ENVIRONMENTAL SELF-STUDY

CHAPTER ONE: SOLID & HAZARDOUS WASTES

PART ONE: SOLID WASTE & RECYCLING

Overview

The problem of solid waste is not a new dilemma, but rather a new challenge. It has become evident over the past few decades that despite our most fervent hopes, our trash will not simply "go away." People around the world are striving to find new and inventive ways to reduce and reuse the solid waste that we generate. Most of these initiatives focus on waste reduction, the first and most logical step in dealing with our current waste crises.

Solid waste is the waste that we discard in our homes, offices, cafeterias and classrooms every day. Solid waste is comprised of office paper, product packaging, junk mail, yard waste and other materials thatwe decide we no longer need or want. Many of us never even think about the contents of our trash cans even seconds after we fill them; however, that waste is not quick to go away. Landfill space is a precious and limited resource, and should be regarded as such. Our waste, unless recycled, is taken to a landfill to sit for generations to come. Not only are landfills limited in space and number, but many of the older sites are extremely hazardous to the local communities in which they are located.

Fortunately there is a safer and more ecological approach than simply piling up our trash in toxic and unsightly landfills. Source reduction, recycling and composting are all excellent steps to be taken by individuals as well as institutions to both lower their environmental impact and save money.

Present Situation

Last year, Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science generated 550 tons of solid waste, approximately 1.5 tons each day. This is the waste collected from every classroom, dorm room and office as well as yard waste from the campus grounds. According to the statistics provided by J.P. Mascaro (the College's waste hauler), the College recycled only 23.4 tons (4.26%) of its waste stream. Considering that more than half (61%) of the College'swaste stream is comprised of the three materials that we currently are equipped for recycling -- paper 45%, cardboard 10%, and aluminum 6% -- we should be able to reduce the amount of waste that is sent to the landfill by a considerable amount, which would save landfill space as well as money spent on waste hauling costs.

Currently, the campus is experiencing a rebirth of a previous recycling effort which was started in 1991. The first recycling initiative was in response to the Commercial Solid Waste Recycling Regulations.

What Are We Recycling?

• White Paper
  According to the statistics provided by the Philadelphia Recycling Office, Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science generates approximately 248 tons (496,000 lbs.) of paper each year, approximately 45% of our total waste stream, 30% of which is high-grade white paper. Small gray recycling bins were made available to every office for the collection of white paper as the start of a desk-side recycling program. This collection system is in the process of being updated with new blue bins which are seen as being more convenient compared to the smaller gray bins which latched onto the side of the existing trash cans. With the introduction of the new blue recycling bins, we have also experimented with several alternative collection systems in order to develop one that works best for the entire campus. Collection bins have not been introduced into the living spaces yet.
  
• Aluminum
  The number of aluminum cans that generated on campus is astounding. The College generated approximately 5.6 tons (11,200 lbs.) of aluminum cans last year according to the Philadelphia Recycling Office. Even with that large number of cans, the collection of aluminum has still been somewhat unsuccessful. The College recycled .2 tons (400 lbs.) out of the approximated 11,200 pounds generated on campus. Several factors such as a scarce number of bins, accompanied by some inappropriate bin locations, and the lack of coordination and promotion are to blame for the relatively low collection rate of cans on campus.
  
• Cardboard
  Using the same statistic source as we did with paper and aluminum, the College generated approximately 55 tons (110,000 lbs.) of cardboard last year and recycled approximately 11.1 tons (20.5 %). A majority of the cardboard generated on campus is from Dining Services, which is located near the collection dumpsters. However the recycling dumpsters are frequently filled with food and other waste from Dining Services which contaminates the recyclable cardboard. The problem could be solved by adding additional dumpsters which would accommodate both food waste and recyclables. Other cardboard is generated from deliveries from off- campus vendors. Cardboard is usually not separated from the trash in the offices where it is generated. The emphasis in office recycling has been placed on white paper which allows for most, if not all, of the office- generated cardboard to be landfilled instead of being recycled.
  
• Yard Waste
  One material that many of us do not even consider when talking about recycling is yard waste. The College certainly is a major contributor of yard waste with our 100 acres of trees, plantings, and of course, grass. Besides the gas-powered mowers used to cut our many acres of grass, the lawns are maintained with a relatively high regard to the environment. With an exception to the athletic fields, our grass clippings are not bagged and sent to landfills like most household lawns. Instead our lawns are cut frequently enough so that the grass clippings are able to be mulched right back into the lawn itself. This process is both good for the lawn and the local landfill which does not receive our many tons (23) of yard waste each year. Included in the total number of tons of yard waste are leaves and the like which are collected during the fall months. These materials are collected from the campus grounds and placed into a temporary dumpster located near the baseball fields which is emptied by J.P. Mascaro and taken for recycling.

