Purdue University
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management

All Purdue faculty, staff and students are encouraged to identify opportunities for waste minimization in their daily activities.  Purdue’s Radiological and Environmental Management (REM) department supports university waste minimization efforts by providing training in procedures, techniques, and best management practices. Additionally, REM will organize special, University-wide waste minimization efforts and facilitate information sharing by university personnel through the use of web-based fact sheets.



Additionally, REM provides:

Rechargeable Battery Recycling – Used rechargeable batteries may be classified as hazardous waste due to their heavy metal content and are thus regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).  These regulations provide for management of hazardous wastes. Used rechargeable batteries can be picked by completing a Hazardous Waste Pickup Request Form.

Chemical Redistribution Program – REM occasionally receives chemicals of good enough quality to redistribute to other campus users.  These chemicals will be materials in the original container with original labeling.  Interested university parties should contact Hazardous Materials Management for information on available chemicals. 

Use Oil Management – Purdue recognizes the need for waste minimization and proper management of used oil and encourages all faculty and staff to participate in pollution prevention and waste minimization by recycling their used oil.  Used oil pickup is handled by REM upon pickup request.

Parts Washer – A parts washer is used to remove residues such as, grease, wax and oil from metal parts, assemblies, and other fabricated products.  Purdue has found that solvent substitutes with lower volatility and higher flash points combined with simple changes in shops cleaning operations reduce waste generation, improve compliance, and increase safety, while saving money at the same time. REM provides guidance on how to extend solvent life and effective part washers that will reduce the hazardous waste generation

Treatment Storage and Disposal Facility – REM operates a Treatment Storage and Disposal Facility that allows Purdue to bulk chemical wastes, the ability to bulk wastes allows the University to redirect 75% of its laboratory wastes to be used as fuel in another process instead of waste disposal.

The Purdue University Hazardous Waste Disposal Guidelines (HWDG) establishes a formal written program for the safe and compliant collection, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste.  Radiological and Environmental Management (REM) serves as the environmental health and safety department for Purdue University. REM’s primary role is to assist in monitoring regulatory compliance with various federal, state, and organizational regulations involving environmental health and safety issues. One of the primary services that REM provides is hazardous (including universal waste) waste collection for the West Lafayette Campus. The primary responsibility of REM's Hazardous Materials Management Section (REM HMM) is to pick up, transport, process, and dispose of all hazardous waste in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. Careful consideration is given to the disposal of every single container that is picked up and processed by the REM HMM, with the highest priority given to environmental stewardship.



REM provides pickup services for all chemical waste generated (hazardous and non-hazardous) on the West Lafayette campus. A Hazardous Materials Pickup Request Form must be completed and submitted by the generator of the waste to initiate pickup services. Once the pickup request has been processed, REM HMM staff will come to the area to pick up the waste. The average turnaround time for pickups from the day the Hazardous Materials Pickup Request Form was submitted to the day that REM arrives to pick up the waste is typically 3-5 days.

None in the time period

REM occasionally receives chemicals of good enough quality to redistribute to other campus users as part of their Chemical Redistribution Program.  These chemicals will be materials in the original container with original labeling.  Interested university parties should contact Hazardous Materials Management for information on available chemicals.

Purdue’s Radiological and Environmental Management group works closely with the university’s Surplus Store to properly manage all institutional e-waste.  The e-waste is disposed of in a manner that returns the highest value back to Purdue:  1) redistributing within the university, 2) generating revenue through sale of items to the general public, or 3) through recycling or other landfill diversion disposal methods.

http://www.purdue.edu/ehps/rem/hmm/wstmin.htm