University of Virginia
OP-20: Hazardous Waste Management

UVa's Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHS) has implemented a variety of programs to minimize the amount of hazardous, special, universal, and non-regulated chemical waste from UVa. Materials such as batteries, light bulbs, and certain chemicals are also collected throughout the University by EHS for recycling. The batteries are sent for processing to recover the metals. Fluorescent light bulbs are shipped to a facility where the mercury can be recovered and reused and the glass is recycled. The oil and antifreeze collected from from vehicles is recycled through Parking and Transportation. EHS also has a mercury thermometer replacement program and works with labs and departments to replace mercury-containing equipment. Solvents, including xylene and acetone, are recycled through EHS for reuse in other departments. In addition, EHS examines large generators of waste and works with them where possible to reduce their usage or switch to less hazardous chemicals. One example of this program involved working with the undergraduate chemistry labs to scale down the size of their experiments to reduce the quantity of waste generated from the large number of lab classes every semester.

EHS has protocols, procedures, and policies for safely labeling, collecting and disposing of chemical, radioactive, biohazardous, and other universal hazardous waste. Anyone who works in a laboratory/area where chemicals are used, or who generates Hazardous (Chemical) Waste, must be trained by Environmental Health & Safety (EHS). All wastes are disposed of in accordance with Federal, State, and local regulations.

On June 22, 2021, contractors were performing window maintenance at the University Hospital on scaffolding adjacent to a rooftop air-handling unit (AHU). One of their ropes accidentally pulled a valve lever on the AHU (see picture), releasing an estimated 20-30 gallons of a propylene glycol and water mixture onto the roof from a coil on the unit. It took approximately five minutes for maintenance staff to shut off the valve. Unfortunately, most of the solution went down a roof drain under the AHU. FM Utilities staff arrived at the downstream retention pond (aka South Pond) with a vacuum truck around 11:40am in an effort to capture the release before it reached the pond. However, the discharge had already entered the east inlet to the pond when they arrived (see the attached map and picture). Environmental staff arrived on site at 12:00 pm and noted that the observable discharge impacting the pond was confined to a narrow area at the end of the riprap spillway leading from the east inlet to the pond. Utilities began pumping water from the impacted area to the sanitary sewer at 12:44 pm. Zone maintenance staff flushed the impacted storm line with water from 1:30 to 2:30 pm while Utilities continued pumping to remove any residual contamination. Zone staff also cleaned up residual glycol solution from the hospital roof that did not go down the roof drain. Environmental staff closely investigated the perimeter of the pond and found no signs of adverse impacts to the aquatic life in the pond.

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Computers and related parallels are recycled through a recycling company contracted by the UVA. Cell phones, pagers, small electronics, batteries and media related materials (CDs, DVDs, audio and or video tapes) are sent to recyclers for proper refurbishments or recycling. E-cycle secure is the company used by UVA, which is R2 certified. https://ecyclesecure.com/about-us/

The Office for Sustainability educates students, staff, and faculty about what can be recycled at UVA, including e-waste, in various ways such as through signage, website content, and more. This includes UVA's waste directory, where people can search a material and learn what can be recycled, and where (https://sustainability.virginia.edu/uva-waste-directory). For e-waste, the Office for Sustainability's messaging shares that all e-waste such as batteries, calculators, or electronic equipment should be disposed of by contacting UVA Recycling or visit the following e-cycling bin locations: O-Hill, Runk, Alderman Library, Brown Library, Clemons Library, Fiske Library, Darden School and Law School.