Hazardous Waste Generator Newsletter

Transcription

1 Hazardous Waste Generator Newsletter December 2012 Environmental Management Department Get down to brass tacks Your business can see big benefits from reducing, reusing and recycling hazardous and solid wastes. Save money. Businesses can reduce disposal costs with smaller trash containers or less frequent trash pickup when recycling increases. And depending on your hauling contract, you may recover revenue from marketed recyclables. Positive image. Customers, business partners, suppliers, employees and stockholders have come to expect that a firm s business processes are geared to helping, rather than hurting, the environment. Incorporating recycling and other environmentally friendly practices into your business processes can give you the edge over your competitors. Less regulation. The Solid Waste Master Plan, adopted by the Dakota County Board of Commissioners earlier this year, contains aggressive targets to reduce the amount of unnecessary waste going to landfills to achieve the State s reduction, reuse and recycling goals. If these targets are voluntarily met, businesses can reduce the chance of more regulation. As you apply for your 2013 Hazardous Waste Generator license: 1. Examine your current waste generation including common recyclables such as cardboard, office paper and beverage containers. Are there things your business can do to reduce waste and increase reuse and recycling? 2. Look for alternative management options for the hazardous and industrial wastes your business generates. Are there wastes generated that could be reused, recycled or composted? Are there ways your business can reduce toxicity by using different products or processes? See Reduce costs and regulation on page Manage your waste at reduced costs by using The Recycling Zone for easy, convenient and free recyclables drop-off and low-cost programs for electronics and hazardous wastes. See Resources on back page. 4. Tell us your ideas and help us identify roadblocks so we can partner our efforts to improve the way business wastes are managed. Weigh in on our short survey at and search Business Recycling Survey or call us at

2 Recycling just got easier Recycling is one of the easiest ways businesses can be ecofriendly. The good news is that recycling just got easier. In 2012, many haulers started to pick up additional items including more types of plastics and paper cartons. RethinkRecycling.com and Dakota County Environmental Management can help you succeed in your recycling efforts. Here are five simple steps to get your business on the right recycling track: Step 1. Get organized Business waste reduction and recycling programs succeed when management and employees are organized, involved and committed to making change. Identify a champion to lead the effort. Set recycling goals to measure your success. Create a Green Team to promote recycling efforts. Step 2. Look in the bin Recycling is tax exempt in Minnesota which means you save by recycling. Take a look in the trash bins around your office you might just be throwing away money. Perform a simple waste audit to see what kind and how much trash you re generating. Find out how much you re paying for disposal services. Check with your service provider for cost savings associated with recycling. Step 5. Spread the Word Employee participation and training is critical to success. Spread the news about your recycling efforts. Train staff on what to throw away, what to recycle and where. Track your trash and recycling progress and celebrate successes. Take the Pledge Pledge to follow these five steps and improve recycling at your business. Fill out the pledge form at and search Take the Pledge to receive an electronic stamp to share your recycling commitment with your employees and customers. For more information on how your business can implement a successful recycling program or improve your existing program, contact Dale Stoerzinger, Business Recycling Program Manager, at or dale.stoerzinger@co.dakota.mn.us. Did You Know? The plastic recycling industry provides jobs for more than 52,000 Americans. Step 3. Reduce waste Waste reduction can lower costs in every area of your business from break rooms to shipping. Identify waste reduction opportunities like renting equipment or reusing office supplies. Encourage employees to use both sides of a sheet of paper when printing and copying. Use the Minnesota Materials Exchange (see Exchange and save on page 4) to buy and sell used office equipment. Step 4. Start Recycling Recycling is easy when done right. Make sure you re getting the most out of your business s recycling program. Verify what s being accepted with your hauler or recycling service provider. Place a recycling bin next to every trash bin. Label your recycling and trash bins so employees and visitors see your business s commitment to recycling and know what types of items to recycle. 2