How Recycling Works On Campus

One of the drawbacks of the current recycling program is that most ofthe campus does not know exactly how our recyclables are collected, transported to the dumpster, picked up, and subsequently turned back into recycled products.This is due in large part to the fact that there is no recycling orientation to educate students, faculty and staff. The campus community would be more likely to participate in the recycling program if they know how the process operates, and if they are sure that their carefully separated materials are really being recycled.

The current recycling procedures are outlined below along with what we believe the ideal procedures would be. The "ideal" procedures are marked in italicized text. The College should develop a comprehensive recycling plan which would determine the new recycling procedures. The italicized recommendations can be used in the development of the future recycling masterplan.

• The Library, Computer Center, Mail Room and some offices have recycling bins for paper recycling. Blue aluminum can collection bins are also located throughout the campus.
  
  All dorm rooms, offices, public spaces and special event places will be outfitted with the proper number of recycling bins for all materials being collected.
  
• The campus community places the appropriate materials into the corresponding collection bins.
  
  The campus will receive thorough and up-to-date materials on why and how to properly recycle.
  
• Housekeeping collects the materials from the recycling bins on an as needed basis, in clear bags separate from the regular trash, which is collected every day.
  
  A specific day of the week will be devoted to the collection of recyclables. Trash in the offices will not be collected on that day.
  
• The clear bags of recyclables are then transported to the dumpsters located throughout the campus marked for recycling with a green "RECYCLE" sticker.
  
• The regular trash (non-recyclables) is often put into the marked red dumpsters.
  
• Although specific dumpsters are currently designated for recycling, recyclables in clear bags are often placed next to them.
  
  Specific dumpsters will remain dedicated as recycling dumpsters only. These dumpsters will only hold recyclables and no trash.
  
• Mascaro empties the trash dumpsters three times a week. Mascaro also collects or recyclables placed in the recycling dumpsters, but on separate days twice a week.
  
  Renegotiate our recycling pickup days to accommodate our new system.
  
• Our trash which is collected separately from our recyclables is either landfilled or incinerated.
  
• The recyclables are transported to a separation station where all of the clear plastic bags are separated and sorted into the appropriate piles of recyclables.
  
• The recyclables that were collected from our campus are then sold to dealers who in turn make our waste into new products such as copy paper, aluminum cans, tires, glassphalt, insulation and a host of other inventive products.

With 56 buildings on the campus of the College, we have a rather daunting task to develop a successful recycling program which can sustain itself from year to year, and yield the cost saving and environmental benefits that it can and should. During the rebirth of the current recycling effort in the fall semester in 1995, we learned what a "successful" recycling/source reduction program should look like, as well as what it can do for the campus. Even with the best intentions, the College has not been able to realize its full recycling potential on both the environmental and financial fronts due to a lack of coordination, promotion and education surrounding the program.

Making Money from our Trash?

Philadelphia College is throwing tons of money away every week! Well not literally, but the College could be selling its tons of recyclables such as paper, cardboard and aluminum instead of paying someone to come and take them away. It makes perfect sense since our recyclables are going to be made into new products to be sold for money, that someone will be making a lot of money from our trash. Currently, the College is operating the recycling program on a "break even" principle which basically means that the College will not pay any more to operate the recycling program, nor should it have to.

Many colleges and universities have begun to realize their recycling potential as they moved from "break-even" operations to relatively large cost saving and money making ventures. Admittedly, the recycling market is quite volatile, which makes it difficult to estimate exactly how much money the College could make/save from selling its recyclables. However, rough estimates suggest that Philadelphia College could make approximately$13,055 each year by selling our discarded paper ($8,880), cardboard ($1,375) and aluminum ($2,800). The money does not stop there either. The Collegewould also save a large amount of money in avoided waste hauling costs simply because there would be less regular trash to haul away. Those costs arealso difficult to estimate, but if we were to recycle 40% of our waste stream -- a modest amount considering that 45% of the waste stream is comprised of paper -- based on current waste disposal costs, it is estimated that the College could save an additional $24,000 each year. Even if Philadelphia College were paid nothing for its recyclables, it could still save a considerable amount of money by reducing the amount of trash to be hauled away. However,we would need to renegotiate our waste contract to reap those financial benefits. These monetary incentives are often what spark initiative and motivation on this and other campuses around the country. Renegotiating our waste hauling contracts would provide a campus-wide incentive for everyone to participate in recycling, which would help to make Philadelphia College a model for other campuses to follow.

