Sheridan College (Ontario)
OP-21: Hazardous Waste Management

Departments have different methods on reducing the amount of hazardous waste produced. These methods are standardized best practices within the department. For example, the Faculty of Applied Science and Technology prefers substituting or using minimum amounts of any hazardous chemicals. Section 3.6 of the Chemical/Environmental Student Manual states, “Substitute less hazardous materials or techniques whenever possible. There are many instances where highly toxic chemicals can be replaced by less toxic materials.” The Textile department has introduced the use of natural dyes which are less toxic than their synthetic counterparts and are biodegradable. Traditional dyes in the textile industry are major pollutants as they are petrochemical-derived, and require substantial amounts of water to process. The department works with local restaurants, grocery stores, campus cafeteria, and greenhouses to procure natural sources. The department has held workshops on the use of natural dyes and eco-printing which uses reduced amounts of energy and water. In order to further promote the use of natural dyes, the Textiles department has established an on-campus natural dye garden, just outside of the studio. Some dyes will be harvested and made on-site as opposed to relying on purchasing, and shipping of dyes. To further reduce hazardous waste, the department has increased the amount of digital textile designing and printing, which is outsourced to a local textile printing company. Digital textile printing requires only a fraction of the water for processing, and there is no excess dye or chemicals left over.

Departments that produce hazardous waste work with Occupational Health and Safety Services to arrange safe and appropriate disposal of waste. Chemical waste that cannot be treated within the chemistry and textiles departments are stored in appropriate containers on-site until disposed. An inventory of the collected waste is taken by each department. Disposal of the waste occurs every 90 days as per a predetermined schedule established by Occupational Health and Safety Services and a hazardous waste disposal contractor. The disposal contractor will carry out a lab pack on site and properly treat the chemicals at their facility.

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Though there is no formal inventory system in place, departments that produce hazardous waste support the reuse of chemicals as a method of best practice. Laboratory technicians are familiar with the lab experiments carried out by students in their respective labs. Many experiments in earlier programs require chemicals that are often synthesized by students in later programs. Arrangements are made prior to the semester to reuse chemicals created by students for other lab experiments. The Textile department practices a variety of reuse and redistribution methods for chemicals. Leftover dyes and textile auxiliaries produced by students are stored in small chemical-resistant containers, which is then stored in a communal area for all students to share.

Sheridan has an electronic waste recycling program supported by OEM Corporation. The company provides electronic waste collection bins at the Shipping/Receiving department on all campuses. They offer regular pick-up service. The technologists and all staff have been informed of the process on the disposal of obsolete or broken electronics that cannot be repaired. Additionally, Sheridan holds “E-Waste Collection Days” across all campuses at least once per year. The event encouraged students, staff, and members of the community to bring in their electronics waste for recycling.

Sheridan safely disposed of 3,206 lbs (1.603 short tons) of solid and 4.41 cubic meters of liquid hazardous waste in the 2016/2017 fiscal year.