UC to Recycle Hazardous Waste

In an effort to remain environmentally friendly, UC announced last week that it has adopted a new program to recycle its employees' hazardous waste.

The first educational institution in the state to partner with the California Take-It-Back Partnership, UC has expanded its recycling program for electronic and other hazardous waste.

UC has expanded its recycling service in five locations, including the UC Office of the President in Oakland.

"Here at the UC Office of the President, we come in contact with a number of people," said Grace Crickette, the UC chief risk officer. "We've already collected a lot of hazardous waste."

The university will collect waste such as cell phones, fluorescent lights, batteries and mercury thermometers for recycling.

UC is currently considering expanding the program to students on its 10 campuses, Crickette said.

The Take-It-Back Partnership, which is part of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, works with retailers, educational institutions and county and municipal governments to prevent universal wastes from reaching landfills.

Universal wastes are goods that contain heavy metals such as lead or copper. They are typically electronic items, but also include items such as mercury thermometers.

When devices like computer monitors get to landfills, they have the potential to leak metals and contaminate soil and ground water, said Angela Blanchette, the public information officer for the state department.

To prevent potential negative health effects, the Take-It-Back Partnership sets up collection centers to redirect hazardous waste to recycling facilities, said Ron Baker, the chief public information officer for the department.

"We at the state level wanted to provide a safe and convenient way for consumers to dispose of their commonly used items," Baker said.

The partnership allows participating stores and institutions to choose which specific items they will collect, Baker said.

UC will be one of the few locations to collect mercury thermometers, which are often difficult to dispose of, he said.

In addition, the university's recent partnership with the Take-It-Back program increases the number of people the recycling service will reach, Blanchette said.

"Our public university system is a viable vehicle to promote this program," Blanchette said.

Now that UC has partnered with the Take-It-Back Partnership, the environmental agency plans to expand the recycling effort, Baker said.

"We are trying to get all educational institutions in the state to participate as well as all state agencies," he said.

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