The lack of coordination, promotion and education is not the fault of any one particular department or group, largely because we are just now realizing how much more prosperous our program could be. Ultimately, the success of the recycling program is the responsibility of the department of physical plant; however, Textile Recycling & Environmental Enthusiasts (T.R.E.E.) agreed to share in the responsibility of education and promotion of the program. Over the course of the past two semesters, it has become apparent that the planning, development and coordination of a successful recycling program on this campus will not be possible without assigning this responsibility to a staff member.

Resource Reduction

Each year, Americans throw away about 180 million tons of trash. The United States generates twice as much waste, per person, as does any other country, and the amount of garbage we produce is on the rise. The Environmental Protection Agency says that 80% of existing landfills with permits will close within twenty years. The proliferation of waste can largely be attributed to the growing use of packaging materials, "throwaway" convenience items, and other disposable products. Campus communities generate huge amounts of waste, much of which could be recycled, reused or composted. In addition, the use of chlorine-based bleaching agents in the production of paper products results in the production of highly toxic substances that eventually enter the waste stream. -- Campus Ecology

Resource reduction is where any college or university can realize its greatest savings simply by using less. By using less, we would not compromise the level of convenience we have become accustomed to, but rather streamline our current day-to-day operations which would have an overwhelming positive impact on our environment. For instance, when we choose to use the reusable cups available in the Common Thread for coffee, we not only eliminate the need to produce the Styrofoam® cups, but we lower operating costs in two ways: the first is a cost savings simply by not buying more cups, and the second is the money saved in avoided waste disposal costs (which wereover $60,000 for 1995). Granted, there was a lot more trash hauled away last year than just Styrofoam® cups, but all the trash we generate is subject to scrutiny as to how we can reduce and reuse it.

The following recommendations are intended to spark thought and debate for the common goal of lowering the College's environmental impact as it relates to the generation of solid waste on campus. These recommendations are not intended to be "quick fixes" that will automatically "green" the College once they are implemented. These recommendations are merely stepping stones to what we all hope will be an example of social and global awareness which will serve as a model to other institutions worldwide.

Recommendations for the Recycling Operation

• Appoint an individual to be responsible for the recycling effort;
  
• Develop a Master Recycling Plan which would include target dates, a collection system and percentage goals for the entire campus. Our satellite campus(es) should also be included in that plan. An example of a target may be to have every office and dorm recycling at least 35% of its waste stream in two years;
  
• Integrate the collection of at least one more material in the current recycling program. Mixed paper and glass or plastic are good suggestions;
  
• Investigate the possibilities of a compost pile which would yield mulch for the campus landscape.

Recommendations for Recycling Promotion and Education

• Develop a recycling orientation for incoming freshmen so that social and environmental awareness will exist throughout the student body in four years;
  
• Develop a similar recycling/environmental orientation for faculty and staff so the entire community will be at the same level of environmental awareness in four years or less;
  
• Have "environmental literacy" become the topic of a community forum in Fall, 1997;
  
• Develop educational/promotional materials for the College's World Wide Web page which would create the atmosphere of an Intranet rather then an Internet. These materials as well as other campus documents would be complete with graphics and hypertext links to other documents that could then be accessed by the entire campus community;
  
• Utilize the effectiveness of the TEXT, and other campus publications to effectively reach the entire campus community on the state and progress of the greening effort.

Recommendations for Waste Reduction

• Implement a double-sided copying policy campus-wide which would simply reverse the current copy standard on campus. An example of a green copying policy is demonstrated in the School of Business. Everything is printed double-sided unless specifically requested to be printed otherwise. This policy could, at modest estimates, cut paper use by 25% saving the School of Business an estimated $300 annually, and saving the College $7,500 annually if implemented campus-wide;
  
• Institute a "Bring Your Own Paper" policy for the computer center. Students, as they do in some other colleges, would simply bring the paper they need to use in the computer center. This policy dramatically reduces waste while promoting the reuse of paper for draft copy;
  
• Make use of the future campus network to disseminate information such as memos and personal correspondence via email;
  
• Instead of sending individual memos to each School or office, send "Please Post" memos to be hung near faculty mail boxes or on office bulletin boards;
  
• Make appropriate use of the new electronic bulletin boards being purchased by the Student Government Association (SGA). These electronic boards, which will be located across the campus, should be used in place of campus mailings to students;
  
• Continually seek the input of the campus as to ways in which we can reduce unnecessary waste;
  
• Encourage faculty and staff to bring reusable mugs to the office instead of using Styrofoam® or paper cups;
  
• Continue to install the electric dryers in bathrooms for use in place of paper towels;
  
• Constantly scrutinize the use of campus resources to see where we can reduce, reuse and recycle. (See Dining Services and Utilities for further resource reduction recommendations.)

