New York University
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management

NYU uses a system called Chemtracker that allows researchers to search for a specific chemical. Chemtracker helps reduce unnecessary orders, minimize waste, and lower the volume of hazardous materials stored on campus.

NYU reduces the amount of Universal Waste through lighting upgrades, replacing fluorescent lamps with LEDs in NYU facilities per NYC Local Law 88 lighting upgrade requirements.  LEDs are installed in newly built and renovated facilities as well.  LEDs have a much longer service life, are approximately 80% more efficient, and do not contain mercury.

Employees’ computers are refreshed every 4 to 5 years, barring malfunction, loss, or theft. Extending the cycle to purchase new computer hardware reduces the amount of used computers sent to universal waste reuse or recycling.

New employees are no longer given desk phones, using phone software at their computer instead, reducing the number of end-of-life phones to dispose of.

When waste is generated in academic spaces such as labs and shops, researchers are required to submit a pickup request through our Safety Management System, SciShield. All lab personnel must complete hazardous waste training offered by Research and Laboratory Safety (RLS) to ensure compliance with safety protocols. Our vendor, Triumvirate Environmental (TEI), is responsible for collecting and transporting the waste from various campus locations throughout the week. TEI is a full-service hazardous waste vendor, holding all necessary permits to transport hazardous materials to designated disposal facilities. These facilities utilize methods such as incineration, fuel blending, neutralization, and landfilling for waste disposal.  

In the 2023–2024 academic year, there were two significant incidents that we would like to highlight:  

1. Fire Incident
   A fire occurred due to the improper mixing of a lithium amide solution with a solvent. The fire was successfully extinguished using a fire extinguisher, and our vendor promptly decontaminated the lab space and fume hood that same day. Following the incident, the lab was instructed to revise their Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and retrain students accordingly. The revised SOP was reviewed and approved by RLS.

2. Fume Hood Incident
   A student attempted to clean a small oily spill in a fume hood using a bottle of hexane, not realizing that another student had used that same bottle as a waste container without notifying the lab. The student experienced breathing difficulties and were sent to the hospital for further testing and cleared to return to work. An RLS team member had a meeting with the PI about the incident and the lab was retrained about proper labeling and safety practices when working a fume hood. 

 In our Safety Management system, SciShield, labs are required to log all chemicals in a comprehensive database called Chemtracker. This system allows professors and researchers to easily search for specific chemicals and connect with other labs to borrow materials, fostering a culture of collaboration and resource-sharing. By promoting chemical sharing, Chemtracker helps reduce unnecessary orders, minimize waste, and lower the volume of hazardous materials stored on campus. This initiative not only saves costs but also enhances safety and sustainability in our research spaces.

NYU manages and recycles Universal Waste by shipping it to an end facility certified to the Responsible Recycling Standard for Electronics Recyclers as developed by SERI (Sustainable Electronics Recycling International).  They use lamp recycling and mercury distillation equipment to automatically disassemble various lamp types into their basic components to allow them to be reused in the marketplace.  Aside from mercury containing fluorescent lamps, NYU recycles various types of batteries (lithium ion, nickel-cadmium, lead-acid), and other mercury-containing equipment such as thermostats.  

NYU has protocols and resources to facilitate the reuse and proper disposal of equipment to prevent electronics from ending up landfills. You can help ensure that toxic materials don’t seep into groundwater or land. https://www.nyu.edu/life/information-technology/about-nyu-it/tech-and-sustainability/reuse-recycle-dispose.html

NYU has an Environmental Purchasing Policy which provides the standard for purchasing remanufactured products and refurbished existing products. https://www.nyu.edu/about/policies-guidelines-compliance/policies-and-guidelines/business-expenses.html