Wastes Reduced: flammables, mercury, solvent (ethanol, xylene, and formalin)
Location: Houston TX
No. of employees: >250
Contact: Linda Lee
Phone: 713/792.3375
Description:
The Chemical Stores Program has been successful in reducing the amount of flammables stored in labs and in encouraging better hazardous materials management. The ongoing laboratory inspection program also helps identify areas of potential waste reduction. Solvent redistillation is used to recycle ethanol, xylene, and formalin at the main campus in Houston. The solvents are returned to the labs for reuse.
P2 Application:
Alcohol-based thermometers are distributed as replacements for mercury thermometers at no cost to the users. The Institution urges employees to substitute environmentally friendly solvents in place of more hazardous solvents when possible, and distributes information to users.
Details of Reductions
flammables stored in labs
mercury thermometers
Comments: It cost $2,500 to replace the mercury thermometers with alcohol based thermometers.
2,344.0 - Gallons of
hazardous solvents
Comments: Volume of waste reduced due to solvent distillation.