Summary

All of these recommendations were made based on the experience of working with this and other campuses literally around the world. We are not presenting anything new since recycling and source reduction have already been successful on so many other campuses. There is no need to "reinvent the wheel." However, just as every campus is unique in some way, so are their respective greening efforts. What will make Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science unique is the creativity and dedication of the entire community in our quest for environmental excellence.

Most important in developing a successful recycling program is for all of the participants (the College community) to feel a sense of ownership and participation in the creation of the program. Not only will students, faculty and staff be vital in developing a program, we all ultimately are responsible for our recycling program and the success or failure of our greening effort.

 

PART TWO: HAZARDOUS WASTE

Overview

Educational Institutions are not usually thought of as hazardous-waste generators. They typically produce a lot less hazardous waste than industrial facilities. However, many activities on campus do use hazardous wastes, as toxic substances are also used in art, architecture, and photography as well as in maintenance work and research projects. Although most of the chemicals that are used in the science departments they are strictly regulated and the atmosphere highly controlled, the use of potentially harmful arts-and-crafts materials and maintenance products are often poorly monitored for proper handling and disposal procedures. The hazardous substances that are found on college campuses can also pose a significant threat, not only to the natural environment but also to human health. -- Reprinted in part from Ecodemia

The Law

Most institutions, including factories and industrial laboratories, have been slowly reducing the quantities of hazardous waste they produce, thanks in large part to the numerous laws that have been passed in Congress over the last 25 to 30 years. These include the Clean Air Act (1970) and the Clean Water Act (1972) which ban certain ozone-depleting compounds and regulate treatment and emissions of many other chemicals. The Toxic Substances Control Act (1976) imposes requirements for identifying and monitoring toxic chemical hazards. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and LiabilitiesAct (a.k.a. "Superfund") was first authorized in 1980 and increases corporate liability for environmental damage and cleanup. The Hazardous and Solid Wastes Amendments to the Resource Conservation Right-to-Know-Act(1986) gives citizens the access to information on the hazardous chemicals stored, used and released in their communities. Finally, the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 encourages pollution prevention at the source over recycling and disposal of resulting hazardous waste. Many colleges and universities with instructional and research laboratories rely on environmental health and safety offices to regulate and monitor the disposal of hazardous waste.

Present Situation

Many facilities at Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science must use and dispose of a variety of chemicals and other hazardous wastes used for educational and research purposes. Currently there are no published guidelines on how to dispose of these chemicals properly; laboratory instructors and student assistants are responsible for the proper handling of these chemicals. The College does not have an office of Environmental Health and Safety, so there is no one person responsible for the pick-up and disposal of hazardous chemical wastes from the producing areas on campus.

Inventory of Hazardous Chemicals

• The following is a list of chemicals that are currently in use in labs at the College: Mercury, Various Solvents, Lead Salts, Cyano Compounds, Various Heavy Metal Salts, Chlorinated Solvents, Organic Compound Mixtures, Turpentine, Aerosol Cans, and Dyes.
  
• Chemical Storage: The following describes the manner in which the chemicals are stored: Most chemicals and dyes are stored at room temperature unless specified otherwise. They could then be stored in one of two freezers (-80C or -2C) or they may be stored in the refrigerator.
  
• Disposal Techniques: The following describes the manner in which the chemicals are discarded: Most of the chemicals that are hazardous are picked up an outside contractor (Rawlings Environmental Services). Approximately $3,400 is spent each year to have this contractor haul away our hazardous wastes (233 lbs.).

Sources

• Science Labs: Mercury, Various Solvents, Lead Salts, Cyano Compounds, Various Metals, Chlorinated Solvents, and Organic Compound Mixtures (amount recycled: 133 lbs/yr.).
  
• Textile Labs: Chemicals and dyes (amount recycled: 100 lbs/yr.).
  
• Architecture Studios: Turpentine and Aerosol Cans (amount recycled: 0 lbs/yr.).
  
