Managing, Recycling, and Disposing of Non-Hazardous Solid Waste

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OVERVIEW

5.1 What is the purpose of this chapter? This chapter establishes policy for managing, recycling, and disposing of non-hazardous solid waste at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) facilities.

5.2 What is the Service's policy on managing, recycling, and disposing of non-hazardous solid waste? It is our policy to:

A. Dispose of non-hazardous solid waste in a manner that protects the chemical, physical, and biological quality of the Nation's land, water, and air resources;

B. Promote the conservation of fish and wildlife resources;

C. Protect the public health, welfare, environment, and productive capacity of the country;

D. Comply with all applicable Federal, State, tribal, and local regulations;

E. Where practicable, prevent the creation of non-hazardous solid waste by promoting waste reduction (see section 5.8A); and

F. Reduce the amount of solid waste we dispose of, increase the reuse of viable material, and divert reusable material to recycling centers instead of disposal.

5.3 What are the authorities for this chapter?

A. Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 6901 et. seq.). The SWDA was amended in 1976 by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), including RCRA Subtitle D, which addresses the management of non-hazardous solid waste.

B. Executive Order (E.O.) 13693, Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade.

C. E.O. 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance.

D. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Guidelines for the Thermal Processing of Solid Wastes (40 CFR 240).

E. EPA Guidelines for the Storage and Collection of Residential, Commercial, and Institutional Solid Waste (40 CFR 243).

5.4 What is the scope of this chapter? This chapter applies to:

A. All Service-owned or operated facilities, including quarters, vessels, and vehicles; and

B. Any special use permit, contract, lease, or concessionaire agreement that could involve generation, storage, or disposal of non-hazardous solid waste.

5.5 Who is responsible for ensuring Service compliance with Subtitle D of the SWDA? See Table 5-1.

Table 5-1: Responsibilities for administering the SWDA program

5.6 What terms do you need to know to understand this chapter?

A. Antifreeze. A liquid used in the radiator of an internal combustion engine to lower the freezing point of the cooling medium.

B. Bulky Waste. Large items of non-hazardous solid waste, such as household appliances, furniture, large auto parts, trees, branches, stumps, and other oversized waste, that prevent or complicate their handling by normal non-hazardous solid waste collection, processing, or disposal methods.

C. Deconstruction. A “soft” demolition technique, in which workers dismantle a significant portion of a building to recover materials for reuse and recycling.

D. Household Waste. Any non-hazardous solid waste (including garbage, trash, and sanitary waste in septic tanks) that originates from household-type activities at such locations as single and multiple residences, motels, lunchrooms, ranger stations, crew quarters, campgrounds, picnic grounds, and day-use recreation areas.

E. Open Burning. Burning non-hazardous solid waste outside, such as in an open dump. An open dump is a facility or site that does not meet the criteria for a sanitary landfill, but where you can dispose of non-hazardous solid waste.

F. Ozone-Depleting Substance (ODS). A compound that contributes to the reduction of stratospheric ozone.

G. Recoverable Resource. Those materials that still have useful physical, chemical, or biological properties after serving their original purpose.

H. Recycling. The collection and reuse of waste materials to conserve energy and slow the depletion of our Nation's natural resources. Recycled materials are those used in place of a primary, raw, or virgin material when manufacturing a product.

I. Sanitary Landfill. A site employing an engineered method of disposing of non-hazardous solid waste on land in a manner that minimizes environmental hazards by spreading the waste in thin layers, compacting the waste to the smallest practical volume, and applying and compacting cover material at the end of each operating day.

J. Separate Collection. The collection of recyclable non-hazardous materials that are separated where they’re generated (i.e., source separation), and have been kept separate from other solid waste by using vehicles with separate compartments or by using entirely separate collection vehicles for each type of waste.

K. Solid Waste. The term solid waste, as SWDA defines it, is very broad, including traditional non-hazardous solid waste, such as municipal garbage and industrial waste, and also hazardous waste. Hazardous waste is regulated under RCRA Subtitle C, so we do not address it in this chapter. For more information on hazardous waste management, see 561 FW 6, Hazardous Waste Management. Non-hazardous solid waste is:

(1) Garbage (e.g., milk cartons and coffee grounds);

(2) Refuse (e.g., scrap metal, wall board, and empty containers);

(3) Sludge from waste treatment plants, water supply treatment plants, or pollution control facilities (e.g., scrubber slags);

(4) Industrial waste (e.g., manufacturing process wastewaters and non-wastewater sludges and solids);

(5) Other discarded materials, including solid, semisolid, liquid, or contained gaseous materials resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, agricultural, and community activities (e.g., boiler slag); and

(6) Not limited to waste that is physically solid. “Solid” is somewhat of a misnomer as RCRA regulations define solid waste as solid, liquid, semi-solid, or containerized gaseous materials.

