| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 51.19 |
| Liaison | Jim Walker |
| Submission Date | Jan. 31, 2011 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Texas at Austin
OP-21: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Irezama
Anderson Associate Director Environmental Programs Environmental Health and Safety |
Does the institution have strategies in place to safely dispose of all hazardous, 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, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
The University of Texas at Austin has a robust and well established hazardous Waste Management program with an emphasis on waste minimization. The office of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) has five technicians and specialists working in the Hazardous Materials Program. This staff is dedicated to the proper management and disposal of all the hazardous waste (chemical and biological) and universal waste generated by the University including all off site locations not just the Main Campus in Austin. There is an online training program in place for the proper handling and disposal of hazardous waste which includes promoting waste minimization.
EHS has a written Waste Minimization Plan and has established a Waste Minimization Task Force led by the EHS Director which meets monthly and is pursuing a variety of initiatives including:
- Green lab self-evaluations
- small-scale recycling in labs
- chemical exchange programs
- container recycling
Last calendar year (2009) UT-Austin’s volume of hazardous (RCRA) waste was reduced by 12.1% from the previous year.
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
Sharps and biological waste are picked up throughout campus, following receipt of a Biological Waste and Sharps Form. Supplies, such as sharp containers and cardboard bio boxes, are delivered as they are needed.
An extended description of chemical waste handling procedures is online at:
http://www.utexas.edu/safety/ehs/disposal/procedures/
Training program:
http://www.utexas.edu/safety/ehs/train/
The website URL where information about hazardous materials management is available:
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.