| Overall Rating | Reporter |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | |
| Liaison | Megan Curtis-Murphy |
| Submission Date | May 28, 2021 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Northeastern University
OP-21: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
Reporter |
Casey
Shetterly Special Projects - Sustainability 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:
We take the following steps to reduce our hazardous waste:
Swapped out mercury thermometers and devices with safer alternatives; Chemical recycling; Battering Recycling; Updated equipment to remove or reduce waste streams like silver; Microscale and Green chemistry practices in teaching labs
Waste minimization practices is incorporated into all hazardous waste training.
In 2013, the University was one of the first ten signatories to the Green Chemistry Commitments, with a number of goals including reducing hazardous chemical waste in teaching labs, and inculcating students with waste reduction education and awareness. Northeastern regularly engages students in green chemistry foundations within the Chemistry and BioChemistry Programs, which supports the University's steps to reduce the chemical waste it produces in its teaching and research operations.
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
A Chemical Recycling Guide produced by Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) is provided to the University Research community. All research and teaching labs utilize BioRAFT, the EHS software that manages chemical inventories. The chemical recycling feature is a relatively new process that is growing in use and will be further supported through the diverse staff who attend monthly Sustainability Workgroup meetings. Additionally, the lab groups continued investigating the recycling of various laboratory materials; for example, laboratory Styrofoam was collected on Earth Day 2019 in collaboration with the Sustainability Office, Recycling Program, and Building Services (mostly the Styrofoam was from samples shipped in dry ice).
A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
The University has not had any release incidents in the past three years, since 2018.
A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
The University uses BioRAFT’s ChemTracker chemical inventory system.
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:
Students living on campus can recycle batteries at 716 Columbus Place, or if they have a large volume that weighs a lot, they can submit a Facilities Customer Service Work Order to arrange for a pick-up.
Student employees working on campus are able to use the institutional means of disposal or recycling, otherwise they are directed to external means of recycling in the City of Boston or their city/town of residence.
Is the institution’s electronic waste recycler certified under the e-Stewards and/or Responsible Recycling (R2) standards?:
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:
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
https://facilities.northeastern.edu/departments/services/recycling/
https://facilities.northeastern.edu/sustainability/involved/
https://facilities.northeastern.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/NU-Sustainable-Practices-Operations-Guidelines.pdf
https://facilities.northeastern.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/NEU-Sustainable-Action-Plan.pdf
https://www.beyondbenign.org/school_profiles/Northeastern-University/
https://facilities.northeastern.edu/departments/services/recycling/
https://facilities.northeastern.edu/sustainability/involved/
https://facilities.northeastern.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/NU-Sustainable-Practices-Operations-Guidelines.pdf
https://facilities.northeastern.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/NEU-Sustainable-Action-Plan.pdf
https://www.beyondbenign.org/school_profiles/Northeastern-University/
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.