L. Vector. A carrier, usually an arthropod, that is capable of transmitting a pathogen from one organism to another.

M. Waste Reduction. Using sustainable practices (see 565 FW 1, Implementing Sustainable Practices, Exhibits 2 and 3) to prevent or decrease the amount of waste generated. This includes recycling, purchasing recycled and environmentally preferable products, reducing energy use, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

IMPLEMENTING THE SWDA

5.7 Who implements the SWDA? The SWDA is a Federal and State program that manages the generation and disposal of non-hazardous solid waste. The EPA has authorized most States to operate and maintain a non-hazardous solid waste management program in lieu of Federal (EPA) management. EPA promulgates regulations that are adopted by the States as they are, or the States may set regulations that are equivalent, broader in scope, or more stringent than EPA’s regulations. Local regulatory agencies also may enact non-hazardous solid waste management regulations that are more stringent or broader in scope than the Federal or State regulations (for example, some States consider used oil a hazardous waste, while it is a non-hazardous solid waste in others). Project Leaders and Facility Managers should be knowledgeable of State and local non-hazardous solid waste regulations. The RENs or RECCs can help managers determine what their States’ or localities’ regulations involve. You can find more information on waste management on EPA’s Web site.

5.8 What are the implementation strategies?

A. Where practicable, we must adopt or change our practices to prevent or reduce non-hazardous solid waste pollution by promoting waste reduction. This includes:

(1) Green purchasing to avoid procurement of hazardous materials, where possible;

(2) The effective management of materials inventories to prevent the generation of waste, especially hazardous waste;

(3) Reduction of household waste at Service facilities;

(4) Proper disposal; and

(5) Recycling (see sections 5.10 through 5.16 and 565 FW 1, Implementing Sustainable Practices, Exhibits 2 and 3).

B. Managers must review purchasing strategies to ensure that:

(1) We are obtaining the least toxic materials that are the least likely to become hazardous waste if the material becomes obsolete or unusable for any reason,

(2) We maintain small inventories of material that could become hazardous waste,

(3) We use older stocks first, and

(4) We use material that could become hazardous waste before its expiration date.

C. All employees must handle, collect, and dispose of non-hazardous solid waste in compliance with applicable Federal, State, tribal, and local regulations. Also see Table 5-2.

Table 5-2: Guidance for handling and disposing of non-hazardous solid waste

D. Employees must not use open dumps to dispose of any non-hazardous solid waste material. Dispose of all such waste in accordance with applicable Federal, State, tribal, and local regulations in approved sanitary landfills (see 40 CFR 240.101 and section 5.6I) or by using other approved methods, such as using it as riprap or for clean fill, etc.

E. Employees must not openly burn non-hazardous solid waste material (see 40 CFR 240.101(r)). Employees may use controlled burns if they obtain any required local air permits.

F. For disposal of medical waste, see 561 FW 13, Medical Waste.

G. Project Leaders/Facility Managers must maintain records related to managing non-hazardous solid waste for at least 3 years. The records should include the types and amounts of non-hazardous solid waste generated, any transportation papers, receipts from receiving disposal facilities, and records of recycling.

MANAGING OZONE DEPLETING SUBSTANCES (ODS)

5.9 What are employee responsibilities for managing ODS? We have established policies concerning the management of ODS in 565 FW 1, Implementing Sustainable Practices, Exhibit 2, which include the following:

A. Identify and reduce the use and release of ODS that may result in significant harm to human health or the environment;

B. Maximize the use of safe alternatives to ODS as approved by EPA programs;

C. Phase out existing equipment containing ODS consistent with its normal life;

D. Properly dispose of ODS that was removed or reclaimed from facilities or equipment, including disposal as part of a contract, trade, or donation; and

E. When disposing of appliances or equipment containing ODS, ensure that the disposal will occur at a landfill that is properly permitted to receive such waste.

MANAGING RECYCLING

5.10 What are the goals and objectives of the recycling program?

A. In addition to the goals we describe in our policy statement in section 5.2, we’ve designed our recycling program to:

(1) Educate Service employees on the need to recycle waste materials;

(2) Establish a Servicewide, Regionally-administered, office waste recycling program (in Headquarters, the Division of Contracting and General Services administers the program);

(3) Reduce waste disposal costs;

(4) Earn revenue from the sale of recycled material;

(5) Divert waste from landfills;

(6) Stimulate the market for recyclable materials;

(7) Conserve forest lands and other valuable resources; and

(8) Decrease harmful emissions to the environment.

