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.

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.

According to the report data What a waste 2.0: A global snapshot of solid waste management to 2050 According to a report published by the World Bank, global MSW generation in 2016 was estimated to have reached 2.01 billion tonnes (Mt). By 2030, the world is expected to generate 2.59 billion tonnes (Mt) of waste annually and by 2050, the figure is expected to reach 3.4 billion tonnes. In Mexico, according to the most recent figure published in the World Bank, Basic diagnosis for comprehensive waste management of the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) In 2020, the estimated per capita MSW generation was 0.944 kg/inhab/day and the total waste generation in the country is estimated at 120,128 t/day. Of this, 31.56% corresponds to waste susceptible to use, 46.42% to organic waste, and 22.03% to "other waste." Since 2013, the UANL has been implementing the Waste Separation and Recycling Program (PROSER), which consists of each department segregating its waste with recyclable characteristics in containers designated for this purpose, to later be taken for recycling, with the main objective of raising awareness among students and teaching and administrative staff, maximizing the use of resources, and preventing or reducing impacts on the environment.

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.

Organic waste

The most recent data from SEMARNAT indicate that organic waste constitutes just over 52.4% of the total urban solid waste generated in the country. This waste can be used through biodigestion plants, through this process biogas is obtained, useful as fuel for industry, as well as liquid and semi-solid by-products that are used again in agriculture as soil improvers.

The UANL School of Agronomy is carrying out a project to use and exploit livestock waste (manure) and pruning waste (garden waste) from the Marín campus. This project consists of treating said waste using worms to obtain humus or fertilizer (vermicompost) and a leachate rich in essential nutrients (fulvic acids), which are used to fertilize the nursery, experimental crops and gardens on the same campus. On the other hand, the company responsible for collecting MSW at the UANL also treats gardening waste (branches and pruning) from the Ciudad Universidad campus to obtain compost.

During the year 2023 they were approximately 208.75 t of organic waste treated, obtaining a total of 97 t of humus or fertilizer.

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.

Institutional program for waste management