Institutional program for waste management
Institutional program for waste management
Within the activities carried out in the UANL facilities, different waste streams are generated, which are collected and delivered to collection service providers authorized by state (RSU and RME) and federal (RP) agencies. In this sense, the UANL is working on the migration from the linear model to the circular economy model, where waste can follow different routes: incorporation into different production chains of new products, if their nature and characteristics allow it, or be taken to destruction or final disposal, complying with what is established within the current regulatory framework and the principles of the circular economy, as illustrated in the following diagram:
1. Hazardous Waste
A hazardous waste (HR) It is a material or product whose owner or possessor discards and is in a solid or semi-solid state, liquid or gas contained in containers or deposits, and is susceptible to being valued or requiring to be subjected to treatment or final disposal, and also contains at least one of the CRETIB characteristics (Corrosive, Reactive, Explosive, Toxic, Flammable, Biological-infectious) (General Law for the Prevention and Comprehensive Management of Waste). According to the National Inventory of Hazardous Waste Generation (INGRP) and the Registry of Hazardous Waste Generators (PGRP) of the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), the total generation of RP in Mexico in 2017 was 2,447,596.58 t, the most frequent waste is solids with 42.43% followed by used oils with 20.14%.
The SS through the DGASO developed a program for the management and disposal of RP generated in all academic and administrative departments of the UANL, distributing among them procedures for classification and collection of waste which serve as a basis for preparing the manual for the environmentally sound management of waste generated in each department. An important advance in this area is that 57 departments have already adopted these procedures within their activities and as a result of this systematic work during the period from January 2023 to June 2024, 411.91 t of hazardous waste (HW) Of which 76% corresponds to hazardous biological infectious waste (RPBI) and the remaining 24% to hazardous waste of chemical origin according to current environmental regulations.
Además, a partir de mayo de 2021 la UANL participa en el programa Planet Partners de HP Inc., en la cual los cartuchos de tinta y tóner originales utilizados en las depdendecias se recolectan y envían a instalaciones de reciclaje en Estados Unidos. Estos se convierten en materias primas que se pueden utilizar para fabricar productos nuevos de plástico y metal, como los cartuchos HP. En el periodo de tiempo enero 2023 a junio 2024 se dispuso un total de 797.50kg of empty toner and ink cartridges in the aforementioned program.
2. Urban solid waste
Urban solid waste (MSW) is generated in homes or work centers as a result of the elimination of materials used in domestic activities (such as consumer products and their packaging, packaging, etc.), establishments or public roads with residential characteristics, and those resulting from public roads and places as long as they are not considered as other types of waste.
Durante el 2023 en la UANL se generaron un total de 3,032.73 t de RSU , de las cuáles el 32% corresponde a residuos orgánicos y el 68% restante a inorgánicos. Dichos residuos son segregados en las diferentes dependencias para separar los materiales valorizables y posteriormente son recolectados y trasladados por empresas autorizadas al relleno sanitario del Sistema Integral para el Manejo Ecológico y Procesamiento de Desechos (SIMEPRODE) ubicado en el municipio de Salinas Victoria, Nuevo León y el cual es administrado por el Gobierno del Estado de Nuevo León. En este lugar los RSU son depositados en celdas especiales donde se compactarán para reducir su volumen y se cubrirán con capas de arcilla y tierra asegurando un tratamiento bajo condiciones anaerobias. Dichas instalaciones cuentan con infraestructura para la captación del metano (biogás) producido por la descomposición anaeróbica de los residuos orgánicos, así como con pozos para el monitoreo de lixiviados. El biogás es conducido a través de un sistema especial hacia la planta de bioenergía de Servicios Sustentables de Nuevo León S.A. de C.V. (SSNL), anexa al relleno, donde es convertido en energía eléctrica.
En el caso de los residuos orgánicos generados en la UANL están compuestos principalmente por residuos de alimentos y residuos de jardinería. Durante el 2023 en la UANL se generaron 970.47 t de dichos residuos , de los cuáles el 100 % fueron sometidos a tratamiento en SIMEPRODE.
En cuanto a los RSU con características reciclables, en la UANL desde el año 2013 se puso en marcha el Programa de Separación y Reciclaje de Residuos (PROSER) el cual consiste en que cada dependencia segrega sus residuos con características reciclables en contenedores destinados para ello, para posteriormente ser llevados a reciclaje y teniendo como objetivo principal el concientizar a los estudiantes y personal docente y administrativo, maximizar el aprovechamiento de los recursos y prevenir o reducir los impactos al ambiente.
During the period from January 2023 to June 2024, the following have been collected: 339.71 tons (t) of recyclable material (aluminum, plastic, paper and cardboard), which has represented important environmental benefits, including energy savings of 1,483,846 kWh and 9,922,990 L of water, among others.
3. Special Handling Waste
- Electronic waste
The special management waste (SMR) are the materials generated in production or service processes and do not meet the characteristics to be considered urban solid waste or hazardous waste, an example of RME is Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) (televisions, cell phones, computers and household appliances, among others), this waste is composed of hundreds of different materials, both valuable (gold, silver, palladium and copper) and potentially dangerous (lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic) which can be accidentally released into the environment during disassembly and represent a danger to human health and the environment if disposed of incorrectly. According to the Basic diagnosis for integrated waste management (SEMARNAT 2012) 84 million tonnes (Mt) of EMR from 14 EMR streams are generated annually and the numbers are on the rise.
Aware of the aforementioned problem, the UANL through the SS carries out the disposal of WEEE in an appropriate manner with a company authorized by the Secretariat of the Environment of the State of NL. In the UANL electronic recycling campaign of October 2023, 1000 tbsp (1000 tbsp) of waste were collected. 21.06 t of WEEE generating significant environmental benefits such as 492,522 kWh of unconsumed electrical energy and 77 t of CO2 not emitted into the atmosphere.
- Waste fats and oils from cafeterias
Waste generated from vegetable and/or animal oils and fats used in food preparation is the main cause of contamination of surface and groundwater due to uncontrolled dumping. It is estimated that one litre of used oil can contaminate 1,000 to 10,000 litres of water, causing blockages, bad odours and the proliferation of pests in drainage and/or sewage systems. It can even harm the soil, seriously affecting its fertility by altering its biological and chemical activity.
The UANL promotes a program for the collection and disposal of vegetable oil generated in the cafeterias that operate within the campuses with a specialized company that has the corresponding authorizations. In the period from January 2023 to June 2024, 100,000 tonnes of vegetable oil were collected. 31.26 t of vegetable oil to be recycled and subsequently used in the manufacture of environmentally friendly chemicals as well as biofuels. Of the aforementioned coffee shops, 43% It has a grease and oil trap as an additional measure to reduce contamination from water discharges into the sewer.
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