Waste management
Introduction
In line with the other University policies, it is the intent that production of waste should be minimised and that recycling should occur wherever possible. Nevertheless, it has to be acknowledged that the University is a teaching institution and in some areas of education waste is inevitable. The purpose of the the strategy and plan described here is to ensure that where waste is inevitable it is created, stored and disposed responsibly.
Sub-topics
Role of the waste management strategy
Current situation
Waste Management Strategy
Waste Management Plan
The role of the Waste Management Strategy (WMS)
The WMS provides a framework for the development of waste management practices. In order to do this effectively, the WMS needs to promote a decision making framework that:
- ensures waste is managed in a way that is consistent with ecologically sustainable development
- minimises the impact of waste on the environment including, in particular, the impact of waste so far as it directly affects human health
- minimises the amount of waste generated from all sources
- promotes efficiency in the use of resources
- promotes, where possible, the maximum use of wastes as a resource
- otherwise achieves continuous improvement in the standard of waste management activities
The WMS is aligned with other university policies, since it is an integral part of the Master Plan, including the:
The University is committed to the development of an integrated waste management program on the campus based on the application of avoid, reduce, re-use, recycle, and dispose principles. The development of waste management activities will depend on their cost impact relative to the benefits accrued. These benefits may be economic, but also may be social, communal, or environmental.
Current situation
The University currently works under the Waste Management Strategy 2001.
Current waste management practices include:
- paper and cardboard recycling
- purchasing of Australian made plantation / post consumer waste printing paper for use in Reprographics and University (but not Library) printers and photocopiers
- use of contractors for removal of confidential material
- re-use of green waste from grounds’ maintenance as mulch
- use of contractors for the disposal of biohazard wastes from Science, air conditioning system maintenance, and the removal of waste for landfill
- recycling of components from computers
- selling or giving away computers and books no longer required by the university
- removal of waste oil from machinery to shire council recycling facility
- grease and paint traps situated at suitable locations intercept these products and hold them until they can be removed by external contractors
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Waste Management Strategy
1. Involve the entire university community through increasing awareness, meeting specific information needs, and fostering a sense of community commitment.
Strategies
- Develop waste information services appropriate to the participant groups within the university community. These should have three functions: to increase awareness of waste management issues; to provide managers with feedback about waste management activities; and to foster communication about waste management, especially between those people involved in the day-to-day activities.
- Develop waste management practices appropriate to the various participant groups on campus.
- Recognise individuals and groups who support campus waste management.
- Recognise the waste management needs of different participant groups (refer to Target 2).
Actions
- Waste issues webpage attached to university site, with separate pages targeting students, administrative and support staff, academic staff, and campus visitors. Responsibility for the development and maintenance of the site should be clearly assigned.
- Activity sessions during students orientation detailing the importance of waste management and what they can do.
- Inclusion of summary of what is expected of academic and other staff in their employment orientation.
- Develop communication links between participants groups in order to foster a cooperative and effective approach to waste management activities. It is essential that all those involved in specific waste activities (such as purchasing, collection, storage, and disposal) know what others are doing. This will avoid both gaps and overlaps.
Priority
The development of a web-based information portal that provides information about the universities policies and procedures, initiatives being considered, and opportunities for comment.
2. Develop waste management practices appropriate to the diverse activities that occur on the campus.
Strategies
- Develop appropriate waste management plans in consultation with participant groups.
- Waste management plans should include communication links so that people can inform each other when their activities change which have an impact on waste management.
- Foster consistency in the development of waste management plans by forming a Waste Management Working Group to coordinate the development of specific area / group Plans.
Actions: Management
- Encourage the adoption of waste management strategies by setting examples. These can be as simple as printing double-sided to supporting purchasing policies that pay more for waste responsible products.
- Support cost centres in their initiatives to avoid and reduce waste where to do so incurs a greater up-front cost to that area. The university as a whole pays for waste services and the benefits (economic, social and environmental) resulting from costs borne by particular areas should be recognised.
- Encourage staff training in the effective use of electronic communication, including issues such as email filing techniques, archiving, and backing files up.
- Facilitate the development of waste management procedures that take into account the day-to-day opportunities and limitations of those involved. Initiatives should be encouraged but developed in consultation with those involved and/or affected.
