Colleges, schools and universities with extensive science departments regularly generate large amounts of biohazardous waste. This type of waste must be managed in order to prevent contamination to local water supplies, and to prevent the spread of infection.
However, aside from scientific waste, education institutions also produce organic waste from kitchens and a lot of general waste. This includes materials such as paper and cardboard - which must be properly managed and controlled, too.
Incineration effectively destroys both laboratory and general types of waste, leaving facilities clean, tidy and safe for all users. Incinerators for educational institutions can be installed on site. With payment plans available, schools, colleges and universities are benefiting from no longer having to pay the rising costs associated with waste removal. Thus, saving money that can be reinvested back into students and their education.
What Educational Facilities Currently Use Incineration?
The University of St Andrews has made its health and safety policies public. It outlines that it uses incineration for the management of solvent waste.
The University incinerates organic solvents, soluble organic waste including most organic solids, as well as paraffin and mineral oil from oil baths and pumps. Furthermore, it recommends that all sharps contaminated with biohazardous materials should be disposed of carefully, in specialist containers ahead of incineration.
Read more about The University of St Andrews and their incineration process.Furthermore, Birmingham University has issued a list of the materials it incinerates. The list includes:
- All 'true' sharps such as hypodermics,
- Scalpel blades,
- Slides,
- Cover slips
- Pipette tips
- Contaminated broken glass
- Animal carcasses
- Animal bedding
- Animal carcasses infected with pathogens or GMMs
- Cultures of micro-organisms and cell cultures
- Blood and body fluids e.g. CSF, aspirates etc.
- General laboratory waste including gloves and paper towels
- Infectious or genetically modified plant material which poses an environmental risk
Why Choose Incineration?
Current methods of waste management, including on-site storage for decay, burial or sanitary sewer disposal, each carry their own risks and downsides. These can also be very expensive to institutions that are already being forced to make savings. Incineration, in comparison, is the most common disposal for laboratory waste. Incineration provides complete destruction of hazardous material and preventing general waste produced by schools, colleges and universities from entering landfill.
Those looking to install an incinerator on site can speak to a member of our team for advice on which product is best suited to your needs and available budget. They can also receive guidance on which permits - if any - will need to be in place before you can move forward with an installation.
