Waste Management

Refer to:

General Solid Waste Disposal policy
Chemical Waste policy
Industrial Waste to Sewer policy
Co-mingled Recycling policy
Aluminium Can Recycling policy
Confidential Waste policy
Disposal of Special Waste by Departments policy

Preamble

Waste Management is the reduction, reuse and recycling of wastes - with disposal being the last resort.

The Waste Management System consists primarily of a recording and monitoring system that provides a running account of waste generation, tonnage of waste disposed and recycled quantities. The system can also assist in reducing costs by, for example, identifying areas of over-servicing.

Waste Management has become increasingly important, as population increase has not been accompanied by a relative reduction in waste generated. The ocean was once used as a waste facility but is now protected to some degree, which has forced waste disposal inland. Landfill sites however, are now becoming increasingly difficult to find, due to the NIMBY (not in my back yard) philosophy extolled by environmentalists and the community generally.

Industrial Waste Exchange

The Department of Environmental Protection launched a service in 1998 designed to reduce the amount of potentially hazardous material going to landfill. This service is known as the Industrial Waste Exchange and provides easy public access to a database providing information about potentially recyclable industrial wastes. The Exchange facility is designed primarily for use by industry, but is also open to the public.

University departments who wish to participate in the waste exchange should complete the Online Form.

Definitions

Solid Waste

Solid waste includes all manner of solid refuse produced by humans (or animals) and include all forms of organic and inorganic material which may or may not be recyclable. Food scraps, animal waste, building waste, rubble, glass, aluminium cans, plastics and waste paper are examples of solid wastes produced on campus.

Liquid Waste

Liquid waste includes:

• stormwater which is discharged to the natural environment
• domestic waste from toilets, washrooms and non-commercial kitchens which is an acceptable discharge to the sewer
• trade waste generated from workshops and other industrial facilities that goes to the sewer
• liquid wastes that are removed by contractor from grease traps, sludge pits and septic tanks
• waste chemicals, oils or contaminated aqueous wastes stored in tanks, pits or drums and removed by contractor
  

Gaseous Emissions

Gaseous emissions are airborne wastes released into the atmosphere by humans in their working environment and include organic and inorganic gases, vapours, aerosols and particulate matter.

Policy

All components of industrial waste discharge must comply with the Water Corporation's acceptance criteria. These are summarised in the brochure Acceptance Criteria for Industrial Wastes - IWPUB03.

Where there are no criteria for a waste component, limits are set on a case-by-case basis by the Water Corporation.

Refer to other relevant waste policies listed above.