| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 62.26 |
| Liaison | Sean MacInnes |
| Submission Date | Feb. 14, 2022 |
University of North Carolina, Greensboro
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 1.00 |
Sean
MacInnes Sustainability Specialist Office of Sustainability |
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?:
A brief description of steps taken to reduce hazardous, special (e.g. coal ash), universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
The Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHS) is required to submit an annual Waste Minimization Effort report to the NC Department of Environmental Quality Hazardous Waste Division. The office has policies on lab, universal and hazardous, regulated medical, and chemical waste.
Additionally, they initiated two programs to reduce hazardous materials. 1. The "orphan chemical" program in which they take unwanted chemicals that are new or like new and offer them to other researchers on campus. 2. The Mercury Free Campus program helps rid the campus of as much mercury containing equipment as possible. One of the main parts of this project was to replace mercury thermometers with non-mercury thermometers. During this project, EHS replaced 752 thermometers and monometers on campus. EHS recommends that non-mercury based equipment be purchased when possible.
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
The UNCG Hazardous Waste Management Policy requires all personnel to dispose of chemical waste safely and in accordance with all Federal, state, local regulations. The Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHS) ensures that all chemical/ hazardous waste is disposed of or treated at a Federal Part B Permitted disposal facility (TSDF). Our laboratories operate as satellite accumulation areas. Using this EPA approved tactic, laboratories may only accumulate up to 55 gallons of hazardous waste at any one time. If that limit is exceeded, EHS is required to remove the waste within three days. Some of the larger generators on campus are on weekly pickup schedules to ensure waste does not approach the threshold quantity.
Faculty and staff go through New Employee Orientation. One of the training sessions is Hazardous Waste Familiarization Training where they learn about hazardous waste and the proper management for collecting and storing. EHS also offers a more in depth Hazardous Waste training for faculty and staff.
All waste on campus is required to be stored in secondary containment. EHS operates a state-of-the-art waste storage facility which offers numerous benefits for the safe storage of waste such as complete tertiary containment, separate room segregation, and emergency equipment including a foam suppression system. All hazardous waste is managed by EHS from the point of generation to shipment off-site in accordance with all Federal, state, and local regulations, as well as any TSDF specifications.
UNCG uses Federal Part B Permitted chemical disposal facilities for EPA hazardous waste, as well as permitted recycling centers for universal waste. EHS offers hazardous waste training to all generators on campus, and periodically audits the facilities we use for disposal and recycling to ensure compliance on their part. Hazardous waste slated for disposal is stored and managed properly while on campus. EHS performs general environmental inspections of hazardous waste storage areas on campus, as well as weekly inspections of our main storage facility. Chemical waste containers are packed and labeled for shipment and disposal in accordance with DOT/EPA regulations. UNCG has also changed its mercury recycling policy to follow the guidelines of the new state mandate to recycle any item containing mercury.
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:
The Environmental Health and Safety Office created the Orphan Chemical Program in 1998 and is still in use today. This is a reuse program through which faculty can request surplus chemicals from EHS for use at no cost. Typically, chemicals remain in the program for three years before being properly disposed of if unrequested.
Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by the institution?:
Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by students?:
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:
The Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling (OWRR) has created an Alternative Recycling Program to deal with e-waste. The OWRR lists the e-waste items can be recycled on campus on its website; these include batteries, ink toner cartridges, CDs/Floppy Discs, cell phones, and other electronics. These items are collected from faculty and staff in four ways:
1. One of five drop-off containers located at the Elliot University Center, the Mossman Building, the Student Rec. Facility, Jackson Library, or the Sink Building (Facilities Operations).
2. E-waste may be packaged in small containers and sent via inter-office mail to the OWRR office.
3. Many departments have their own e-waste collection containers which are periodically serviced by OWRR.
4. OWRR can make special pickup arrangements when larger amounts are generated.
Is the institution’s electronic waste recycler certified under the e-Stewards and/or Responsible Recycling (R2) standards?:
Website URL where information about the institution’s hazardous waste program is available:
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.