| Overall Rating | Bronze |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 34.87 |
| Liaison | Courtney Gallaher |
| Submission Date | June 4, 2024 |
Northern Illinois University
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 1.00 |
Jim
Fitzjarrell Senior Engineer Architectural and Engineering Services |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Part 1. Hazardous waste minimization and disposal
Yes
A brief description of steps taken to reduce hazardous, special (e.g. coal ash), universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
It is the responsibility of all individuals on-campus (staff, faculty, etc.) who generate waste to incorporate principles of waste minimization into their everyday operations. The following techniques are presented as possible ways to reduce the total waste generated:
Management and Purchasing: Faculty, staff, etc. are encouraged to limit chemical purchase to only what is needed and to not unnecessarily stockpile chemicals
Limit quantity of chemicals purchased to what is required and try to use all of what is purchased
Process Modification: Where possible, faculty, staff, etc. are encouraged to explore alternate processes to decrease the quantity of hazardous chemicals used and generated.
Product Substitution: Where possible, faculty, staff, etc. are to consider substituting non-hazardous or less toxic materials
Recycling and/or Redistribution: Like new or unopened chemical should be considered for redistribution to other campus locations
Segregation and Characterization: Faculty, staff, etc. are not to mix hazardous wastes with non-hazardous waste or different classes of hazardous waste and dilution of characteristically hazardous waste is not acceptable
Management and Purchasing: Faculty, staff, etc. are encouraged to limit chemical purchase to only what is needed and to not unnecessarily stockpile chemicals
Limit quantity of chemicals purchased to what is required and try to use all of what is purchased
Process Modification: Where possible, faculty, staff, etc. are encouraged to explore alternate processes to decrease the quantity of hazardous chemicals used and generated.
Product Substitution: Where possible, faculty, staff, etc. are to consider substituting non-hazardous or less toxic materials
Recycling and/or Redistribution: Like new or unopened chemical should be considered for redistribution to other campus locations
Segregation and Characterization: Faculty, staff, etc. are not to mix hazardous wastes with non-hazardous waste or different classes of hazardous waste and dilution of characteristically hazardous waste is not acceptable
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
Hazardous waste generated on campus is to be stored in either a satellite accumulation area or the central accumulation area. The satellite accumulation areas are any locations where small amounts of chemical waste are temporarily stored prior to pick-up. At not time is more than 55 gallons of hazardous waste or 1 quart of acute hazardous waste allowed to accumulate in a satellite accumulation area. From there, the waste is transported by trained personnel and stored at the Hazardous Materials Storage Building which is classified as a central accumulation area where waste cannot accumulate for more than 180 days and the total is not allowed to exceed 13,200 pounds. Hazardous waste is disposed of by a third-party hauler and transported to a waste treatment facility.
All waste is to be stored in either the original or a comparable container and must have a secure, tight-fitting, non-leaking lid. All containers are to be labeled as “Hazardous Waste” and have a running label of the contents. The label on the container is to have the date it was moved to the central accumulation area on it. Incompatible waste or chemicals are to be separated in separate containers or bins.
All waste is to be stored in either the original or a comparable container and must have a secure, tight-fitting, non-leaking lid. All containers are to be labeled as “Hazardous Waste” and have a running label of the contents. The label on the container is to have the date it was moved to the central accumulation area on it. Incompatible waste or chemicals are to be separated in separate containers or bins.
A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
There have not been any significant hazardous material release incidents in the past three years.
A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
There is currently no inventory system in place to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals. However, the Office of Research Compliance, Integrity, and Safety (ORCIS) has purchased the license for the use of the University of New Hampshire Chemical and Environmental Management Software (UNCEMS). ORICS is in the process of implementing the software and collecting the necessary data with the intention of fully using the system starting in Spring semester of 2023.
Part 2. Electronic waste diversion
Yes
Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by students?:
Yes
If yes to either of the above, provide:
In general, the university collects electronic waste generated by the university departments and recycles these with a CMS certified recycler. Any waste not collected by the university can be dropped off at Shipping and Receiving at the Dorland Building.
Spent batteries can be sent to Campus Mail / Recycle for proper recycling. There are also several small brown recycling containers labeled “batteries only” throughout campus.
Spent light bulbs are changed and collected by Building Services, transported to the Environment Health and Safety department, and transported to an off-site facility for processing and proper recycling.
Spent batteries can be sent to Campus Mail / Recycle for proper recycling. There are also several small brown recycling containers labeled “batteries only” throughout campus.
Spent light bulbs are changed and collected by Building Services, transported to the Environment Health and Safety department, and transported to an off-site facility for processing and proper recycling.
Is the institution’s electronic waste recycler certified under the e-Stewards and/or Responsible Recycling (R2) standards?:
---
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
For all recycling and specifically electronic waste recycling
https://www.niu.edu/sustainability/recycling/index.shtml
https://www.niu.edu/sustainability/recycling/index.shtml
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.