[Moderate revision–posted 6/11/21 (replaces 8/28/15 edition)]
[PDF Version]

 

Operating Policy and Procedure

OP 63.06: Solid Waste Disposal by University Personnel and On-campus Trash Pickup

DATE: June 11, 2021

PURPOSE: The purpose of this Operating Policy/Procedure (OP) is to provide a set of standard procedures and guidance for university departments to use in the disposal of waste. This policy establishes the approved solid waste disposal site based on contractual rates and requires compliance with the city ordinance concerning hauling trash. This OP does not pertain to disposal of chemicals or other hazardous wastes, as these are disposed of only by authority from and under the supervision of the Office of Environmental Health & Safety and are governed by a separate operating policy. All questions concerning environmental hazards should be directed to Environmental Health & Safety.

REVIEW: This OP will be reviewed in August of odd-numbered years by the Managing Director of Grounds Maintenance with recommended revisions forwarded to the Associate Vice President for Operations who will forward substantive revisions to the Senior Vice President for Administration & Finance and Chief Financial Officer.

POLICY/PROCEDURE

1.  Dump Ground Usage by University Personnel

a.    All areas of the university will use the West Texas Regional Disposal Landfill facility.

b.    The landfill is located in Abernathy, Texas. From west and northwest Lubbock, travel outbound on Clovis Hwy (US-84); at Frankford Ave. (FM 2528), turn north. The landfill is approximately 11 miles north on the right.

Operating hours of the landfill facility are:

(1)    Monday through Friday: 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.

(2)    Saturday: 7 a.m. – 12 p.m.

(3)    Sundays and legal holidays: Closed

c.    All types of vehicles will be charged $32 per ton for waste dumped in the landfill.

d.    Please visit the City of Lubbock website for the most current information for hours of operation and fees.

2.  Classes of Items

Items for disposal are categorized into three classes. Each of these classes is handled differently for disposal.

a.    Items that can be placed in a dumpster to be taken to the landfill facility

Normal building trash is placed in a dumpster container located adjacent to the building. These containers are emptied on a regular schedule by a university-owned packer truck.

Trash pickup hours are 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for the following locations:

(1)    Dumpsters on the interior of the campus (including academic buildings)

(2)    Kitchens and parking lots

(3)    Residence halls (after 8:00 a.m.)

(4)    Auxiliary locations, per agreement(s) with the department

b.    Items restricted from the dumpster that can be disposed of in the landfill facility

The following items are restricted from being placed in a dumpster by Texas Tech University for several reasons. These items are too heavy for the truck to lift and/or could cause major equipment damage.

• Sheetrock, shingles, concrete, concrete blocks, bricks, roofing material, etc.;
• Sinks, tubs, major appliances, toilets, etc., (all are recyclable); and
• Steel bars, pipe, rocks, dirt, clay, scrap lumber, carpet, wooden pallets, packing crates, large tree limbs, and discarded furniture.

(1)    Should a dumpster be found containing restricted items, the container must be emptied by hand by the responsible department or by Building Maintenance & Construction (BMC), with a labor charge to the responsible department.

(2)    When the volume or nature of the trash is such that it cannot be placed in the dumpster outside the building, the department has two choices:

(a)    The department can contact Grounds Maintenance Department 742.4OPS (4677) to submit a work order for scheduling of additional dumpsters. There will be no charge to education and general departments. For auxiliary departments, there is a fee of $33 for one dumpster and $11 for each additional dumpster. All pickups are also charged a tipping fee of $36.75/ton.

(b)    The department can contact Grounds Maintenance and work control at 742.4OPS (4677) or the iService Desk to arrange for a roll-off container. Billing and pickup instructions will be determined to meet the department's needs. This is the better option for extremely large loads or if the need is going to last for more than a day.

c.    Items not to be placed in the dumpster or the landfill facility

The following items are NOT to be placed in the trash trailer or in campus dumpsters. Contact the area indicated below for proper disposal.

(1)    Items on TTU inventory: Contact TTU Property Inventory – 806.742.3846 or 806.742.3847

(2)    Hazardous materials (e.g., chemicals, biohazardous items, sharps containers): Contact TTU Environmental Health & Safety – 806.742.3876

(3)    Appliances (e.g., small refrigerators): Contact TTU Building Maintenance & Construction – 806.742.4OPS (4677)

(4)    Paint cans containing paint: Contact TTU Environmental Health & Safety – 806.742.3876

(5)    Waste Oil: Contact TTU Environmental Health & Safety – 806.742.3876

(6)    Batteries: Contact TTU Environmental Health & Safety – 806.742.3876

(7)    Tires: Contact TTU Operations Vehicle Repair – 806.742.4OPS (4677)

(8)    Computer equipment: Contact Property Disposal – 806.742.3846

d.    Loads that may blow away in the wind or fall out of a vehicle must be placed in a vehicle with a tailgate and covered. The purpose of this precaution is to prevent littering and comply with the city of Lubbock ordinances. Vehicles observed to be in violation of this requirement may be ticketed.

e.    All city of Lubbock landfill invoices are to be taken, emailed, or mailed to Ursula Cooksey, MS 3144, Grounds Maintenance Department, ursula.cooksey@ttu.edu.

3.  Recycling

a.    Texas Tech University highly encourages recycling efforts and actively participates in the following three recycling streams. It is the responsibility of individual users to sort and dispose of their recyclable material.

(1)    Cardboard

Cardboard materials should be placed next to trash containers inside the E&G buildings and clearly marked as trash in order to be picked up for recycling. For large cardboard loads, call Services (806.742.9777) and a trailer will be provided for cardboard to be recycled.

(2)    Paper

Recyclable paper materials should be placed into blue bins marked "paper."

Acceptable recyclable paper materials include:

• All mixed paper
• White paper
• Newspaper and newsprint
• Colored paper
• Sticky notes
• Envelopes
• File folders
• Hanging file folders (plastic tabs and metal brackets removed)
• Card stock

Unacceptable recyclable paper materials include:

• Food-soiled paper and cardboard
• Styrofoam blocks
• Styrofoam and packing peanuts
• Transparencies
• Computer disks, DVDs, CDs
• Cartridges for copiers and printers
• Three-ring binders
• Hardbound books

b.    Physical Plant Services is responsible for placing blue recycling bins throughout the university campus. If additional bins are necessary, please contact Services at 742.4OPS (4677).

c.    Collection of all items contained in the blue recycling bins is done on a regular basis Monday through Friday with the exception of university holidays. For collection of items outside of these normal hours, please contact Services at 742.4OPS (4677). 

OP Categories

01 Chancellor
02 Development
04 Audit Services
10 President
30 Academic and Student Affairs – General
32 Academic Policies – Faculty
34 Academic Policies – Students
36 Academic Programs
40 Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action
48 Communication Services
52 Information Technology
60 Environmental Health and Safety
61 Facilities Management
62 Financial and Accounting
63 General Services
64 Graduate Programs (Faculty and Students)
65 Research Accounting
66 Libraries
67 Mail Services
68 Communications and Marketing
69 Payroll and Tax Services
70 Human Resources
72 Purchasing, Contracting, and Payables
74 Research
76 Security
77 Student Services and Registrar
78 Traffic and Parking
79 Travel
80 Vehicles