Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 57.02
Liaison Monika Kamboures
Submission Date Aug. 17, 2023

STARS v2.2

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Monika Kamboures
Sustainability Coordinator
Office of Planning, Sustainability & Transportation
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Hazardous waste minimization and disposal

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:
"The most desirable methods of waste minimization are source reduction. Waste minimization can further be realized through efficient material management, when possible substitution of less hazardous materials, good laboratory procedures and the migration to micro techniques (i.e. microchemistry) when performing research or classroom laboratory experiments." from Hazardous Substances-Minimization, Storage and Labeling Policy 2/13/02 (doc)

A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
To properly dispose of Universal Hazardous Waste and other Hazardous Wastes:
1. Prepare a properly labeled container, which is compatible and non-leaking for the collection of the waste by:
• Complete a Hazardous Waste Tracking Form (EH&S F-366-07), available from Environmental Health & Safety, for each container. Make sure the following critical information is completed on the form: Hazardous Material Name, Quantity, California Waste Code, Waste Classification, Safety Handling Precautions and Initial Accumulation Date. The "Universal Waste Table" below contains the Hazardous Material Name, California Waste Code, Waste Classification and Safety Handling Precautions for the Common Names of Universal Hazardous Waste.
• Temporarily tape the completed form on the container before adding waste. Instead of taping the entire form to the container, you can remove the last page of the Hazardous Waste Tracking Form, which is the label for the container and tape the label to the container before adding any waste.
2. Place the Hazardous Waste into the labeled container.
3. Liquid mercury or mercury containing paint shall be placed in an airtight container.
4. Universal Waste thermostats, switches, thermometers, gauges, counter weights, dampers, dilators and weight tubing shall be placed in sealed plastic bags and then placed into airtight containers.
5. Intact Cathode Ray Tube Monitors can be stacked in 3 to 4 layers on a pallet and shrink wrapped. Monitors should not be stacked face down.
6. Incompatible Wastes shall be kept segregated and managed appropriately in separate containers.
7. Make sure the lid is closed on the container when you are not adding waste.
8. Handle all waste in a manner that minimizes breakage, prevents fire, explosion, and the unauthorized release of any Universal Waste or component of a Universal Waste to the environment.
9. Immediately clean up and place in a labeled container, as specified above, any waste that is broken or spilled.
10. When the container is either full or 90 days after the initial accumulation date, call the Environmental Health & Safety Department at Extension 4697 and make arrangements to have the waste picked up or transported to the Hazardous Materials Facility within 3 days.

A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
No information available.

A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
Upon receipt of Regulated Materials, they are logged into the inventory and a usage spread sheet is created to record each use, date, notebook # and whether it has been destroyed. All individual Regulated Materials or toxins is labeled with a unique code number for tracking. A biohazard sign will posted where the Regulated Materials are stored and used; however, the name of the agent should not be identified on the signage. A logbook will be used for each select agent storage location. Inventory procedures for transfer, receiving, storage, and inventory of Agent/ Toxin are incorporated by reference in campus Security Access Plan. The Principal Investigator will conduct a physical inventory of the Regulated Materials on a quarterly
basis. Any unresolved discrepancies will be reported to the Responsible Official (RO) and University Police for investigation and a written explanation of any inventory discrepancies will be included in the inventory records.

Part 2. Electronic waste diversion

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

If yes to either of the above, provide:

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:
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona is partnering with eWaste Center Inc. to provide a convenient E-Waste recycling solution for the campus and local communities, including businesses. The program is managed by the Environmental Health & Safety Department.

Hundreds of thousands of computers, monitors, televisions and other electronic items are replaced in California every year. This “E-Waste” contains valuable materials and can be hazardous if not disposed of properly. When you “e-recycle”, you’re helping to protect our environment and create new jobs in California. As of February 8, 2005 it is against the law for households or businesses to dispose of these materials in the regular trash.

Is the institution’s electronic waste recycler certified under the e-Stewards and/or Responsible Recycling (R2) standards?:
Yes

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s hazardous waste program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
N/A

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.