| Overall Rating | Bronze |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 28.04 |
| Liaison | Jodi Kennedy |
| Submission Date | July 5, 2022 |
Georgia Southern University
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 1.00 |
Christopher
Randle Environmental & Sustainability Specialist Facilities |
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:
Recycling initiatives such as receiving 20% off of new batteries at Tech Corner when students, Faculty and Staff recycle used batteries are offered. Spent aerosol cans and some appliance parts are also recycled as scrap metal by GSU staff. Spent chemical waste is normally not repurposed or recycled since its properties make it useless for most other purposes.
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
All hazardous wastes, non-regulated chemical wastes, universal wastes and biowastes are all taken off-site by an authorized waste disposal vendor. Each waste is tracked and recorded from cradle to grave in either a hazardous or non-hazardous waste manifest and waste codes are applied for how each waste is transported and disposed of. All wastes, excluding universal waste, are disposed of at an authorized waste disposal center.
A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
On 09/12/2019, a GSU truck carrying twelve 30-gallon drums of hydrochloric acid ran over a curb causing some of the acid to spill into the parking lot. The drums were not strapped in. No acid entered any storm drains and was neutralized by the fire department using baking soda.
A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
The EHS Assistant software program found under the Facility Services tab on mygeorgiasouthern.edu tracks all laboratory chemical inventory for all campuses. We usually do not reuse or redistribute chemical wastes because they are usually mixed with other chemicals, making them useless for most purposes. We rarely get any pure chemical waste but if we did, we could only repurpose it if it is not labeled as a waste. All waste containers should be labeled as such and at that point, the chemical(s) have to be treated as waste.
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:
Used electronic items that are ready for recycling are collected in large clear rectangular tubs with white tops. Tubs contain batteries, small bulbs, small electronics, and ink cartridges. EHS collects items from campus locations, or items are dropped off at the EHS Offices. The local Staples retail store in Savannah recycles ink cartridges for free. Ink cartridges recycled at the Armstrong campus can be dropped off at the nearby Staples. However, since Fall 2021, all campuses that participate in ink and toner recycling are encouraged to send the cartridges back to the original manufacturer. Each manufacturer provides shipping labels for free.
Currently, only the Statesboro and Armstrong campuses participate in electronic recycling and only the Armstrong campus recycles small electronics. Both campuses recycle lamps (i.e., fluorescent bulbs), printer ink and toner, and batteries. Lamps and batteries are managed as universal waste and are disposed of off-site by an authorized waste vendor.
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.