimization?” brochure that provides an easy “how to” list of options to reduce hazardous waste.

Present Green Chemistry Information with a keynote address and informal reception on TUR for Focus Group. Post Green Chemistry references to web site.

Create a centralized Chemical Inventory of Hazardous Materials.

Quantify hazardous waste generation in comparison with previous year.

Survey Focus Group to determine the number of decisions/actions carried out resulting in reduction of hazardous waste.

Promote specific action items that were performed by Focus Group/CAS faculty and staff.

What Operational Controls might support the achievement of these objectives?
Document specific Hazardous Waste Minimization Activities by creating Standard Operating Procedures undertaken by various departments.

Create Standard Operating Procedures for Chemical Inventory Program.

UNE SEAS Committee and Environmental Health and Safety staff Staff reviews achievements and creates new goals biannually.

Biannual update of Toxic Use Reduction Plan goals (Pollution Prevention Plan) sent to state.

How will these objectives be tracked?
Hazardous waste sent for disposal is tracked by laboratory by type and volume, using Waste Profile Form, tallied up annually and reported to Environmental Health and Safety staff department head.

Biannual report to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on Pollution Prevention Goals/Toxic Use Reduction goals.

Annual report of Hazardous Waste Inventory to Toxics and Hazardous Waste Reduction Program on types and volumes of waste disposed.

Consider utilizing disposal-tracking mechanism from Chemical Inventory Program.

What resources will be required to achieve these objectives?
Chemical inventory software
Bar code printer
Scanners
Laptop

Staff time required to:
Prepare state reports
Prepare Communications
Prepare Data for UNE SEAS Committee review

Technical time required for:
Annual review of hazardous waste minimization options with laboratory supervisors.
    
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