Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 65.37
Liaison Alan Brew
Submission Date Feb. 26, 2021

STARS v2.2

Northland College
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Todd Pydo
Executive Director
Facilities and IT
"---" 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:

The College prioritizes the procurement of non-toxic materials for its departments (e.g. Art, Biology, and Chemistry). When toxic materials are needed, only small quantities are purchased at a time. When designing the academic programs, labs are selected to minimize the need for toxic materials and the production of hazardous waste. The College eliminated common toxins, such as mercury, from its laboratory equpiment and building instruments many years ago. On a regular basis (roughly every five years), the College invites a campus-wide assessment of hazardous materials by an outside agency (WAICU).


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

The College collects materials in specified waste containers, separating inorganic from organic wastes. Each container is clearly labeled to indicate the type of chemicals/waste and its potential hazard. The waste is shipped to a processing facility through a county-approved vendor. Regular monitoring of campus departments occurs throughout the year, and departments provide ongoing training in materials handling as needed.


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:

The College, due to its small size, keeps track of its chemical inventory with a simple inventory software program. The chemical supply room is only accessible to authorized personnel and the Chemistry Department hires at least one part-time student (in addition to faculty) to oversee the chemical stockroom. The tracking system not only prevents accidental misplacement or over-stocking of chemicals, but also serves as a guide for timely reordering of supplies.


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?:
Yes

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:

The College recycles our electronic waste with a regional recycling company: Active Resource Co. in Menomonee Falls, WI.
http://www.activereco.com/
Active Resource is An-End-of-Life Electronics Management Company, providing compliance with all Federal, State, Local laws and HIPAA for secure data destruction.

The College's Recycling Center staff are present when students vacate their residence at the end of the semester to collect and manage the electronic waste (as well as other waste). The Campus Maintenance facility assists with storing and transporting the waste to the recycling center.


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:

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.