The University of Kentucky is committed to reducing both the amount and toxicity of hazardous wastes that are generated as a result of University operations. The University is required by law to develop strategies to reduce its hazardous waste. Listed below are a few strategies that you as a generator should consider in order to meet the goal of reducing hazardous waste.
Substitution
Replace the toxic or other hazardous materials you use with less hazardous or non-hazardous substances. This is the best way to minimize hazardous waste. Mercury thermometers can be replaced with alcohol thermometers. The debris and mercury from a thermometer must be dealt with as hazardous waste, while a broken alcohol thermometer can be disposed of as broken glassware. Chromium- and acid-based glassware cleaning solutions can be replaced with alconox or no-chromix glassware cleaners. The EM department can assist laboratories and others in finding substitutes for hazardous chemicals.
Microchemistry
Use minute quantities and small-scale chemistry instead of large amounts of chemicals in laboratory experiments. This is currently being done in many labs on campus. The use of computer modeling instead of experimentation, especially in teaching situations, should be considered as an alternative to the creation of chemical wastes.
Redistillation
Reclaim solvents for reuse by using a distillation process in the laboratory. This method will reduce the amount of replacement solvents and the volume of hazardous waste generated.
Recycling and Redistribution
Chemicals that are unused or unopened can often be redistributed to other labs or work areas for reuse, saving both disposal costs and new product costs for someone else. The University will have an on-line system utilizing e-mail for redistributing unopened and unused chemicals to other University labs and service areas free of charge. Contact the EM office for more details or to be included on the distribution list.
Laboratory Destruction
Some chemicals can be neutralized or made exempt from hazardous waste regulations by destruction in the laboratory. This must be done as part of the experiment and must be done according to documented methods. If you are uncertain, contact the EM office prior to attempting laboratory destruction to insure that the process will be safe and that the end result will meet regulatory requirements. An example of lab destruction would be neutralizing a strong acid or alkaline with a buffering solution. Note that neutralization must take place as part of an experiment. Waste cannot be accumulated for neutralization at a later date. Laboratory destruction is considered to be a less desirable strategy than substitution or microchemistry.
University faculty and staff with ideas or suggestions on ways to safely decrease the amount and/or toxicity of waste generated are encouraged to contact the EM office so that the information can be passed on to other University operations. Generators who would like assistance in reducing their waste generation should contact the EM staff who will assist them with ideas and/or a review of their operations. A useful publication entitled "Less is Better" (available from the American Chemical Society) focuses specifically on the reduction of laboratory waste.