| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 86.17 |
| Liaison | James Gordon |
| Submission Date | May 31, 2022 |
Thompson Rivers University
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
James
Gordon Environmental Programs and Research Coordinator TRU Office of Environment and Sustainability |
"---"
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:
TRU Occupational Health and Safety is responsible for disposing of hazardous, universal and non-regulated chemical waste. The steps needed to deal with this waste are listed on this site:
https://www.tru.ca/risk-management-services/safety/lab-safety/hazardous-waste-management.html
https://www.tru.ca/risk-management-services/safety/lab-safety/hazardous-waste-management.html
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
TRU HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE
Regarding the disposal of hazardous waste; the following procedure will be implemented immediately!
1] There will be only two pickups of chemical waste per year, one in the month of May and the other in December.
2] Hazardous waste will be picked up from your designated location/s as entered on a Hazardous Waste Disposal Form.
3] Details of the waste to be entered are as follows:
• Chemical name
• Quantity of waste
• Size and type of container
• Physical state of the waste: solid, liquid, gas or powder
4] Hazardous Waste Disposal Forms must be received by S&EM no later than April 30 and November 30, otherwise they will not be included in the pickup schedule the following month.
5] S&EM will make the call for pickup to the waste contractor/s.
6] Prior to pick up date, Safety & Emergency Management (S&EM) will come into the location with the waste chemicals and organize all the waste in accordance with Canadian Transportation of Dangerous Goods designations.
7] Waste contractors will place all chemical waste into either drums or buckets and then sealand label as to the hazard level by TDG.
8] Waste contractor will then complete all designated paperwork on all the hazardous chemical waste and arrange delivery for disposal.
Regarding the disposal of hazardous waste; the following procedure will be implemented immediately!
1] There will be only two pickups of chemical waste per year, one in the month of May and the other in December.
2] Hazardous waste will be picked up from your designated location/s as entered on a Hazardous Waste Disposal Form.
3] Details of the waste to be entered are as follows:
• Chemical name
• Quantity of waste
• Size and type of container
• Physical state of the waste: solid, liquid, gas or powder
4] Hazardous Waste Disposal Forms must be received by S&EM no later than April 30 and November 30, otherwise they will not be included in the pickup schedule the following month.
5] S&EM will make the call for pickup to the waste contractor/s.
6] Prior to pick up date, Safety & Emergency Management (S&EM) will come into the location with the waste chemicals and organize all the waste in accordance with Canadian Transportation of Dangerous Goods designations.
7] Waste contractors will place all chemical waste into either drums or buckets and then sealand label as to the hazard level by TDG.
8] Waste contractor will then complete all designated paperwork on all the hazardous chemical waste and arrange delivery for disposal.
A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
There has been no significant hazardous materials release incidents during the previous three years.
A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
There is no policy set in place to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals, however, laboratory professors use best practices to ensure chemicals are properly recycled through a third-party company. To minimize waste, TRU lab instructors are encouraged to only prepare the amount of chemicals needed for each class. Some classes will use the same chemical for a variety of labs so it can be redistributed if there is any leftover from a prior class.
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:
TRU has several programs for students and staff to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste.
Used batteries are collected in 17 designated battery collection bins located in all main buildings (and some secondary buildings) throughout the campus. These go to a third-party organization in Kamloops (Battery Direct), which undertakes proper shipment and recycling of batteries. Any student or staff member can access these battery bins.
Smaller electronics (like cell phones, laptops, iPads, etc.) can be taken by any student or staff member to designated recycling bins in the Campus Activity Centre or Student Street in Old Main, or be taken to the TRU Warehouse. They are then picked up by the non-profit organization Electronic Recycling Association (https://www.era.ca/) to be either refurbished for reuse or striped of all usable parts, then responsibly recycled or disposed of.
All big electronics can be brought by staff to the Warehouse either to be recycled, reused, and/or refurbished. Reuse or items is the preferred method and these items are put up for auction on the site BCBid (https://www.bcbid.gov.bc.ca/open.dll/welcome?language=En). If no one buys them then recycling and/or refurbishing of the items is done by the organization Electronic Recycling Association (https://www.era.ca/). Electronic items include IT equipment, like computers and monitors, as well as virtually anything with a cord (besides large kitchen appliances, like fridges, stoves, or other large and heavy items).
Used batteries are collected in 17 designated battery collection bins located in all main buildings (and some secondary buildings) throughout the campus. These go to a third-party organization in Kamloops (Battery Direct), which undertakes proper shipment and recycling of batteries. Any student or staff member can access these battery bins.
Smaller electronics (like cell phones, laptops, iPads, etc.) can be taken by any student or staff member to designated recycling bins in the Campus Activity Centre or Student Street in Old Main, or be taken to the TRU Warehouse. They are then picked up by the non-profit organization Electronic Recycling Association (https://www.era.ca/) to be either refurbished for reuse or striped of all usable parts, then responsibly recycled or disposed of.
All big electronics can be brought by staff to the Warehouse either to be recycled, reused, and/or refurbished. Reuse or items is the preferred method and these items are put up for auction on the site BCBid (https://www.bcbid.gov.bc.ca/open.dll/welcome?language=En). If no one buys them then recycling and/or refurbishing of the items is done by the organization Electronic Recycling Association (https://www.era.ca/). Electronic items include IT equipment, like computers and monitors, as well as virtually anything with a cord (besides large kitchen appliances, like fridges, stoves, or other large and heavy items).
Is the institution’s electronic waste recycler certified under the e-Stewards and/or Responsible Recycling (R2) standards?:
Yes
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The Electronic Recycling Association is ISO 9001:2008 certified.
Another website with information pertaining to these issues:
https://www.tru.ca/sustainability/everyday/zero-waste-recycling-composting.html
Another website with information pertaining to these issues:
https://www.tru.ca/sustainability/everyday/zero-waste-recycling-composting.html
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.