Since January 19, 2016, the University of Baguio has been registered with the Department of Natural as a hazardous waste generator.
As an academic institution that provides sufficient exposure and training in different fields of specialization, it cannot do away with producing hazardous waste, especially in laboratory classes. However, sustainable waste management in the university has been in place to mitigate the negative impacts of this waste while minimizing its generation.
The Central Supply Room of the university is in charge of the collection of hazardous wastes from the different laboratories and other areas. Appropriate containers for specific wastes are labeled and used for immediate disposal of wastes on site. Afterward, they are submitted to the Central Supply Room for proper identification, classification, packaging, and labeling. Each pack bears a specific Hazardous Waste Code. The Central Supply Room hands them over to the Campus Planning and Development Office at the material recovery facility of the university. The Pollution Control Officer conducts inspection and accounting of the wastes before being stored temporarily and then hauled away from the university.
The Pollution control officer makes sure that all wastes are properly secured and stored by conducting an on-site inspection of the waste storage area weekly and making arrangements for the hauling of the wastes.
A memorandum of agreement with the waste treater accredited by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has been maintained continuously by the university. This ensures that safe treatment and disposal methods are employed for hazardous wastes whenever recycling or recovery is not possible. This is in observance of SDG No. 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.
With this approach, the University of Baguio is able to protect the ecosystems, public health, and valuable resources while ensuring compliance with regulations.
Written by CSR Laboratory Custodians
