Muhlenberg College
OP-25: Hazardous Waste Management

Hazardous Waste Muhlenberg College has strategies in place to dispose of all hazardous, special, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste and tries to minimize the presence of these materials on campus. To reduce these kinds of wastes in the science departments, faculty who run labs that use materials that could become hazardous waste are encouraged to only use what they need. Chemicals are also shared within departments so the college does not have to buy in unnecessary bulk, which would create excess. There is also an inventory system that combines the chemistry and biology departments (since they are the only science departments that would use hazardous materials), so the college does not buy chemicals that are already in stock, and so the chemicals can be shared. To dispose of hazardous and other potentially dangerous wastes, two parties coordinate with campus safety. These parties are the two lab safety officers who manage waste from labs, and the head of the Center for the Arts Building, where art classes that use paints and other materials that need proper disposal are held. Then, campus safety coordinates with a company called Clean Harbors to safely come and pick up the waste to be disposed of properly. Fortunately, there have been no significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years.

All batteries, lamps, and ballasts through a local reputable company AERC. Clean Harbors picks up the hazardous waste (i.e. chemical waste from Biology and Chem Department, fixer waste from Art department, latex paint from Theater, and occassionally there is additional waste from another department).

None

Muhlenberg College has implemented a campus-wide inventory system to facilitate the reuse of laboratory chemicals All products used or created in any lab are stored for utilization in future labs.

Electronic Waste We restore 95% of our computers to their original operating system and wipe them clean as well. The operating system we have on them at the time of purchase is licensed by Muhlenberg, so we can’t let that get out to other parties. Then we partner with the public relations department to donate them to schools, boy scouts, needy families, staff members, and other organizations. The donatees have to sign an agreement saying that they will dispose of it in an environmentally friendly manner. It’s mainly protection for the college in case someone chucks it out and it gets back to Muhlenberg. The other 5% is just not in working order so it gets sent off to AERC Inc., which is part of a contract within the LVAIC college community. They also take ballasts and florescent lighting and all other of the institution’s electronics. They come twice a year, and we need to provide them an entire list of everything we’re giving them, with models and serials numbers of the equipment. That list then gets attached to a purchase order. Once they AERC processes the hardware, the college gets issued a certificate of destruction. Electronic waste is recycled responsibly, workers’ basic safety is protected, and environmental standards are met because “each AERC facility is fully EPA permitted and complies with all state & federal EPA, OSHA, and DOT Regulations”. Students can recycle batteries, printer cartridges, and plastic bags in the Seegers Union building.

Muhlenberg does have a program in place to recycle or reuse equipment for institutional equipment. Currently 85%/90% of our discarded computer equipment gets handed out to community groups or organizations. No program in place for student electronic waste

• Diane Dologite, Laboratory Manager and Chemical Hygiene Officer, 484-664-3618, dologite@muhlenberg.edu (Hazardous Waste) • Lieutenant Brenda Lakis, Campus Safety, Title IX Investigator, lakis@muhlenberg.edu (Hazardous Waste)