Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 60.66
Liaison Neha Sood
Submission Date March 30, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Rochester Institute of Technology
OP-21: Hazardous Waste Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Enid Cardinal
Senior Sustainability Advisor to the President
Office of the President
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1 

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:
RIT is always looking for ways to reduce the waste generated on campus. We have reduced hazardous waste generation from 14.7 tons in calendar year 2008 to 8.18 tons in calendar year 2017.Some steps that were taken to obtain this reduction were: Reducing the amount of chemicals used during laboratory experiments and research projects; changing the packaging of our hazardous waste containers going from steel 55-gallon drums to reinforced cardboard boxes; and using larger containers in some satellite accumulation areas to reduce the amount of shipments of certain wastes. The majority of universal wastes generated by RIT are in the form of fluorescent lamps. RIT has begun a process of replacing certain fluorescent lamps with LED lamps which is starting to reduce this waste. RIT has also contracted with Metalico to recycle our lead-acid batteries generated across campus instead of transporting them off campus as universal waste.

A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
RIT generates waste from various activities across campus. Each waste stream is characterized by a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)- trained employee to determine whether it is hazardous. All hazardous wastes are stored in accordance with applicable RCRA requirements in both Satellite Accumulation Areas and 90-Day Storage Areas. RIT contracts with a hazardous waste vendor, Waste Technology Services Inc., to package our hazardous waste and prepare each package for transportation. RIT utilizes a certified hazardous waste transporter to transport our waste to a Treatment Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF). The majority of RIT’s hazardous waste is received by Clean Harbors who operates a TSDF in El Dorado, Arkansas. The majority of RIT’s waste is incinerated at the Clean Harbors El Dorado facility. RIT undergoes RCRA inspections every two years by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to ensure compliance with hazardous waste regulations. No violations have been identified as a result of these inspections in the past 13 years.

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:
RIT has contracted with MSDSOnline to utilize their Chemical Inventory software system. This system has the capability to list surplus chemicals that chemical users will no longer use. Other chemical users in need of chemicals can review this list prior to purchasing new chemicals in an effort to reuse chemicals that would otherwise be sent for disposal.

Part 2 

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

If yes to either of the above, provide:

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:
Electronics generated by the institution are first evaluated for potential reuse on campus through IT departments. Those that cannot be reused are collected and picked up by our electronic recycling vender: EWASTE during scheduled pick up times. There are two locations were students can recycle their electronics on campus. The Student Environmental Action League hosts an annual electronics recycling event for student generated material and community members. Lastly, any electronics that students leave behind during move out are collected through RIT's move out collection program and either resold to incoming students or recycled if they are not in working order.

Is the institution’s electronic waste recycler certified under the e-Stewards and/or Responsible Recycling (R2) standards?:
Yes

Optional Fields 

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:
49.80 Tons

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
http://finweb.rit.edu/grms/ehs/environmental/hazardous.html

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.