| Overall Rating | Bronze - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 28.23 |
| Liaison | Brian Webb |
| Submission Date | March 5, 2020 |
Houghton College
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.75 / 1.00 |
Brian
Webb Sustainability Coordinator Center for Sustainability |
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:
We work with Advanced Waste Solutions to deal with the chemical waste generated on campus. Chemistry, Art, Biology and Psychology generate hazardous waste that is removed from the campus on a yearly basis. The EPA has rated the college as conditionally exempt. We have no more than 220 lbs of hazardous waste generated in a month. In chemistry, biology, art and psychology there has been a move to use less toxic reagents and materials. Specimens for dissection are now preserved in Karosafe, which is safe to go down the drain. Specimens in formalin have to be sent out as hazardous waste. In general chemistry we have removed the use off mercury ions in the labs since this needs to be reclaimed if present at greater than 100 ppm.
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
Any organic solvents are bottled and sent out as waste at the end of the year. Our policy on the chemistry floor is that chemical waste must be bottled and stored for waste disposal pickup. Advanced Waste determines where the different waste materials go. So go for incineration, some for reclamation and some to a land fill. We do collect mercury from devices in a Universal Waste container that will be sent out for reclamation once the pail is full.
A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
None
A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
We have a single electronic inventory. If professors purchase new chemical/reagents then they need to add them to the inventory list. We keep the inventory list on a secure shared drive. We have printed SDS sheets in the labs where the chemicals are stored. Since most of the chemicals are ordered to replace old ones, we don’t do a tight inventory management, just keep track of the presence of hazardous chemicals and add new reagents as purchased.
In terms of waste, we have log sheets associated with each waste container. The professor or students may put in the names of the major components. The log sheets are associated with the bottle of waste to indicate the major components so that the waste company can classify the waste and dispose of it properly. Once the waste jar is full it is taken down to the Boom room and is logged into an overall waste sheet. Once the waste is logged into the Boom room it is classified 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:
All electronic waste is stored by Technology Services on pallets and in boxes in the Technology Services office until it is collected by eWaste (out of Rochester) for disposal. Most recycling is from Tech Services computer or audio video equipment and is brought to the office by Tech Services staff. There are times when departments will do ‘spring’ cleaning and request Facilities to bring electronics here as well. Facilities also will bring electronics when cleaning out housing after student leave for the school year. For pickup, we call eWaste, who then schedules a pick up.
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.