Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 72.78
Liaison Emily Vollmer
Submission Date Feb. 18, 2021

STARS v2.2

Virginia Tech
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Robert Lowe
Environmental Engineer
Environmental, Health & Safety
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Hazardous waste minimization and disposal

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:
The university has a waste minimization program as part of its hazardous waste management program. Special waste (coal ash) is sent to the local sanitary landfill where it is used as alternate daily cover. The university is reducing its consumption of coal in favor of natural gas which further reduces the amount of coal ash generated.

A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
Virginia Tech is a large quantity generator of hazardous wastes and has an EPA ID number that permits it to manage them. The department of Environmental Health and Safety manages all hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste for the university in a regulatory compliant manner. Environmental Health and Safety performs audits on all recycling and disposal vendors and facilities that are used for materials they manage.

A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
None

A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
The university sets aside general use chemicals (solvents, acids, and bases) for reuse in general chemistry teaching laboratories.

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 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

If yes to either of the above, provide:

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:
Electronic waste collected from the institution and/or students is sent to various vendors for recycling. Both staff and students submit electronic waste pick up requests or drop off their waste at EHS. Waste batteries are collected at various campus locations by a student group and delivered to EHS for recycling.

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

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s hazardous waste program is available:
https://www.ehss.vt.edu/programs/waste_removal.php

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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 (short tons/tonnes) = 4.2

Contact: Robert Lowe, Environmental Engineer with the Department of Environmental Health and Safety, rlowe@vt.edu, 540-231-2510

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.