| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 88.13 |
| Liaison | Tonie Miyamoto |
| Submission Date | Nov. 7, 2022 |
Colorado State University
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Carol
Dollard Energy Engineer Facilities Management |
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:
The Chemical Management Unit - Hazardous Waste Division (CMU-Haz) is dedicated to ensuring proper management and disposal of all hazardous/universal/non-regulated wastes generated by research, teaching, and Facilities operations at Colorado State University (CSU). Safe and environmentally sound management of chemical waste is an integral part of the CMU-Haz mission. This commitment allows CSU to meet its compliance obligations concerning federal, state, and local regulations pertaining to the management of chemical wastes.
These CMU-Haz professionals also carry out lab cleanouts and respond to special pickups or emergency responses.
Responsibility for compliance with chemical waste materials regulations begins with the individual researchers and employees who generate the waste material and continues through the transportation and disposal process.
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
CMU-Haz aids with the disposal of chemical waste materials generated at CSU. They provide training on waste management and regulate the proper handling and accumulation of all wastes. The service they provide is free of charge to all individuals who work at CSU and generate normal waste.
Trained professionals from the CMU-Haz, routinely collect these wastes from generators as they use the electronic Request for Disposal (eRFD) system. The wastes are then segregated, bulked if compatible, or safely stored at the Regulated Materials Building. A licensed hazardous waste contractor further segregates, lab packs, manifests, and transport CSU’s waste to the appropriate disposal facility.
A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
CSU has had no significant reportable hazardous materials releases in the past 3 years.
A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
The CMU maintains an online chemical inventory to facilitate state and federal regulatory reporting. The chemical inventory provides CMU with lab-specific chemical hazard information which helps CMU provide site-specific training to the lab and provides local emergency response crews with hazard information. The inventory allows labs to monitor their own chemical storage area to locate items better and to keep chemical stores to a minimum by not over-ordering. Also, the inventories can be shared with other labs to enhance chemical sharing where possible. Chemicals coming onto campus are barcoded for ease in the inventory process.
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:
The Surplus Property department handles all excess material from the University including electronic devices that are generated and first attempts to refurbish and resell all functional equipment, harvests non-functional equipment for useable or saleable parts, and all other e-waste, in whole or in part, is sent to a contracted certified vendor for recycling.
The Surplus Property department offers electronic waste recycling for a fee to all faculty, staff, and students who bring those items to the Surplus Property Department at any time of the year. Surplus Property hosts an annual free collection event during Earth Week, and further, recycles all electronic waste that is generated by students moving out of the on-campus residence halls during the move-out period.
Housing & Dining Services provides Techno-Trash bins in all residence halls and apartment buildings on campus for ease of use. Once tested, if an item is found to be in operational condition or can be refurbished it is then sold through the Surplus Property store. Items that are non-functional are sent to our certified e-waste vendor for further processing, de-manufacturing, and recycling. The Surplus Property department also is in charge of all data sanitization for end-of-life data containing devices and wipes all devices to NIST SP 800-88r1 standards or physically crushes devices if they fail the wiping process. The Surplus Property department is an i-SIGMA member organization and only uses e-Steward and/or Responsible Recycling(R2) certified electronic waste recyclers.
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:
Chemical Management Inventory Audit: http://www.ehs.colostate.edu/WChemMgt/Online/ChemAudit.aspx
Electronics recycling information: http://cr.colostate.edu/surplus-for-departments.html
Student access to e-waste recycling services: http://cr.colostate.edu/surplus-property.html
Contracted vendors home page: https://thinkdynamic.com/
Vendor certifications, including both e-Stewards and R2: https://thinkdynamic.com/certifications/
Surplus Property Operating Procedures: http://cr.colostate.edu/surplus-operating-procedures.html
Chemical Management Inventory Audit: http://www.ehs.colostate.edu/WChemMgt/Online/ChemAudit.aspx
Electronics recycling information: http://cr.colostate.edu/surplus-for-departments.html
Student access to e-waste recycling services: http://cr.colostate.edu/surplus-property.html
Contracted vendors home page: https://thinkdynamic.com/
Vendor certifications, including both e-Stewards and R2: https://thinkdynamic.com/certifications/
Surplus Property Operating Procedures: http://cr.colostate.edu/surplus-operating-procedures.html
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.