| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 54.69 |
| Liaison | Trevor Ledbetter |
| Submission Date | Jan. 6, 2025 |
University of Arizona
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 1.00 |
Trevor
Ledbetter Director Office of Sustainability |
Part 1. Hazardous waste minimization and disposal
A brief description of steps taken to reduce hazardous, special (e.g. coal ash), universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
UArizona encourages waste minimization practices. The policy of “Buy what you need and use what you buy” is emphasized, but there is no chemical redistribution in place.
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
The University of Arizona’s hazardous waste management program is overseen by RMS. Radioactive waste is managed by Research Laboratory & Safety Services (RLSS). Most universal waste is managed by RMS. Fluorescent tube disposal is managed by the Facilities Management Electrical Shop. RMS offers hazardous waste generators an opportunity to remove waste once a month. The lab is responsible for requesting a waste pickup. Due to the large volume generated by the Chemistry Department, particularly the Teaching Labs, waste is removed once a week. Except for the Teaching Labs, the lab must request a pickup.
Liquid waste is assigned a compatible waste stream in the lab. The waste containers are segregated into the proper staging area upon return to the Hazardous Waste Management Facility (HWMF). Smaller liquid waste containers are consolidated into 30 or 55-gallon drums for easy shipping off-site. Solid and liquid waste that cannot be consolidated is segregated according to DOT hazard class. Chemicals are then segregated into EPA-regulated waste or non-regulated material to be lab-packed for off-site shipment. UArizona manages non-regulated, non-RCRA waste as if it were hazardous. Non-regulated waste is segregated, inventoried, packed, and shipped to a permitted disposal site.
UArizona does not have to report non-regulated waste amounts to ADEQ. In all instances, UArizona requires disposal at a permitted disposal facility. Most waste, including low-level radioactive material, is incinerated. If the liquid waste has a high BTU content, it can be used as supplemental in the incinerator. Liquid corrosive waste is neutralized and any metals in the waste are recovered. In very few cases, the University of Arizona allows for landfilling of waste. EPA treatment standards must be met for regulated waste before the material is landfilled.
A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
N/A
A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
RLSS maintains an extensive inventory of over 33,000 different chemicals used in research labs across all campuses of the UArizona. The inventory system additionally provides for up-to-date Safety Data Sheets to be immediately available, as well as, for users of the system to generate OSHA-compliant labels for chemical containers ensuring compliance with all OSHA requirements. The inventory system is dynamic, with the ability to update in real-time when inventory possession in labs is updated. The standardization of inventory entries in the system and across research labs allows for RLSS to provide customized support to research lab in search of specific chemicals. Specifically, RLSS has the capability to connect labs in search of specific chemicals they need with those labs that have excess. In this way, RLSS is able to minimize chemical waste generation and drive sustainability on campus, ultimately reducing the environmental impact of research labs on campus, and the UArizona as a whole.
Part 2. Electronic waste diversion
Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by students?:
If yes to either of the above, provide:
Electronic waste generated by the University of Arizona is handled by the Surplus Property Office. The Surplus Property Office sells equipment no longer being used by one department or unit to another either in whole or for parts. If the item is not sold within the University, items are put to auction to the public.
Electronic waste generated by students individually is not handled by the University of Arizona. For the past few years, Students for Sustainability has collected electronic waste at the School of Mining and Mineral Resources' annual "Mines for Limitless Minds" event. This collection drive is open to everyone who attends the event, students included, and the items collected are given to Suburban Miners (https://suburbanminers.com) to be recycled properly.
Is the institution’s electronic waste recycler certified under the e-Stewards and/or Responsible Recycling (R2) standards?:
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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.