- Introduction
- What are Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention?
- Why are Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Important?
- Purchasing Chemicals
- Managing Chemical Inventories
- Dealing with an Existing Inventory of Unwanted Chemicals
- Conducting Experiments
- Scaling Down Experiments
- Substituting Materials
- Alternatives to Wet Chemistry
- Reusing and Recycling Chemical Resources
- Segregating Waste Streams
- In-Laboratory Treatment of Wastes
- »Working with School Administrators, Students, Other Schools, and the Community«
- Getting More Information
- Appendix A—Waste Minimization Checklist
|
Previous chapters of this handbook have discussed ways that you can minimize laboratory waste. Some of the suggestions, such as using a first in/first out inventory rotation, can be implemented at little or no cost; others, such as implementation of microscale chemistry, may require substantial outlays of money or time. Even though many of the techniques discussed in this handbook will save money in the long run, the up-front costs may be prohibitive.
Don’t become discouraged. You can do a lot to minimize waste by following the simpler suggestions in this handbook. We’ve included sophisticated approaches to waste minimization in this handbook because large school districts may be able to implement them. We’ve also included them so that you are aware of what can be done.
However, you may find that, with a little creativity, you are able to afford to implement techniques that originally seemed too expensive. This chapter discusses ways of reducing the costs of waste minimization programs by working with others who are facing the same problem or whose business is to help waste minimization programs.
The role of school administrators
Your school’s administrators can
- secure necessary funding and other resources
- play an active role in helping you carry out your program (for instance, by interacting with chemical suppliers or tracking waste minimization savings)
- identify other schools and institutions carrying out similar programs that can aid your efforts
- provide special services that will help your program, such as identifying sources of federal grants to apply for.
School administrators may not initially recognize the importance of waste minimization in your activities, or realize how waste minimization can benefit the school. This may simply be because they don’t speak the technical language (for example, they may not know why chemicals like carbon tetrachloride are bad for the environment). Or maybe your administrators do not realize the bottom-line savings that a waste minimization program can provide, or how waste minimization benefits the school’s community.
However, administrators, like teachers, students, and your community, are concerned about the environment. You may be amazed at the amount of support you receive once they understand the environmental, financial, and community benefits of waste minimization activities.
The role of students, other schools, and the community
Students are increasingly sensitive to the environment, but often do not realize how it translates into specific practices that, cumulatively, can make a big difference. Involving students in waste minimization is a good way to tap into their environmental enthusiasm and channel it toward practical ends. Students are often the most receptive to change.
Other schools in the area may be good sources of information, particularly colleges and universities. They may also have access to resources that you are unaware of. By teaming with other schools, you can make a good case in your district for increased support. If you are the first in your school district to be adopting pollution prevention, then sharing your experiences underscores your leadership and commitment.
Also consider the interest and support your local community can provide in terms of in-kind support and public recognition. Community support is a good way to sustain enthusiasm for the waste minimization efforts you undertake.
A strategy
Perhaps the best strategy for working with administrators is to forge a cooperative series of efforts so that key people are involved. Consider the following:
- Increase awareness through informal dialogue, e-mail, or presentations on what the school is doing, and how it is benefiting the environment, the school budget, and the community.
- Draft a written statement of the school’s commitment to environmental quality and waste minimization.
- Provide a forum or suggestion box for waste minimization. Reward or recognize good waste reduction ideas.
- Set achievable laboratory- and school-wide waste reduction goals, (e.g., a 25% reduction in hazardous waste; or a 25% reduction in solid waste).
- Track and report progress. This can be done by identifying waste volume reductions, estimating annual savings in materials, storage, and disposal costs, and reporting overall achievements in relation to baseline goals.
|
 |
Securing funding
Even if your administration is 100% behind you, they may provide you with little more than encouragement and moral support. We realize that resources in schools are constrained and waste minimization efforts are vying with many other worthwhile activities for funds. You will have a better chance of securing internal funding if you can demonstrate that your pollution prevention efforts are paying for themselves, which is true in most waste minimization programs. We recommend that some portion of the savings that your waste minimization team identifies should be reinvested into the waste minimization program. This provides tangible incentives to team members and administrators to sponsor waste minimization at your school and in your laboratory.
Fortunately, there are outside organizations that may be able to provide you with additional resources.
- The National Science Foundation (NSF) has supported a number of schools in upgrading to microscale. The NSF also helps to fund educational forums; for instance, they sponsor the free week-long courses in microscale chemistry given by the National Microscale Chemistry Center.
- State and local agencies may be interested in funding (or at least subsidizing) pollution prevention programs, especially at educational institutions.
- EPA’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) has sponsored universities in conducting basic chemical research in pollution prevention,such as with the OPPT Design for Environment Program. Contact the EPA office in your area for additional information.
- Resources may be available from the education community, including from such groups as the National Science Teachers Association. Local PTAs can also be a good source of funding and are generally responsive to environmental issues.
- The American Chemical Society (ACS) has a grant program called PROJECT CHEMISTRY, which may be able to support your program. (Chapter 15 has ACS address information.)
- Local businesses and organizations like to support K-12 education (and receive publicity for supporting the community). A selling point with such organizations is that it’s for education and for the environment. Organizations such as Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, and the local Chamber of Commerce are good places to seek private sector support.
- Local, or even national, equipment companies are sometimes willing to offer free use of or discounts on their equipment. Another tactic might be to request use of equipment on a trial basis to prove its fitness.
Outreach and communication
A sure way to build support over the long term is to reach out to your community and inform them of your activities. The same applies for other schools who are wrestling with the same issues, and may have effective solutions to the problems you encounter.
- Networking with other schools is a good way to identify common problems, funding sources, success stories, and build overall support.
- Networking with colleges or universities in your area may be particularly helpful, as they often have experience to share regarding pollution prevention.
- Communicating your program to the community through various forums and speaking opportunities is a good way to show your school’s commitment to preventing pollution and becoming more efficient.
Communicating the results of your pollution prevention activities is a good way to demonstrate to administrators that your program is paying off, and sustain long-term commitment to your efforts. |