Actions: Administration
- Review information gathering paperwork to identify areas of overlap and where, when appropriate, information sharing could reduce paper loads.
- Utilise recycled paper (or similar such as 80:20 paper) for brochures and advertising material. Include the recycled paper logo (or information on paper used) on all university publications as a way of advertising the university's waste management commitment.
- Continue a high-security approach to the disposal of confidential material.
- Destruction of archive material, once withholding periods have been met, should allow recovery of resources (for example, pulping and recycling of paper). Storage guidelines should be such that end-of-life recycling is possible without significant extra handling.
Actions: Research
- Provide information about the university's purchasing policy (when available) highlighting the opportunity to identify waste responsible products.
- Include in proposed program assessment guidelines a review of the social and environmental impacts of each program (this includes those of undergraduate and postgraduate students).
- Allow postgraduate theses to be printed double-sided.
- Develop electronic submissions for internal research grants and work with funding bodies to develop similar procedures for external research funds.
- Encourage student research on waste issues relevant to both the campus and the region.
Actions: Teaching
- Utilise teaching techniques that reduce resources. Good examples are the use of microscale techniques for teaching chemistry, virtual dissection laboratories, and on-line tutorials.
- Provide students with a waste management briefing at orientation. Specialised briefings should be given once students are working in specific areas where waste can be an issue, for example, in laboratories and art studios.
- Develop waste management guidelines for field trips. This is especially important when chemicals are being transported and used.
- Encourage student projects that investigate waste management issues or initiatives. These could include things like: analysis of general waste stream, viability of recycling businesses in the region, analysis of life-cycle costing, microbial techniques for waste breakdown, or restoration and monitoring of swales as a stormwater management strategy.
Actions: Faculties and Support Centres
- Science: storage for radioactive and chemical wastes should be developed, either on-site or in conjunction with other regional generators (such as hospitals). A waste management plan is required under the Environmental Protection (Waste Management) Regulation 2000.
- Science: development of guidelines for waste management during field trips, especially those where chemicals are being transported and used.
- Science: research and teaching programs should be evaluated with a view to where use of materials generating problematic waste could reasonably be reduced.
- Science: future development of work with animals should incorporate a purpose built work area that enables the animals to be housed, utilised, and disposed of appropriately. Wastes from this area should be channelled into categories and as far as possible should be contained within the site area (with the exception of radioactive and chemical wastes). The impact of additional volume in each category on current waste management procedures should be considered at the design stage.
- Arts and Social Sciences: development of fine arts area should explicitly address waste generation. The current and predicted emphasis on computer generated art and design influences the waste stream as information technology products rather than as traditional art products (such as paint).
- Library / ITS: options for recycling monitors should be investigated and policy of re-use, on-selling, or giving away useable computers or computer parts should continue to be supported. Computers being disposed of should be written on, placed in an industrial bin in a secure area and campus security notified.
- Library / ITS: guidelines for the provision of student copying required. These should include reference to the type of paper purchased (80:20 Australian made paper or better), the re-use / refurbishment / recycling of photocopiers, and the capacity for reduced and double-sided printing.
- Library / ITS: pursue companies / suppliers that are practicing extended producer responsibility. This is becoming more common is the US and Europe.
- General: storage area for used and new gas cylinders required. Storage issues include: truck access, limitations on personnel access, fire and explosion hazard, and ease of transport from storage site to use area.
Actions: Catering and food services
- Review of purchasing and food services regulations (such as 'Safeserve') for opportunities to avoid and/or minimise waste. Options such as products that fulfil the Safeserve requirements but have less impact on the waste stream should be considered even if they incur a cost. One option is the use of cloths that are sterilised in the autoclave.
- The use of contractors to remove organic waste from kitchens should be considered. Several vermiculture operations have indicated that such a contract would be possible.
Actions: Venue hiring (including sports venues)
- Incorporate waste management criteria into venue hire contracts. These might include such things as: total removal of all waste from the site, provision of cups and saucers for extra cost, provision of a recycling bin for plastic, glass, and aluminum cans (provided at cost of removal), provision of a paper recycling bin.
Actions: Landscaping and grounds
- Continue use of native species for landscaping and conversion of open areas to bushland to minimise maintenance.
- Situate industrial bins inside locked area to discourage illegal dumping of waste in university bins.
