Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 61.45
Liaison Natalie Sobrinski
Submission Date Dec. 23, 2022

STARS v2.2

Muhlenberg College
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.75 / 1.00 Diane Dologite
Laboratory Manager
Biology Department
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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?:
Yes

A brief description of steps taken to reduce hazardous, special (e.g. coal ash), universal, and non-regulated chemical 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 the company responsible(Environmental Waste Minimization Inc (EWMI) in Northampton, PA.) for coming to safely pick up the waste and dispose of it properly.
Fortunately, there have been no significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years.


A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:

All batteries, lamps, and ballasts through a local reputable company AERC.
EWMI picks up the hazardous waste (i.e. chemical waste from Biology and Chem Department, fixer waste from Art department, latex paint from Theater, and occasionally there is additional waste from another department).
EWMI replaces the previous company, Clean Harbors, and EWMI is more local which is safer if there is a spill that needs to be cleaned up.


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:

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.


Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by the institution?:
Yes

Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by students?:
No

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:

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, families in need, staff members, and other organizations. The donates 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 fluorescent 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.

Recycling for personal electronics is often done as a fundraiser for the ENACT club on campus.


Is the institution’s electronic waste recycler certified under the e-Stewards and/or Responsible Recycling (R2) standards?:
Yes

Website URL where information about the institution’s hazardous waste program is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Tom Sciarrino, Director of Instructional Technology and Digital Learning, tomsciarrino@muhlenberg.edu (Electronic Waste)
Diane Dologite, Laboratory Manager and Chemical Hygiene Officer, dianedologite@muhlenberg.edu (Hazardous Waste)
Lieutenant Brenda Lakis, Campus Safety, Title IX Investigator, brendalakis@muhlenberg.edu(Hazardous Waste)

Electronic waste recycled or otherwise diverted from the landfill or incinerator during the most recent year for which data is available during the previous three years (short tons/tonnes): Roughly 95%


Tom Sciarrino, Director of Instructional Technology and Digital Learning, tomsciarrino@muhlenberg.edu (Electronic Waste)
Diane Dologite, Laboratory Manager and Chemical Hygiene Officer, dianedologite@muhlenberg.edu (Hazardous Waste)
Lieutenant Brenda Lakis, Campus Safety, Title IX Investigator, brendalakis@muhlenberg.edu(Hazardous Waste)

Electronic waste recycled or otherwise diverted from the landfill or incinerator during the most recent year for which data is available during the previous three years (short tons/tonnes): Roughly 95%

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