Catherine Hurley & Bob Leppink

Session Objectives:

Identify safety and sustainability benefits of a waste collection and recycling event
Identify hazards and compliance risks associated with a large-scale waste collection and recycling program and mitigation strategies
Gain a blueprint with best practices for collaboration and successful waste and recycle event planning and execution

Topic:

Safety and sustainability team collaboration was key to Argonne’s successful Disposal Days event, a site-wide clean-up initiative working to improve efficiency and effectiveness of workspaces across the lab. Over 90 tons of materials were collected during the week-long event, with more than 70% recycled. Working across 35 buildings, the initiative processed 140 oversized pallets of electronics, 17 dumpsters of scrap metal, obsolete industrial and laboratory equipment, furniture, and legacy chemicals. This presentation will highlight the lessons learned from the safety integrated and collaborative approach across planning, communications, event-week coordination, and follow-on activities.