The Waste Management Program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) establishes institutional requirements for the proper handling, segregation, storage, and disposal of waste generated through university operations. The program is administered by Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) to support regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and the safe management of waste streams across campus activities.
The program applies to faculty, staff, students, researchers, contractors, and other personnel involved in the generation or management of waste materials in academic, research, clinical, agricultural, maintenance, and administrative environments.
Waste Management serves as the central coordination point for campus waste streams and provides guidance on segregation, accumulation, storage, and disposal pathways. Specific waste streams are managed under the following programs:
- Biological waste, including biohazardous materials and sharps, is managed under the Waste Management Program
- Chemical waste, including hazardous chemicals, is managed under the Chemical Safety Program.
- Recycling and waste reduction initiatives are managed under the Environmental and Sustainability Program.
- Non-hazardous laboratory waste and broken laboratory glassware are managed under the Laboratory Safety Program.
- Electronic waste, universal waste, and general waste are managed under the Waste Management Program.
- Used oil and oil-contaminated waste are managed under the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Program.
Important: Because UMES does not operate an on-campus regulated medical waste treatment system or medical waste incinerator, departments planning activities that may generate regulated medical waste must ensure proper segregation, storage, transportation, and disposal through approved waste management processes and authorized vendors, as applicable.
EHS provides oversight and coordination to ensure waste streams are properly segregated and directed to the appropriate disposal pathways. Program resources include waste segregation guidance, universal waste management procedures, electronic waste management guidance, and the Waste Management Plan.
Additional resources, including training materials, procedures, and program documentation, are available through the links provided on this page.