- Develop a wash-down area with grease pit and catchment pit for cleaning vehicles and equipment.
- Actively revegetate swales as per Master Plan to assist with the capture and removal of organic material from stormwater.
Actions: Facilities Management
- Incorporate waste management principles into building design specifications. The passive heating and cooling, environmental airflows, natural lighting strategies already used in existing buildings can be expanded to include solar or fuel cell energy generation, fittings that reduce out-gassing, life-cycle costing (including that of features requiring maintenance), and gray-water recycling.
- Form a waste management group made up of those who are active in the day-to-day operation of activities to review their effectiveness and efficiency.
- Pursue regional alliances with other waste generators, particularly those generating problematic waste (biohazardous, chemical, radioactive), and develop cooperative strategies.
Priority
Storage for radioactive and chemical wastes primarily generated by the Faculty of Science, Health and Education.
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3. Develop purchasing and tendering policies that reflect the university's commitment to waste management principles.
Strategies
- Use the university's commitment to waste management as a lobbying point when pursuing funding for capital works.
- Support a policy of reducing the 'front end' of the waste stream. The results are less wasteful products entering the campus waste stream, less cost incurred in containment, management, and disposal, and the support of companies providing responsible products.
- Create a corporate history of waste management initiatives and their costs and benefits.
Actions
- Develop purchasing guidelines consistent with the waste management strategy.
- Design tender specifications in such a way that those submitting tenders can address waste management issues.
Priority
Develop purchasing guidelines consistent with the waste management strategy.
4. Foster regional alliances that will facilitate collective purchasing and demand for products with extended producer responsibility and/or responsible packaging, and that will consolidate the region's waste management efforts.
Strategies
- Develop alliances with regional bodies to maximise purchasing power, including the ability to encourage waste avoidance specifications for products.
- Work with regional organisations to minimise duplication of resources and facilities. For example, work with local hospitals on joint biohazard waste management.
- Create opportunities for regional organisations to work with the university on waste management initiatives.
Actions
- Identify regional bodies that have similar purchasing requirements.
- Identify options for cooperative product purchasing, including price and discounts for bulk purchases.
- Develop marketing program about the university’s waste management initiatives and goals to attract regional organisations to participate.
- Approach regional hospitals about cooperative management of biohazard ('clinical') and radioactive wastes.
Priority
Work with regional organisations to minimise duplication of resources and facilities. Priority area is the cooperative management of biohazard ('clinical') and radioactive wastes.
5. The avoidance and reduction of waste has priority over recycling and re-use.
Strategies
- Review waste going to disposal and examine whether or not there are alternatives that would either avoid the product entering the waste stream or reduce it.
- Assess waste generation potential of new developments (including building, landscaping, research programs, teaching initiatives, administrative procedures).
- Foster competency amongst waste management staff in the identification of opportunities for avoidance and minimisation of waste currently being disposed of.
Actions
- Develop guidelines for waste avoidance and reduction in consultation with members of participant groups.
- Document details of the campus waste stream and review regularly so that trends can be assessed.
Priority
Develop guidelines for waste avoidance and reduction in consultation with members of participant groups.
6. Ensure that waste storage, handling, collection, treatment (where required), and disposal methods are safe and effective.
Strategies
- Ensure compliance with the Environmental Protection (Waste Management) Regulation 2000 and the Environmental Protection (Waste Management) Policy 2000.
- Assign responsibility for the regular review of the available technologies for waste storage and disposal.
- Ensure that operational staff have the training to comply with relevant guidelines or legislation, and the support to report negative events or failures of the system.
Actions
- Document the segregation, containment, storage, collection, and disposal mechanisms for each category of waste, with particular attention paid to harmful categories. This information should be available to the whole campus community via the website.
- Develop guidelines for waste management initiatives, in consultation with relevant cost centre managers and operational staff. These guidelines should document that level of financial commitment, the commitment of personnel, necessary training, and infrastructure requirements.
- Develop accident response strategies for harmful categories of wastes and provide training for those who will be responsible for carrying them out.
- Provide staff training and registration as radiation safety officers.
Priority
Ensure compliance with the Environmental Protection (Waste Management) Regulation 2000 and the Environmental Protection (Waste Management) Policy 2000.
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7. The development of specific waste management plans should recognise the costs involved (fiscal, social, and environmental), foster initiative to take into account currently externalised costs, develop corporate responsibility, and support a commitment to fund a meaningful overall program for waste management.
