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Hamilton College generates a wide variety of waste streams, some more "regulated" than others. For each type/variety of waste stream, there are rules, requirements or best management practices that apply, as follows:

 

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)

 

MSW (i.e. trash or garbage) is routinely generated by employees at their workstations and students in their living/dining spaces. These materials are typically collected at accumulation points by the Physical Plant Custodial department, and consolidated by the Physical Plant Grounds department. Upon consolidation, MSW is compacted and shipped to the local Solid Waste Authority for disposal/landfilling. Please contact Terry Hawkridge (x4075 or thawkrid@hamilton.edu) for more information.

 

Recyclable Materials

 

Hamilton College has a long-standing and locally recognized recycling program, and has worked hard with both members of the community and the Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority to maximize our collective efforts. The Recycling Task Force is a student-lead group that facilitates the College's efforts between the Physical Plant and the student body, and more information can be found on their website:

 

 

Other Waste Minimization Efforts

 

Hamilton College takes a number of other steps, both voluntary and mandatory, to minimize its generation of waste materials. From a voluntary perspective, the College actively participates in the annual Recyclemania competition, and organized the first major end-of-the-semester dormitory cleanout and reclamation program in the spring/summer of 2008—termed the Hamilton "Cram & Scram" program. Amongst other things, this program was successful in reducing the average May MSW burden by over 40 tons. From a mandatory perspective, the College is "required" to minimize the generation of hazardous wastes by both academic and administrative departments by any/all of the following strategies:

·    Appropriate chemical storage practices;

·    Ordering only what one needs;

·    Substituting non/low hazard chemicals for more hazardous ones (i.e. green chemistry); and

·    Chemical use reduction through micro-scale experimentation.

 

Hazardous/Universal/Electronic Waste Management

 

Finally, the regular generation of wastes deemed "hazardous" by state and federal regulators require various technical and managerial strategies to assure they are safely handled, transported and ultimately disposed of. Hazardous wastes are the College's responsibility forever—the "Cradle-to-Grave" concept—and as such, compliance with the rules governing these wastes are mandatory in nature. Please see the following plan as it relates to hazardous/universal/electronic waste management.