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Did you know that the CU Boulder Hazmat unit strives to be a leader in hazardous waste reduction among universities? Do you want to help? This section will briefly describe some of the efforts the unit makes to reduce hazardous wastes and how campus research and operations employees can help.

The Hazmat unit works closely withÌýÌýto find new ways of reducing the impact of research operations have on the environment. The wastes generated by research operations are unique and we’ve come up with some unique ways to help reduce this waste. Please read on to find out more. If you have any ideas for waste reduction in your research operations we’d love to hear them!

EH&S Involvement with Other Waste Minimization Programs

Acetone Recycling Program

The CU Boulder Hazmat unit has teamed up with the CU Boulder Chemistry and Biochemistry Department on an acetone recycling effort.ÌýFunds for a fractional distillation unitÌýwere supplied from theÌý,Ìý,ÌýChemistry and Biochemistry Department, and the EH&S Department.

Labs within the CU Boulder Chemistry and Biochemistry Department collect their rinse acetone generated from research operations and send it through the program which is overseen by Dr. Jacquie Richardson, Director of the CU Boulder Organic Chemistry Teaching Labs. The acetone is purified in the distillation unit which enables it to be recycled and used by undergraduate students in the organic chemistry labs.

Since its inception in the summer of 2013, it has been a very successful program and has reduced the amount of solvent wastes being sent off campus as a hazardous waste. Cost reductions in the first year of operation were over $2,500. This figure represents the combined cost savings to the Chemistry Department for the reduction of purchased acetone and also cost savings to EH&S for the disposal of acetone wastes.

Ethanol Reuse Program

Through the collaborative efforts of theÌý, CU Green Labs, the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, and EH&S, an ethanol reuse program was born in the spring of 2013. This innovative program allows ethanol that has been used in cold traps within INSTAAR and contaminated with only water to be reused as a disinfecting solution within Bio-Safety Cabinets within the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department’s Cell Culture Facility. EH&S safely transports dedicated containers between the labs, which are located in different buildings on east campus. This program has saved, on average, approximately $1,500/year in avoided ethanol purchases for the cell culture facility. It also reduces the amount of ethanol that EH&S ships offsite as a hazardous waste.

Segregation of Solvent Wastes

Although it is difficult to recycle or reuse most of the solvent wastes generated on campus, there are still ways to minimize the cost of its disposal and utilize the Btu value for a beneficial use. When possible, we send all non-halogenated organic solvent wastes for use as cement kiln fuels. This allows the Btu value of the solvents to be utilized in the manufacture of cement rather than to be simply incinerated for destruction.

There are a few simple steps you can take to ensure we can use organic solvents as a fuel:

• No Halogens or Heavy Metals (Absolutely no Hg!)
• No organic or inorganic acids. (Keep the pH between 4 – 10)
• Keep significant amounts (>10%) of aqueous wastes out.
• Please be sure to list all constituents on the hazardous waste tag.

Carboy Re-use Program

The Hazmat unit consolidates most of the liquid wastes that are generated on campus. The containers that held the liquid wastes are emptied into drums and then rinsed within the EH&S hazardous waste facility. Whenever the Hazmat unit empties and rinses 5 gallon carboys that are suitable for reuse, they are transported back to theÌýChemStoresÌýwithin the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department for reuse as a hazardous waste storage container. Since its inception in 2013 the program has facilitated the reuse of over 200 carboys per year.