Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 62.57
Liaison Kylee Singh
Submission Date Feb. 16, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

California Polytechnic State University
OP-21: Hazardous Waste Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.50 / 1.00 Kylee Singh
Sustainability Coordinator
Energy Utilities and Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have strategies in place to safely dispose of all hazardous, special (e.g. coal ash), universal, and non-regulated chemical waste and seek to minimize the presence of these materials on campus?:
Yes

A brief description of steps taken to reduce hazardous, special (e.g. coal ash), universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
Place the waste in a compatible, seal-able and labeled container and keep in secondary containment:  Material will not eat through container.  Container is of sound construction, in good condition and will not leak.  There is no residue that will chemically react with material.  Container must have a liquid-tight cap or lid which prevents leaking when container is tilted or inverted.  Container can be new.  Secondary containment, a tray or outer container, will prevent leaking or spilled waste material from escaping or from coming into contact with nearby incompatible material. All containers of hazardous waste must be kept closed at all times except when material is being added or removed to allow for safe transport without having waste leak into vehicle or onto the roadway. A waste drum or bottle which is left open is a citable EPA violation. All hazardous waste must be properly labeled. Label the container with the following information: 1. “HAZARDOUS WASTE” 2. Start Date: the first date waste was added to the container or the date the container was put in place 3. Name or Description of the Waste: use the chemical name or common name of the material and a statement of the proportions of constituents making up the material 4. Type of Hazard: Combustible, Corrosive (indicate Acid or Alkali), Flammable, Reactive (material reacts with water), or Toxic; if none of these apply, name type of other waste, such as radioactive 5. Physical State: Solid, Liquid or Gas 6. Generator Identification: Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, EPA ID No. CAD 094455102

A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
When the container is full, the procedure that made it is complete or at the end of the academic quarter, submit a Hazardous Waste Pickup and Disposal Request online or contact the Environmental Safety Office at (805)756-6661 to arrange for removal to the campus hazardous waste accumulation area.

A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
Last year, a student dumped sodium hydroxide (~10 gallons) on the ground. This was reported to our regulatory agency and cleaned up by removing soil and disposing of as hazardous waste. Remediation was confirmed by pH testing of surrounding soil, all normal.

A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
Cal Poly does not employ any campus wide inventory systems. Re-purposing occurs on an academic calendar basis between principal investigators of various departments and the hazardous waste coordinator when picking up unwanted hazardous materials.

Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by the institution?:
Yes

Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by students?:
Yes

A brief description of the electronic waste recycling program(s), including information about how electronic waste generated by the institution and/or students is recycled:
To further reduce the quantity of waste deposited in landfill, Cal Poly operates an on line surplus equipment sale program. The Public Surplus auction site is used to resell surplus equipment such as computers, furniture, lab equipment, light fixtures, tools, vehicles, audio/video equipment, and unclaimed lost and found items. The program generates approximately $10,000 per month in revenue, which is reinvested in recycling and other sustainability efforts at Cal Poly. https://afd.calpoly.edu/sustainability/docs/purchasing%20policy/mr%20waste%20management%20policy%20update%20highlight.pdf In order to reduce e-waste generated by students, Cal Poly employs an end of the year move out sort of donated goods and asks students to leave e-waste in appropriate bins to be donated to local e-waste contractors. Batteries and non-high risk e-waste materials are also collected and sent to recycling by front desk staff of every residence hall throughout the academic year.

Is the institution’s electronic waste recycler certified under the e-Stewards and/or Responsible Recycling (R2) standards?:
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Electronic waste recycled or otherwise diverted from the landfill or incinerator during the most recent year for which data is available during the previous three years:
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Data provided by Tom Featherstone with Environmental Health and Saftey

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.