| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 76.00 |
| Liaison | Ciannat Howett |
| Submission Date | March 5, 2021 |
Emory University
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Kelly
Weisinger Director Office of Sustainability Initiatives |
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 main source of hazardous waste generated at Emory is the result of laboratory, clinical, and institutional operations. Emory provides education on the hazards of these types of waste and methods for reducing their production. The Green Labs at Emory program encourages the use of microscale techniques when plausible,‘just in time’ purchasing, and best management practices for chemicals in use. Some departments practice chemical re-distribution and solvent distillation. Facilities Management has almost entirely discontinued the use of paint with hazardous components. Aerosol cans are punctured, the residual waste collected for disposal as hazardous waste, and the metal is recycled. Use of photo chemicals has been reduced by use of alternate technology and reduction in program size.
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
All hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste is sent to a licensed commercial facility for destruction or recycling. With its 2018 Waste Policy, Emory expanded its collection of universal waste through the "Hard-to-recycle" materials stations in most major buildings, which collect universal waste such as aerosols, bulbs, batteries in addition to other materials that are difficult to recycle.
A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
There have been no significant releases of hazardous materials.
A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
Departments are encouraged to deploy their own inventory, reuse, and redistribution system for laboratory chemicals because the transport of chemical inter-departmentally requires specialized vehicles with trained personnel. Emory's large Chemistry department (graduate and undergraduate) utilize Quartzy for the the inventorying and redistribution of chemicals within the department, and utilizes a well-organized stock room to manage just-in-time purchasing and reduce waste and expiration of chemicals. The Chemistry department also incorporates green chemistry into the curriculum, and has student group advocates focused on growing this educational framework.
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:
University-owned electronics are recycled by a third-party vendor. Emory's Library and Information Technology Services collects obsolete or broken electronics from campus and stores them for pick-up an external vendor. In addition, Emory Surplus Properties holds e-waste drives to collect e-waste owned by students and staff at intervals throughout the year.
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:
Electronic waste website: http://it.emory.edu/electronicwaste/
Hard-to-recycle materials stations: https://sustainability.emory.edu/initiatives/waste/hard-to-recycle-materials-map/
Emory's Follow-the-Waste educational social justice and sustainability campaign: https://sustainability.emory.edu/following-emorys-waste/
Data reported for 2018-2019 fiscal year.
Electronic waste website: http://it.emory.edu/electronicwaste/
Hard-to-recycle materials stations: https://sustainability.emory.edu/initiatives/waste/hard-to-recycle-materials-map/
Emory's Follow-the-Waste educational social justice and sustainability campaign: https://sustainability.emory.edu/following-emorys-waste/
Data reported for 2018-2019 fiscal year.
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.