College of Saint Benedict
OP-T2-41: Chemical Reuse Inventory

We save any left-over solutions and chemicals to use later all the time. It’s difficult to quantify any amounts. We have to be sure they are not contaminated. We try not to waste anything. The Chemistry Department has made an effort to reduce waste and reduce chemical use by designing labs that can be done on what is called “microscale”. We have been doing this for many years. Working on a small scales is cost- effective because we can use fewer chemicals, reduce the amount of wastes produced, and improve safety by reducing the quantities of chemicals people are exposed to. For twenty five years or more, we have participated in the waste disposal program provided by the University of Minnesota. They offer a program to pick up our wastes, and dispose of them in a proper manner that meets state and federal regulations for transportation of wastes and legal disposal of wastes. The Chemistry Department takes very seriously our responsibility to be good stewards of our resources, both our fiscal resources and our environmental resources. We have made an effort to significantly reduce the use of mercury in our department. We teach about chemical exposure risks and waste disposal concerns in all our labs.