| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 83.12 |
| Liaison | Patrick McKee |
| Submission Date | Nov. 16, 2023 |
University of Connecticut
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Patrick
McKee Senior Sustainability Program Manager 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 University abides by its annually reviewed Chemical Hygiene Plan (last revised 05/13/22), which encourages the reduction of hazardous, special, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste through careful procedure and procurement policies. See the link below for more information about UConn’s hazardous waste policies:
https://media.ehs.uconn.edu/Chemical/ChemicalHygienePlan.pdf
Additionally, UConn's EHS department oversees UConn's compliance with the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act, which pertains to the recordkeeping, reporting, and temporary storage, inspection and shipment off-site for disposal of all types of solid wastes, including hazardous, universal, special and CT-regulated wastes. RCRA also requires UConn to develop, maintain and implement a waste minimization plan for these waste streams.
A brief description of how the institution safely disposes of hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste:
UConn has multiple policies and procedures in place that ensure hazardous, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste is disposed of safely. These procedures are outlined in various manuals and guides, like the “Chemical Waste Disposal Manual,” provided on the “Environmental Health & Safety Regulated Waste Management” webpage under the "Chemical Waste" tab (see link below). The page also provides Principal and Licensed Investigators, Laboratory Supervisors, Non-laboratory Staff and students access to any forms and information they may need to safely handle the waste they generate; such waste includes hazardous waste, chemical waste, universal waste (electronics, batteries, etc.), and more.
https://ehs.uconn.edu/regulated-waste-management/
The complete Chemical Waste Disposal Manual included in the Chemical Hygiene Plan can be found at the following link:
https://media.ehs.uconn.edu/RegulatedWaste/chem/ChemicalWasteDisposalManual.pdf
A brief description of any significant hazardous material release incidents during the previous three years, including volume, impact and response/remediation:
No incidents to report
A brief description of any inventory system employed by the institution to facilitate the reuse or redistribution of laboratory chemicals:
UConn has a “Chemical Redistribution and Exchange” policy in place to reduce the need for purchasing unnecessary chemicals. The policy reads: “Contact EHS if you plan to dispose of unused, unopened containers of chemicals, especially high purity and commonly used materials. EHS can contact other departments and groups on campus to determine if they have an immediate use for these chemicals. The reuse and redistribution of unused unopened chemicals will reduce the University’s cost of disposal as well as the cost of purchasing new products” (page 13 of the Chemical Waste Disposal Manual).
https://media.ehs.uconn.edu/RegulatedWaste/chem/ChemicalWasteDisposalManual.pdf
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:
Our e-waste program runs through the UConn Surplus Department and collects rechargeable batteries, ink cartridges, cell phones, laptops, hand held devices, computers, monitors, television sets, lab equipment, office equipment, and other miscellaneous electronics. Central Warehouse collects e-waste from departments and offices on campus. In addition to departmental waste, UConn also encourages students and community members to recycle their personal e-waste by providing conveniently located drop-off stations for cell phones, batteries, and inkjet cartridges. These can be found at the UConn Bookstore, Library, and Student Union. Anything and everything that contains a printed circuit board is collected and sent to our e-waste recycler. Central Warehouse also picks up all e-waste from UConn’s regional campuses.
https://sustainability.uconn.edu/e-waste-and-ink-cartridge-recycling/
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.