Developing a Solid Waste Management Strategy for Michigan State University

Satish Joshi Shaufique Sidique

Susan Selke Gaurav Dabholkar

Terry Link Pete Pasturez

Ruth Daoust

Sustainable Campus Conference

November 3-4, College Park, MD

Project Goals

Developing a Solid Waste Management Strategy for the MSU Campus– Minimizing Environmental Impacts (life cycle)– Minimizing Costs of Waste Management– Incorporating Sustainability Principles

Evaluation of Current Practices and Systems Developing Recommendations

Campus Overview

Area: 5200 Acres Number of Students: 44,836 (Fall 2004) Largest residence hall system in the country

with 23 undergraduate halls, one graduate hall, and three apartment villages

Faculty and Staff: 10,500 Number of buildings: 660

Sources of Solid Wastes

Lecture Halls, Classrooms and Computer Labs Administrative and Faculty Offices Laboratories and Research Facilities Medical and Veterinary Facilities Residence Halls and University Apartments Cafeterias and Other Food Service Facilities Transportation Department Grounds Department MSU Farms Power Plant MSU Laundry Printing Department University Stores Physical Plant Construction, Demolition and Renovation activities Special Events (Games, performances, graduation etc)

Project Approach

Conduct an inventory of waste streams Assess current practices and systems Compile relevant financial and environmental impact

data Recommendations covering

– Input systems (Green purchasing, source reduction etc)– Output systems (collection, disposal, recycling, surplus, )– Process control (EMS, Planning, targets, monitoring,

evaluation feedback, incentive mechanisms, awareness and education programs, risk management)

MSU Waste Management

Office of Recycling and Waste Management (ORWM)

Office of Radiation, Chemical & Biological Safety (ORCBS)

University Laboratory Animal Resources (ULAR)

MSU Surplus Store Farms, Grounds, Power-plant, transportation

Office of Recycling and Waste Management (ORWM)

Responsible for the pickup and compacting of refuse from the MSU campus and transporting it to the landfill

Collects the following materials for recycling from campus: bottles, aluminum cans, steel cans, steel scrap, office paper, corrugated board, glass food containers, wooden pallets, used printer cartridges and electronic wastes such as computers and accessories

KEEP THE CAMPUS CLEAN

Waste Handled by ORWM: Wastes Landfilled

ORWM Landfill Waste Data for Fiscal Year 03-04

Waste Type Weight (tons)

Class 100 (compact) 35,600

Class 200 (non-compact) 6,288

Class 310 (non-haz sludge) 8

Class 330 (medical waste) 20

Class 350 (fly ash) 130

Class 8 (appliances) 1

Class 13 (sludge) 20

Class 17 (asbestos) 20

Waste Handled by ORWM: RecyclingORWM Recycling Data for Fiscal Year 03-04

Material Weight (tons)

Confidential shred 33.3

White office paper 351.8

Mixed office paper 145.9

CS/CL/IBM 68.9

Magazines 57.4

Books 160.5

Newspaper 246.0

Cardboard 529.4

Mixed plastic 0.9

Plastic #1 (PETE), Plastic #2 (HDPE) (CHDPE) 1.2

Clear glass 1.9

Brown glass 0.1

Scrap metal 217.0

Office of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Safety (ORCBS)

Responsible for collection and proper disposal of hazardous waste such as:

– Chemical Waste – Biological Waste– Radioactive Waste– Batteries (except alkaline batteries)

Handles approximately 150 tons of hazardous waste materials from 1500 locations in MSU every year

Also handles non-hazardous wastes such as sharps and empty waste containers

Conducts internal audits to ensure that regulatory and safety requirements are met

Conducts safety inspections every three months KEEP THE CAMPUS OUT OF REGULATORY TROUBLE!

Waste Handled by ORCBS: Hazardous WasteORCBS Hazardous Waste Data for Fiscal Year 03-04

Waste Type Quantity

Bulked hazardous waste liquids 12,325 gallons

Lab packed hazardous waste 10,101 pounds

Mixed radioactive/hazardous waste 6,274 pounds

Paint in Cans as Hazardous Waste 405 gallons

Parts Washer as Hazardous Waste 229 gallons

Universal and Act 451 Part 121 wastesPart 121 liquids 9,222 gallons

Used oil 6,580 gallons

Ni/Cd-Li ion Batteries 200 pounds

Lead acid batteries 5,500 pounds

Light ballasts 10,800 pounds

Fluorescent Tubes 28,369 units

Waste Handled by ORCBS: Non-Hazardous Waste

ORCBS Non-Hazardous Waste Data for Fiscal Year 03-04

Waste Type Quantity

Empty waste containers 4,398 units

Sharps 31,900 pounds

University Laboratory Animal Resources (ULAR)

Maintains the animals required for research in the university

Also collects pathological waste which includes all human tissues and animal tissues associated with infectious disease or recombinant DNA research

Provides service for pick up and incineration of animal carcasses

MSU Surplus store

Sells used and surplus items from the university dormitories, offices and laboratories that have economic value

Items vary from furniture, kitchen appliances, bicycles, laboratory and scientific instruments to computer and electronic items and even automobiles

REVENUE GENERATION

Waste Sampling Data: Classrooms, Lecture Halls, Computer Labs

White Office4%

Mixed Office & Junk Mail2%

Magazines/Glossy7%

News Print8%

Plastics7%

Glass16%

Metal1%

Non recyclables55%

Waste Sampling Data: Faculty and Staff Offices

White Office23%

Mixed Office & Junk Mail14%

Magazines/Glossy9%News Print

14%

Plastics1%

Glass7%

Non recyclables32%

HELP?

Prioritization– Volume– Costs– Controllability– Bang for the buck– Campus impacts– Life cycle environmental impacts

Input Controls

GREEN PURCHASING– Info on waste generation, packaging/product ratio,

life cycle impacts, disposal costs with product specs

– Contracting terms (suppliers, vendors, C&D)– Green vendors, development, rating, cost control- Incentives for green purchasing

- Source reduction (Especially Haz waste: Prior involvement and cost assessment)

Output Control

Recycling percentage determination Recycling targets (which materials, how much) Systems for waste collection, sorting, reuse,

remanufacture, Economics of recycling (infrastructure, scale

economies, sorting and processing, marketing, risk management)

Surplus store and marketing of recovered/obsolete materials

Beyond compliance in Haz waste management

Process Control

Info Systems (financial and physical info)– Planning, targets, monitoring, evaluation

feedback, incentive mechanisms,

Awareness and education programs, Risk management EMS: ISO 14000 Certification? Centralization v/s decentralization

Funding Sources?