• Library, Computer Center and Administrative Offices: printing cartridges (laser as well as bubble jets), Styrofoam cups, cardboard boxes, and toner (amount recycled: 0 lbs/yr.).
  
• Housekeeping: Concentrated cleaning materials.
  
• Photo Lab: Solvents (amount recycled: 0 lbs/yr.).

Chemical Recycling

An outside contractor, Rawlings Environmental Services comes to the College once a year. All of the chemicals that are taken are incinerated. In 1995, 225 lbs. were taken from the College, costing approximately $3,400.

Microscaling

Microscaling is the act of reducing the quantities of chemicals and materials used in an experiment by doing the same experiment using smaller amounts of chemicals. Although the School of Science and Health does use some microscaling, much more is needed; however, in the School of Textiles and Materials Technology, they have implemented a microscale dye lab that consists of 125 students per year. It is estimated that $1,000 - $2,000 could be saved each year by microscaling.

Recommendations

• Train personnel in chemical and environmental safety, including methods for preventing pollution and minimizing wastes;
  
• Assess laboratory air emissions, waste water discharges, and waste generation to understand environmental effects;
  
• Only buy chemicals in quantities needed;
  
• Use redistributed surplus chemicals whenever possible;
  
• Review chemical inventories and routinely make usable surplus available to other laboratories;
  
• Review the chemicals in use to understand their hazards and search for safer substitutes;
  
• Keep caps on containers of volatile chemicals;
  
• Prepare for leaks and spills by using secondary containment and by stocking spill control supplies;
  
• Take responsibility for waste disposal by neutralizing acids and bases treating other chemicals;
  
• Remind colleagues and new personnel to keep waste types separate, and devise a system of separate waste collection that works for their laboratory;
  
• Install a collection bin for the School of Architecture and Design for aerosol cans;
  
• Implement more microscaling in the School of Textiles and Materials Technology;
  
• Implement microscaling in the School of Science and Health.

 

PART THREE: MEDICAL WASTE

Overview

An estimated 3.2 million tons of medical waste are generated each year in the United States. While the proliferation of disposable medical supply products has tremendously improved sanitation and convenience in the medical field, it has also dramatically increased the quantities of medical waste generated by hospitals, health clinics, and research facilities. Medical wastes include: cultures and stocks of infectious agents, pathological wastes, human blood and waste products, sharp implements (used and unused) and contaminated animal waste. -- Taken in part from Campus Ecology

Present Situation

At Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science, it was found that two areas produce medical waste. They are the Health Center and the School of Science and Health. These areas use medical supplies such as needles, cultures and stocks, human blood, pathological wastes and preserved animals for dissection. In the Health Center and in the Physician Assistant Program, they follow OSHA's guidelines, however, in the School of Science and Health, there are no published guidelines on how to dispose of medical wastes in the form of cultures and stocks of infectious agents, pathological wastes and animal dissection remains. Although the College does not have an office of Environmental Health and Safety, a lab manager and safety officer have been appointed to oversee the disposal of medical wastes.

Inventory of Medical Wastes

The following is a list of medical supplies that are currently being used in labs at the College: sharps (needles), culture plates, blood slides, blood tubes, gauze, stocks of infectious agents, pathological wastes and animal dissection remains.

Disposal Techniques

The following describes the manner in which the chemicals are discarded: In the Health Center approximately 120 lbs/yr. of biohazardous materialis are picked up by SMI (an outside contractor). This is done on a monthly basis costing about $250/yr. In the School of Science and Health, the Physician Assistant Program collects needles, slides, and tubes and places them into the sharps collection boxes. Gauze is placed into red Bio-Hazard Boxes. They are then both picked up at the end of the year or upon filling the containers by Environmental Services. Since the program was implemented last year, no pickups have been recorded as of yet. In the Science Department, no disposal documentation of pathological wastes, cultures, stocks of infectious agents and animal dissection remains is known.

Recommendations

• Reduce the incineration of plastic, especially PVC waste. This can be done by cutting down on the volume of plastics being bought by each department;
  
• Reduce the use of disposable medical materials, and providing for proper handling of reusables. This can be done by buying specific environmentally friendly instruments that can be cleaned and sterilized before reuse;
  
• Improve the way medical waste is handled and tracked. For example, let lab assistants know the exact procedure for all medical waste disposal;
  
• Implement an ample medical waste disposal unit to assure the proper disposal of animal dissection remains as well as cultures and stocks of infectious agents and pathological agents in the School of Science and Health.

 

END OF CHAPTER ONE

GO ON TO CHAPTER TWO

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Last updated: August 20, 1997