3 Computers and printers and copiers Oh my! Electronic waste or e-waste is considered hazardous waste in Minnesota and includes any tool, equipment or appliance containing a circuit board or a cathode ray tube (CRT). E-waste includes computers and peripherals such as keyboards and mouses, as well as telephones, cameras, scanners, manufacturing control equipment and medical devices. If the device plugs in and contains a keypad, touch screen or digital display, consider it e-waste. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency regulates e-waste under Hazardous Waste Rules because of its potential to release toxic heavy metals lead, cadmium and mercury into the environment if not managed and recycled properly. What Can You Do? Reduce Minimize the amount of electronics your business purchases which in turn will reduce the amount of e-waste generated. This will lower regulatory requirements and reduce costs. The Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) can help your business reduce the amount of e-waste it generates. For assistance, contact MnTAP at or visit Reuse Electronic equipment that your business no longer needs might be useful to another organization. Sell or donate equipment rather than disposing of it. Check out the Minnesota Materials Exchange (see Exchange and save on page 4) to sell or purchase used equipment or offer useful items to thrift stores and non-profit groups. Don t make your waste problem another organization s waste problem. Donate only those items that are in good working condition. Recycle Businesses in Dakota County can bring electronic items to The Recycling Zone for proper end-of-life management. E-waste from businesses is accepted for a fee on the second Tuesday of every month from 9 a.m. 2 p.m. This collection is open to businesses and waste generators of any size and no appointment is needed. A receipt is provided for documentation purposes. For more information about electronics recycling for businesses at The Recycling Zone, contact Laura Villa at or laura.villa@co.dakota.mn.us. For additional local recycling options, information on manufacturer take-back programs, and a list of service providers that offer pick up and drop off options visit RethinkRecycling.com and click on For Businesses. E-waste Regulatory Requirements for Businesses The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Dakota County allow businesses that generate e-waste to manage it either as fully-regulated hazardous waste or under the reduced requirements described below. Accumulation and storage Businesses may accumulate up to 10,000 pounds of electronic waste for up to one year. Store e-waste indoors or outdoors in a container that will prevent release of hazardous constituents into the environment. E-waste that might release hazardous constituents, such as cracked monitors or crushed components must be stored in a closed container that will not leak. Label each container Electronics for Recycling. Dakota County does not require e-waste to be counted towards the hazardous waste generator size of a business. Training Generators and collectors of e-waste must train all applicable site staff on the management and storage requirements. Recordkeeping Keep shipping records on-site and readily available for inspection for at least three years. For more information on e-waste regulatory requirements, contact Rolland Meillier at or rolland.meillier@co.dakota.mn.us. 3

4 In the spotlight pharmaceuticals Why pharmaceuticals? Because pharmaceuticals have been found in our surface and ground water and many of us are concerned about the environmental and human impacts of this contamination. There are thousands of pharmaceuticals on the market which are used by most everyone from industries and healthcare facilities to retailers and school nurses. Pharmaceuticals that may have hazardous characteristics include cold medication, cough syrup, asthma inhalers, allergy or pain medications, eye drops, antidepressants, antibiotics, topical creams and lotions, sample drugs and nicotine patches or gum. Just think about all the medications out there. So what should a business do with expired, used and unused pharmaceuticals? Recently, county and state hazardous waste regulations have been updated and Dakota County has been reaching out to key businesses to specifically inform them of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency s fact sheet Pharmaceutical Reverse Distribution Program Management Decision that offers guidance on how to be in compliance with pharmaceutical disposal options. Disposal options include managing all waste pharmaceuticals through a hazardous waste disposal company or a combined approach of using a hazardous waste disposal company and a reverse logistics distributor. Increased focus on pharmaceutical disposal management offers key benefits to businesses including cost savings through reduced inventory, reduction in hazardous waste disposal costs and the opportunity for reimbursement through the use of a reverse logistics distributor for unused and unopened pharmaceuticals. For more information on pharmaceutical disposal and reverse distribution, visit and search pharmaceuticals or contact Kristi Otterson at or kristi.otterson@co.dakota.mn.us. Here are a few things to know: All pharmaceuticals must be managed as a hazardous waste unless they have been evaluated and shown to be nonhazardous. Acute hazardous wastes are the primary concern. Common examples are nicotine, epinephrine, physostigmine and warfarin. Exchange and save The Minnesota Materials Exchange is a free online exchange service that links organizations that have reusable goods they no longer need to those who can use them. This business reuse network helps prevent usable materials from becoming waste and saves users money. Businesses can browse items listed by other companies and create listings to sell or give away unwanted materials. The Exchange is managed by the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) to assist businesses in waste reduction and energy savings. The MnTAP website includes material listings with pictures, additional services offered by MnTAP and motivating success stories. The Exchange also offers partnerships for organizations looking to host a similar internal program. For example, MnTAP is partnering with the University of Minnesota ReUse Program to offer an internal exchange of office equipment, cleaners and building materials. In 2011 alone, the Exchange helped divert over 380,000 pounds of reusable materials from the landfill. Create an account today at no charge to help keep materials out of the landfill and save money. Visit or call

