University-wide procedure for waste management

PROCEDURE
Policymaker: Sustainability Manager
Valid from: 29 March 2019
Amended as of: 2 Jan 2023
Registration number: V-2023-0004-16
Responsible for review and queries: KTH Sustainability Office

1. Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to describe how waste generated at KTH is to be managed according to binding requirements in order to minimise negative environmental impact.

2. Scope/delimitation

The procedure covers the management of waste generated within the framework of KTH’s activities. This means that the procedure applies to all schools and OS that manage waste as part of their activities. Persons working on behalf of KTH and who are affected by waste management must be informed and given the opportunity to follow KTH’s waste management procedures. Anyone who has hired a person working on behalf of KTH must ensure that information is provided about KTH’s waste management.

3. Definitions

OS

Operational Support

Definitions for waste

Are the same as in the Waste Regulation. See the law list (KTH’s web service for legal monitoring) on the intranet.

Binding requirements

Legal requirements that KTH needs to fulfil or other requirements that KTH needs or chooses to fulfil.

Legal requirements

These include applicable laws, regulations and directions.

Other requirements

These include voluntary commitments that KTH has with organisations, contractual relationships, practices and agreements with other universities, community groups or non-governmental organisations. Requirements other than legal requirements become mandatory when the organisation (KTH) decides to comply with them.

KTH SO

KTH Sustainability Office

4. Responsibilities

The President bears general responsibility for ensuring that waste management takes place in accordance with binding requirements and KTH’s waste management procedures.

The University Director, OS and heads of school are responsible for ensuring that waste management takes place in accordance with legal and other requirements in their areas of responsibility. The Head of the Property Division and the Head of Procurement bear general responsibility in their areas.

The Sustainability Manager bears general responsibility for ensuring that waste management is implemented and monitored within the framework of the environmental management system. The Sustainability Manager liaises with the functions responsible for waste management within the schools and OS. Monitoring takes place with KTH’s management and the management groups at the schools and OS in connection with the management’s review.

The sustainability strategist at KTH SO provides support for the work and reports to the head of sustainability regularly and before the management’s review.

At KTH, all students, employees and persons working on behalf of KTH are responsible for managing waste according to adopted procedures and binding requirements.

5. Implementation

KTH must prevent and minimise waste in its operations as far as possible.

The EU’s waste hierarchy must serve as a guideline; i.e. we must prevent generation of waste by working according to the following scheme:

1. Minimise the generation of waste
2. Reuse materials, equipment, furniture, etc.
3. Recycle materials by sorting waste
4. Recover energy by incinerating household waste
5. Send waste to landfill

Waste management at KTH must take place in accordance with the binding requirements to which KTH is subject. See the list of binding requirements in KTH's list of laws and regulations.

Fractions to be sorted and managed
Household waste
Food waste
Plastic packaging, other plastics
Paper packaging
Glass packaging, coloured and uncoloured, other glass
Corrugated board and cardboard
Metal packaging
Construction waste, sorted into respective fractions, wood, metal, insulation, etc.

Hazardous waste
Electronics and electrical waste
Light sources
Toners and cartridges
Batteries
Paints and aerosols
Refrigerators and freezers
Chemical, biological and hazardous waste

Waste management

KTH’s waste and hazardous waste (including chemical and biological waste) must be managed in compliance with applicable legal requirements with a view to protecting the environment.

Information and application of the binding requirements applicable to KTH are available in KTH’s legal monitoring system. The legal monitoring system is available on the KTH intranet.

KTH’s waste management is organised in different ways on KTH’s five different campuses. There is detailed information on the intranet on how waste is managed at each campus, school and OS.

Disposal of waste at KTH is carried out via procured waste contractors. continuously monitors the contract with the contractor and obtains statistics in order to monitor KTH’s sustainability and climate goals. 

Disposal of IT products for OS is available to order via ITA: University Administration – Disposal or relocation of equipment | KTH Intranet

KTH SO compiles annual waste volumes generated on the basis of the available statistics and supports OS and schools with production of statistics specific to their activities.

KTH SO carries out an annual check of the validity of transport licences for procured waste contractors.

Hazardous waste

Information on the management of chemical-biological and hazardous waste is taken from safety data sheets in the General chemical product management procedure  and in schools’ local procedures for chemical waste.

The volumes of hazardous waste (electronics, fluorescent tubes, light sources and batteries) and chemical, biological and hazardous waste sent away by schools and OS must be recorded, transport documents established and volumes reported to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

Volumes of hazardous waste sent away must be recorded and archived where this occurs for three years according to legal requirements, and reported to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. Statistics are compiled annually by KTH SO.

Working procedure for the management of hazardous waste : records, transport documents and reporting.

Transport documents for hazardous waste sent away must be established for each item and kept for three years. Transport documents must be signed by the sender of the waste.

6. Documentation

KTH’s sustainability and climate objectives 2021–2025 (2045)

KTH’s campus plan 2018–2023

Valid contracts for procured waste contractors are documented in KTH’s law list and the register and on the intranet.

7. Appendices

No appendices

8. Change log