B. We maintain active recycling programs that encourage:

(1) A reduction in the use of new materials, and

(2) An increase in the procurement of materials with a high content of recycled components (see 301 FW 7, Green Procurement).

(3) Accurate reporting to the Department and others, as required. Exhibit 1 is a table of conversion factors for calculating the weight of various recycled material for use in reporting recycling rates.

5.11 How does the Service establish recycling pickup contracts?

A. Project Leaders/Facility Managers should work with their Contracting and General Services office, Regional Recycling Coordinator, or GSA Regional Recycling Coordinator to establish a contract for picking up recycling. The SDWA requires GSA to establish a nationwide office waste management program that includes preparation of contracts for picking up recycled materials. At some locations, recycling may be part of the lease provisions for the facility.

B. GSA has an established aluminum recycling contract in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Regional offices should check with their Regional Recycling Coordinator or GSA Regional Recycling Coordinator to determine if this service is available in their Regions. See DEN’s Sharepoint site for a current list of the Service’s and GSA’s Regional Recycling Coordinators.

5.12 How do Service employees collect paper for recycling, and what contaminants are acceptable?

A. Collecting paper: Our office paper recycling programs primarily require that we separate materials, but in some localities recycling authorities may allow us to recycle mixed papers.

B. Acceptable and unacceptable contaminants in paper recycling:

(1) Acceptable contaminants in paper recycling: Includes paper clips, staples, and water soluble glues (i.e., bond envelope glue).

(2) Unacceptable contaminants in paper recycling: Includes pressure-sensitive labels and tapes, plastic window envelopes, rubber bands, brown/gold kraft envelopes, binders (i.e., press board, plastic, cloth covered), binder clips, plastic materials, carbon paper, thermal facsimile paper, Post-it® notes, food wrappings, cups, and tissues.

5.13 How do Service employees collect household waste-type recyclables?

A. Aluminum cans:

(1) Project Leaders/Facility Managers or their staff should establish collection points in appropriate locations (e.g., near vending machines) for cans.

(2) Other methods to encourage collection and recycling of cans include:

     (a) Marking containers with the words "Aluminum Cans,"

     (b) Asking employees to empty and rinse the cans before putting them in the marked container, and

     (c) Purchasing inexpensive aluminum can crushers to reduce the volume of collected cans, and putting the crusher in the kitchen or employee lounge area.

B. Plastics: Employees should empty and rinse plastic containers before putting them in recycling containers that duty station personnel or local programs provide.

C. Glass bottles:

(1) Project Leaders/Facility Managers or their staff may provide separate containers labeled by color (i.e., clear, green, amber, and brown) to collect glass bottles if the local jurisdiction requires their separation.  

(2) Employees should empty and rinse bottles before putting them in the containers.

5.14 How do Service employees recycle used oil and antifreeze?

A. Many local jurisdictions have established used oil and antifreeze recycling programs. In addition, many gas stations, fire stations, car dealerships, and auto discount stores have such programs. We encourage Project Leaders/Facility Managers to establish requirements for participating in such programs where available.

B. In some States, used oil is considered a hazardous waste and must be managed accordingly (see 561 FW 6 for information about managing, recycling, and disposing of hazardous waste).

C. The mixture of used oil and antifreeze is a hazardous waste. Never mix the two unless you plan to dispose of it as a hazardous waste.

5.15 How do Service employees recycle and dispose of electronic equipment?

A. Employees must follow Service policy, see 310 FW 5, to recycle or dispose of electronic equipment so that we are in compliance with GSA requirements. Even if employees know of a local nonprofit organization that would benefit from a contribution of equipment, they must meet the requirements in 310 FW 5 before making such a contribution.

B. Employees must also coordinate with their servicing Information Resources and Technology Management (IRTM) staff to sanitize the hard-drives on computers, tablets, smart phones, and other electronic equipment.

5.16 How do Service employees recycle and dispose of construction and demolition waste? Employees must carefully manage construction and demolition projects to minimize the waste these activities generate and maximize the reuse and recycling of materials and debris. Employees should:

A. Plan to purchase construction materials that minimize waste packaging and shipping materials;

B. Specify green packing materials that may be reused or recycled easily;

C. Buy construction materials with a high content of recycled and post-consumer composition;

D. Plan demolition projects to minimize the disposal of material by:

(1) Identifying materials for recovery,

(2) Developing strategies to segregate reusable and disposable materials, and

(3) Retaining material on site whenever possible (e.g., saving timber to use in new construction at the facility);

E. Investigate local destinations for recyclable materials. If recovered materials cannot be used on site or sold locally, consider donating them to local projects (e.g., local park authorities, scouting groups, etc.); and

F. Consider deconstruction over demolition when valuable reusable material is present, such as timber, steel, or aluminum.