Strategies
- Support the full costing of waste initiatives, with acknowledgment of qualitative benefits such as community perceptions of the university.
- Encourage a management culture that is conscious of the need to recognise the social and environmental impacts (positive, neutral, and negative) of decisions.
Actions
- Develop a decision-making structure that incorporates the consideration of positive, neutral, and negative impacts of a particular waste management option on the:
- university budget distribution
- different participant groups on campus
- broader community
- regional alliances
- the campus environment
- duty of care for Mooloola River National Park, and the
- university's ecological footprint.
Priority
Develop a decision-making structure that incorporates consideration of positive, neutral, and negative impacts of particular waste management options.
8. Integrate, where possible, teaching exercises and look for opportunities to involve the students in waste management initiatives.
Strategies
- Integrate the students as active participants in the university's waste management strategy.
Actions
- Refer above to 'Teaching'
- Encourage the student union to analyse student attitudes and willingness to participate in waste management activities.
Priority
Encourage student projects that investigate waste management issues or initiatives.
9. Support local small business and contractors.
Strategies
Support local businesses when designing waste management initiatives.
Actions
- Choose locally based suppliers and contractors where possible.
- Develop communication links with local suppliers to discuss the university's commitment to waste-responsible products and services.
Priority
Develop communication links with local suppliers to discuss the university's commitment to waste-responsible products and services.
10. Become a regional leader in supporting those industries and businesses seeking to develop environmentally sustainable and responsible business practices.
Strategies
- Foster innovation that increases the potential for benefit at a campus, regional, state, and national level.
- Develop regional alliances with industries and businesses pursuing waste management initiatives as part of their development strategies.
- Support regional waste management initiatives.
Actions
- Design a waste profile of the university as an example of a small community and model the impacts of different waste management decisions in a way that could be applied to other small communities (not just university campuses).
- Document a waste management 'wish-list' that includes options, costs and benefits, and parameters that need to be met before each option can be actively considered.
- Advertise the university's waste management initiatives. This should not be over-stated and should include discussion of the limitations faced by the campus.
- Develop a purchasing and tendering policy (refer above).
- Invite comment from regional organisations and businesses.
Priority
Foster innovation that increases the potential for benefit at a campus, regional, state, and national level.
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Waste Management Plan
The university’s waste management planning should include an overall Plan and Plans for each activity area and/or waste generator. The overall Waste Management Plan (WMP) must include a method of coordinating the waste management practices of the various activity areas and groups on campus. A Waste Management Working Group could fulfil this requirement. Their terms of reference should include:
- ensuring overall adoption of the principles of waste management, which are (in the preferred order of adoption):
- waste avoidance
- waste re-use
- waste recycling
- energy recovery from waste
- waste disposal.
- work in consultation with cost centre managers and the campus community to identify waste generator areas and groups and the person / people responsible for developing the WMP for that area or group
- coordination of the development of area / group WMPs
- regular reviews of waste management activities
- coordination of activities that involve more than one area or group
- ensuring legislative compliance
- ensuring communication links between operational staff
Each waste generator (as an activity area or a group) should develop its own WMP to take into account their particular waste stream. Consistency in the development of waste management plans can be maintained by covering the following points (some are more relevant than others in specific instances):
- a requirement to conduct a comprehensive baseline waste audit and to monitor waste generated
- a purchasing policy that incorporates measures to minimise waste generated through the use of product substitution, product changes, procedural changes, and the replacement of disposable items with reusable items
- procedures for segregating waste
- measures for recycling or reusing waste
- requirements for storing waste
- options for treating and disposing of waste generated
- staff training programs about effective waste management
- risk management strategies that document contingency plans and emergency procedures in relation to waste generated, including, for example in relation to the spillage of waste
- goals to reduce waste generated to be achieved within stated timeframes
- measures that could be taken to investigate and initiate ways of achieving the goals
- strategies for promoting the plan
- a mechanism for staff to provide feedback about the plan
- a mechanism to update the plan at regular intervals
- measures to collage and review, in an annual basis, the following statistics about the waste generated:
- the type, weight, and volume of waste
- the way in which, and the frequency with which, the waste is removed, and
- strategies for waste management during any renovation or change in function.
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