Environmental Health

Take the Hazard out of Hazardous Waste - Go the Extra Mile

EPA’s Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3) is an extensive program that can be downloaded straight from the EPA’s website. It helps your school remove outdated or unknown chemicals, and prevents future mismanagement of chemicals by training staff and developing long-term management solutions. Through these two initiatives, the program is meant to raise awareness of chemical issues. However, the potential benefits of the program have to be weighed against a lot of paperwork and a number of checklists that may be too extensive to be practical for some schools.

For a more comprehensive approach to recycling in general, not just recycling hazardous waste, consider the EPA’s Wastwise program, also available straight from the EPA’s website. It’s a free and voluntary program that helps organizations like schools design their own waste reduction programs by giving assistance in development, implementation, and setting goals. Not only can it help save money in the long-run, but it can help save the environment!