Florida State University
OP-21: Hazardous Waste Management

By law, the University is required to strive to reduce the amount of hazardous waste it generates; therefore, University personnel are directed to take the following measures: • Buy only those amounts of hazardous materials which can be used before the expiration date of the material. • Use up the hazardous material completely for the purpose for which it is intended. • When finished with a stable and uncontaminated product, determine if someone else in the department has a legitimate need for, and can use, the product.

RCRA hazardous and select non-regulated wastes are handled by first ensuring that all personnel who may use chemical products which may become hazardous wastes are trained on proper hazardous waste collection and storage at least annually. Suitable waste collection containers are provided, free of charge by EH&S, as they are needed. These containers are labeled, kept closed when not in use and located in designated areas near the point of generation. When finished with the containers or they reach ¾ full, EH&S picks them up and moves them to a central storage facility where they are logged into a database, placed in secondary containment and segregated for eventual off-site shipment. Usually every two months or when quantities warrant and never more than every 90 days, EH&S contacts EPA licensed contractors and arranges for them to come to our facility, stabilize and package the chemicals appropriately for transport and take them to a properly licensed disposal facility. After these wastes are rendered non-hazardous, through destruction or other means, EH&S is provided with a certificate of disposal which is kept for at least 3 years along with copies of all other generated paperwork. Universal wastes are handled similarly though the collection, packaging and paperwork requirements are less stringent, since they are going to be recycled versus being destroyed. These wastes are either transported to a local recycling center directly (i.e. - Interstate Battery or VEOLIA Environmental, Inc.) or arrangements are made for pick-up by a recycling company (i.e. a used oil company). This waste is still tracked and the paperwork is also kept for at least 3 years.