Posted on November 28, 2017
A healthy and attractive environment is required for healthy people to live in that environment. This is because harmful diseases, which may result from waste, will affect the people living in that area.
The University of Pretoria (UP) uses several mechanisms to manage general waste collection and removal from the various campuses. The aim of these mechanisms is to reduce the University carbon footprint by minimising general waste which becomes landfill. Since 2014 the University of Pretoria has commenced with and is actively involved in recycling initiatives. Over the past three years the University has recycled 1 535 982 tonnes of general waste.
Waste is separated into various categories for recycling, namely aluminium (cool drink tins), paper and cardboard, glass and plastic. In terms of the green indicators for the University of Pretoria, seven separators have been appointed to ensure that waste is separated at source. The separation ensures a better quality product that can be recycled.
In terms of the hazardous waste management, the Facilities Department (Campus Services Division Waste and Environmental Management) is responsible for the removal and safe disposal of all the hazardous waste generated on the five campuses of the University.
Hazardous waste falls into two main categories namely:
Biomedical waste
Biomedical waste is any kind of waste containing infectious (or potentially infectious) materials. It may also include waste associated with the generation of biomedical waste that visually appears to be of medical or laboratory origin (such as packaging, unused bandages, infusion kits, etc), as well research laboratory waste containing biomolecules or organisms that are restricted from environmental release. As detailed below, discarded sharps are considered biomedical waste, whether they are contaminated or not, due to the possibility of being contaminated with blood and their propensity to cause injury when not properly contained and disposed of. Biomedical waste is a type of biowaste.
Biomedical waste may be solid or liquid. Examples of infectious waste include discarded blood, sharps, unwanted microbiological cultures and stocks, identifiable body parts (including those resulting from amputation), other human or animal tissue, used bandages and dressings, discarded gloves, other medical supplies that may have been in contact with blood and body fluids, and laboratory waste that exhibits the characteristics described above. Waste sharps include potentially contaminated used (and unused discarded) needles, scalpels, lancets and other devices capable of penetrating skin.
Biomedical waste is generated from biological and medical sources and activities, such as the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of diseases. Common generators (or producers) of biomedical waste include hospitals, health clinics, nursing homes, medical research laboratories, surgeries of physicians, dentists, and veterinarians, home health care, and morgues or funeral homes. In healthcare facilities (for instance hospitals, clinics, doctor's surgeries, veterinary hospitals and clinical laboratories) waste with these characteristics may alternatively be called medical or clinical waste.
During 2016 a total of 64 729 kg medical biological waste was removed from the campuses of the University of Pretoria.
Chemical waste:
Chemical hazardous waste is a solid, liquid, or gaseous material that displays either a hazardous characteristic or is listed by name as a hazardous waste. There are four characteristics of chemical wastes that are considered hazardous. These are ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity and toxicity. These types of hazardous waste must be categorised in terms of their identity, constituents, and hazards so that they may be safely handled and managed. Chemical waste is a broad term and encompasses many types of materials. Consult the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), product data sheet or label for a list of constituents. These sources should state whether this chemical waste requires special disposal.
During 2016 a total of 15 528 kg of chemical waste was removed from the campuses of the University of Pretoria.
E-waste:
Electronic waste or e-waste refers to discarded electrical or electronic devices. Used electronics which are destined for reuse, resale, salvaging, recycling, or disposal are also considered e-waste. Informal processing of e-waste in developing countries (such as South Africa) can lead to adverse effects on human health and environmental pollution.
Electronic scrap components, such as CPUs, contain potentially harmful components such as lead, cadmium, beryllium and brominated flame retardants. Recycling and disposal of e-waste may involve significant risk to health of workers and communities, and great care must be taken to avoid unsafe exposure in recycling operations and leaking of materials such as heavy metals from landfills and incinerator ashes.
At the University of Pretoria the following e-waste is removed and re-used or recycled:
The collection of the waste at the University of Pretoria is undertaken by a term contractor (The Waste Group). This is done by means of regular collections. The waste collection and removal is on a strict frequency schedule. Frequencies of waste collection are determined by several factors. The main factor is the volume waste generated and removed from specific areas (such as the significant volume generated by the Hatfield campus compared to the Experimental Farm).
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