Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 72.94
Liaison John Alejandro
Submission Date Oct. 13, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of San Diego
OP-21: Hazardous Waste Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Michael Catanzaro
Director
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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?:
Yes

A brief description of steps taken to reduce hazardous, special (e.g. coal ash), universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:

Hazardous materials such as laboratory chemicals, equipment containing mercury such as lamps and computers, and materials such as grounds-keeping / cleaning chemicals are at times needed and present on campus. However, there are established procedures from the USD Environmental Health and Safety Office to manage these, remove accumulated material in a timely manner, and minimize their impacts as waste. For example, universal waste will be labeled with the accumulation date (when they become waste) and disposed within one year.


A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:

Waste is collected, packaged, labeled (e.g. universal waste) and maintained in a leak-free state. Each department disposes its hazardous waste through external contracting companies that specialize in hazardous waste management. Universal waste (such as used fluorescent tubes) will also be labeled with the accumulation date and must be disposed within one year. These are collected and handled by Building Maintenance. Used batteries are collected by the Environmental Health and Safety Office. Electronic waste is collected by the USD E-waste recycling center, which will process out any reusable equipment. All these items are safely removed from campus and disposed in line with regulatory requirements by external contracting companies that specialize in hazardous waste management. Relevant employees (Facilities Management as well as departments such as Chemistry and Biology) are formally trained in hazardous waste management and materials handling, coordinating with emergency services in case of emergencies, and emergency response plans.


A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:

No incidents of hazardous material release.


A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:

The Chemistry Department maintains an updated inventory of the chemicals they use on their website accessible to users. Faculty and staff members that are responsible for ordering chemicals consult the list prior to ordering.


Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by the institution?:
Yes

Does the institution have or participate in a program to responsibly recycle, reuse, and/or refurbish electronic waste generated by students?:
Yes

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 Electronics Recycling Center collects and recycles e-waste from the institution, students and the wider community. There is a service to pick-up e-waste from residences and businesses. Because the Electronics Recycling Center is a registered non-profit, any donations are tax-deductible, which provides the residence or business an additional incentive to ‘donate’ their unwanted e-waste.


Is the institution’s electronic waste recycler certified under the e-Stewards and/or Responsible Recycling (R2) standards?:
Yes

Electronic waste recycled or otherwise diverted from the landfill or incinerator during the most recent year for which data is available during the previous three years:
369.50 Tons

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.