More And Better
Good Practice in Waste Separation at the Egas Moniz Building (EEM)
In June, and within the scope of the developing of good practice of waste separation, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon carried out an internal audit with AMBIMED, the service providing company, of the laboratories in the Egas Moniz Building. The intention is to continue the work that has been carried out with all its collaborators, making them aware of environmental and safety issues in the correct separation and conditioning of the waste produced.
This audit made it possible to check some irregularities in relation to errors in the separating and conditioning of waste, which could easily be solved with the collaboration of the users. Situations such like always keeping dangerous waste containers closed inside laboratories, with pedal-push containers being available for this. We should call attention to the fact of the importance of not depositing general waste in the receptacles for laboratory waste, as we have seen in several different places (pipette wrappers, normal paper, Parafilm paper, food wrappers, plastic beakers, cotton dirty absorbent paper). There is some concern about the reduction of the quantity of waste produced, namely the waste products classified as dangerous, in the sense that these represent a high cost for the institution.
Another equally fundamental situation is that of lining all the waste containers before use. It was concluded that some of the waste receptacles did not have a waste bag, although these were still available.
Of note among the positive aspects we found is the recycling element (paper, cardboard, plastic, polystyrene), with their even being a laboratory shared by some research units that separates glass, with the collaborators themselves bringing it to the glass bank outside of the faculty premises, due to the fact that we still have not been able to get around the logistical difficulties with Lisbon Municipal Council over the recycling of glass. This situation left us feeling rather pleased, and shows that, above all, good practices are a responsibility that should be shared by all users, technical support services and all waste removal and treatment services.
We continue to work towards achieving a more integrated management of all the waste produced in the Egas Moniz Building, aiming at a better environment and a more efficient management of resources.
We would like to thank everyone for their collaboration and involvement in carrying out this type of action, which we intend to continue in our search for a safer, cleaner and healthier workplace.
Sandra Ferreira
EEM Management Unit
slferreira@fm.ul.pt