| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 53.57 |
| Liaison | Noah Upchurch |
| Submission Date | March 3, 2023 |
Catawba College
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Hannah
Addair Sustainability Specialist Center for the Environment |
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?:
A brief description of steps taken to reduce hazardous, special (e.g. coal ash), universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
Catawba College has transitioned from a Large Quantity Generator to a Small Quantity Generator within the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's regulatory framework. The status change occurred after a review and removal of hazardous substances identified during a renovation of the Shuford Science Building in 2019. Since then, the College has significantly reduced the amount of hazardous waste that is maintained on-site. The College accomplished this reduction by adopting a disposal cycle of no more than 2 years for any given chemical, installing fire-proof hazardous waste cabinets, and working with a contractor to limit chemical waste maintained on campus. As a result, the College now disposes of waste yearly rather than waiting to accumulate a specified volume. Disposing of chemicals and chemical waste on a regular basis has improved the accuracy of our inventory and allows us to maintain the Small Quantity Generator status.
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
Catawba College safely disposes of hazardous and chemical waste by working with a contractor that has the proper licenses to transport and dispose of hazardous waste. Chemicals that are ready to be disposed of are kept in a separate storage locker for safety prior to removal of the waste from campus. We are reviewed by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to ensure that we are following safe practices and protocols.
A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
During the previous three years, there have been no significant hazardous material release incidents on campus.
A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
All departments that use laboratory chemicals operate within the Shuford Science Building. Each department in that building uses an online inventory of laboratory chemicals that are used, reused, and stored.
Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by the institution?:
Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by students?:
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:
All laptops, monitors, docking stations, and other equipment are procured for faculty and staff through the College's IT Department. The IT Department sends obsolete items to Powerhouse Recycling, Inc., to be recycled.
Although the College does not procure electronic devices for students, the IT Department provides recycling for unwanted student devices through our contract with Powerhouse Recycling, Inc.
Is the institution’s electronic waste recycler certified under the e-Stewards and/or Responsible Recycling (R2) standards?:
Website URL where information about the institution’s hazardous waste program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.