5 Reduce costs and regulation More and more businesses that generate hazardous waste are taking a hard look at finding ways to minimize the waste generated, reduce the toxicity of the wastes and avoid more regulation. Businesses that generate minimal amounts of hazardous waste can avoid licensing requirements and instead participate in a simple registration program. A business that generates less than 10 gallons per year of hazardous waste that is not acutely toxic can be registered as a Minimal Quantity Generator (MQG). The registration program requires very little paperwork and no fees are involved. A minimal generator is still required to manage their waste according to the hazardous waste rules, but they are inspected by the County on a less frequent basis. For example: Repair shops may be able to reduce their costs and possibly their generator size through alternative management methods like evaluating whether or not they need to have a solvent-based parts washer. Many shops have determined that the parts washer is not used often enough to justify the added costs, so they just get rid of it. Most repair shops that get rid of their solvent-based parts washer realize that this changes their hazardous waste generation size from a Very Small Quantity Generator (VSQG) to a MQG. If it s determined there is a need to keep the solvent-based parts washer in the operation, the parts washer solvent and sludge may be disposed of by mixing it into the used oil if the following conditions are met: The business is licensed as a VSQG or an MQG (the less than 10 gallons generated includes the used parts washer solvent that is mixed with the used oil). The used parts washer solvent has a flashpoint of greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The used parts washer solvent has not been contaminated with other solvents such as used in brake and carburetor cleaners. The volume of solvent to used oil does not exceed 10 percent. Mixing the solvent with the oil has been approved by the oil collector prior to mixing. If all these conditions are met and you decide this is a good management method for your business, then: Mix only used parts washer solvent with the used oil generated from the business. Keep a log for each time you mix used parts washer solvent into your used oil. The log must include the date, volume of the solvent waste, and volume of the used oil into which it is mixed. You will need to keep this record for a minimum of three years. Report the quantity of used parts washer solvent mixed with the used oil on your annual VSQG hazardous waste license renewal form. If your business is a VSQG that has reduced the amount of hazardous waste generated to qualify as a MQG, contact your County hazardous waste inspector to start the process towards saving money. Free training opportunities Businesses that generate hazardous waste can attend one of four free trainings that help make compliance with hazardous waste regulations easier. The half-day sessions are offered by Dakota County and cover evaluating waste, labeling and storing hazardous waste, applying for a license, selecting transportation and disposal companies, recordkeeping and planning for emergencies. The training is geared for those new to hazardous waste regulations or those looking for refresher training. Trainings are scheduled from 8 a.m. 1 p.m. on February 6, May 15, August 7 and November 6, 2013, at the Dakota County Western Service Center, Galaxie Ave., Apple Valley. Get more information or register for a training session online at and search Hazardous Waste Generator Training. 5

6 For more information Dakota County Environmental Management If you have questions about hazardous waste licensing or hazardous wastes, visit search Business Hazardous Waste or call any of the following County inspectors. Michael Lynn, Waste Regulation Supervisor Rolland Meillier, Inspector Dave Magnuson, Inspector Kristi Otterson, Inspector The Recycling Zone The Recycling Zone offers easy, convenient and affordable programs that help businesses recycle and properly dispose of electronics, fluorescent bulbs, batteries, solvents, paints, used oil and fuels, and other hazardous waste that cannot go into the trash. The Very Small Quantity Generator (VSQG) program helps businesses who produce small amounts less than 220 pounds or about 22 gallons per month of hazardous waste to meet disposal requirements. VSQG waste is accepted at The Recycling Zone by appointment only. For more information on these services, visit and search The Recycling Zone for businesses or contact Laura Villa at or NEW! Dakota County Environmental News for Businesses Beginning in 2013, Dakota County will offer businesses timely and relevant news on improved waste management through quarterly electronic news. To sign up, visit and search E-news. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency develops hazardous waste fact sheets covering topics from waste identification to industry and waste specific information, manages a small business environmental assistance program and an environmental audit program, and regulates stormwater runoff. Visit and click on Waste and Get Assistance to see the resources available. Or, call Metropolitan Council Environmental Services The Metropolitan Council Environmental Services conducts industrial wastewater management and air and water quality monitoring and reporting. Visit for more information or call RethinkRecycling.com/Business Rethink Recycling provides a one-stop online resource the Business Recycling Guide to help Twin Cities businesses make smart recycling and disposal decisions. The guide, formerly called the Resourceful Waste Management Guide, is new and improved. The revised guide provides waste management information on everything from paper and plastics to electronics and food waste. Search for recycling and disposal facilities by location, materials and services provided.