Waste Minimization
What is ‘waste minimization’?
Waste minimization refers to the use of source reduction and/or environmentally sound recycling methods prior to energy recovery, treatment, or disposal of wastes. Minimizing waste in the workplace allows the school district to keep operating costs low while helping preserve the environment. Waste minimization efforts do not need to be expensive or time-consuming to implement. Our school district and environment will benefit in many ways if everyone implements the following simple strategies for source reduction, reusing, and recycling.
All school district personnel should evaluate waste minimization and pollution prevention opportunities in their work area on a regular basis and implement those opportunities whenever possible. Here are techniques to consider when evaluating opportunities:
Purchasing Controls
- Order only the volumes of materials necessary to complete the desired activity or project. Particularly if the materials contain a hazardous substance.
- Purchase smaller lots of materials on a more frequent basis. Purchase only volumes that can be utilized during a defined period of time (e.g. every 6 months). Utilize suppliers that can offer quick delivery of needed materials.
- Only purchase products/chemicals in bulk when it is known for certain that bulk volumes can be used expeditiously. Don’t build an inventory that you will never use.
- Be aware of any physical property of the material or chemical that may preclude long-term storage of the material. Certain products or chemicals can chemically change forming extremely hazardous substances.
- Establish a centralized purchasing system within the department or area to monitor purchases in an effort to avoid duplicate orders.
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Establish a standing date (e.g. once per month) for inventorying and ordering office/laboratory/classroom supplies.
Inventory Controls
- Attempt to redistribute unused materials to other school district users. This works particularly well with latex paints and art supplies.
- Attempt to return unused, unopened materials to vendor for credit.
- Ensure all chemical containers, including cleaning products, whether virgin or waste, whether in the original or secondary container, are labeled at all times.
Operational Controls
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Check for less hazardous substitutes for products containing hazardous materials whenever feasible.
School Laboratories
- Review each experimental procedure to assure that chemical usage is minimized.
- Reduce chemical usage in experimentation through the use of microscale techniques whenever practical.
- Reduce chemical concentrations where practical.
- Utilize specialty, biodegradable glass cleaning detergents in place of strong acid cleaners.
- Avoid wet chemistry techniques when practical.
- Neutralize corrosive wastes as a final step of an experiment or procedure.
Maintenance
- Utilize water-based degreasers in place of chlorinated solvent or petroleum-based degreasers where feasible.
- Reclaim and reuse materials when feasible (e.g. having a naphtha-based parts washer serviced by a reputable service company that reclaims the spent degreaser when a solvent-based degreaser is required).
Recycling
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Participate to the fullest extent possible in district-sponsored recycling programs.