University of New Hampshire
OP-21: Hazardous Waste Management

In support of the University’s ongoing efforts to minimize costs, control liability, and maintain a sound environmental program, every effort is be made by UNH to minimize the generation of hazardous waste. To accomplish this objective, the USNH Council on Environmental Health and Safety has developed a Waste Minimization Strategy designed to identify and develop opportunities to control chemical use and reduce waste generation. Various methods have been identified and implemented. These include such actions as: Purchasing Control: Review of chemical purchases to ensure that appropriate materials and quantities are purchased. This helps to prevent purchasing too much of a material or material of the wrong type that could become a regulated waste. Periodic Inventory Evaluation: Evaluation of laboratory reagents for current use, transfer to virtual stockroom or disposal. Surplus List: An online system to match on-campus chemicals with university researchers to avoid the disposal of useful materials. Environmental Management System: The Solid Waste and Environmental Management Plan (SWEMP) is expected to reduce the volume of the solid waste stream, reduce the toxicity of the solid waste stream, increase re-use and recycling efforts, and promote pollution prevention at the University.

In accordance with the 2009 Hazardous Waste Management Plan, hazardous waste is safely disposed of in several ways. Proper packaging of hazardous waste is necessary to ensure safe transportation from point of origin to ultimate disposal. The selection of appropriate containers helps prevent leaks and spills that may result in human exposure or environmental release during material handling, storage and transport. Routine handling occurs on the campus, in transit to the disposal facility or during the disposal process. The selection of appropriate containers is only to be completed by the Coordinator of Hazardous Waste or the Hazardous Waste Specialist. Universal wastes are managed in accordance with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services' "Requirements for Universal Waste Management (Env-Wm 1100)." The Universal Waste Management Plan has been developed that outlines the procedures the University will take to properly manage universal wastes.