[TheForge] Dumpster Diving

[John Husvar]

On 5/20/07 2:29 PM, "Mike Linn" <bamablacksmith at comcast.net> wrote:

> At 11:14 AM 5/20/2007, you wrote:
> 
>>  than hearing the story about
>> saving a school from hazardous waste desposal fee.
>> 
>> Dann
> 
> 
> The only problem with that, is that the regulations regarding hazardous
> waste clearly define that the school/business entity is liable for the
> proper disposal of any hazardous  waste products. If for some reason there
> was an accident and the chemical spilled and caused a problem, the
> school/business could be fined and forced to pay for the clean-up. A lot of
> times you'll hear it called "cradle to grave responsibility". When it was
> purchased from the manufacturer the school/business assumed the
> responsibility for it proper use/disposal and unless a formal agreement
> transfers that responsibility to another party.. the 'buck stops there'..

Yep. You buy it, it's yours 'til it or you disintegrate or discorporate. :)

It seems many companies, state institutions, and political entities are
prohibiting dumpster diving any more.

Used to be, at Kent State, "move out" week was a treasure trove for those of
us who stayed on campus through the Summer. Many foreign students could not
take the furniture, appliances, etc. they bought home with them, so they
simply 86ed them. 

The rest of us would go treasure hunting.

Now, last I've heard, Kent State considers anything left on campus to be
property of the university. Unless the owner gives it to someone before
moving out, it's KSU's.

At least two companies I've worked for had rules against taking metal from
the scrap bins. They had contracts with disposers who sold the scrap and
rebated the companies. Dumpster dive and you're fired, period.

When I was in high school, my future wife's sister, collected a small lab's
worth of chemistry glassware, some instruments, and other surplus when her
college cleaned out and re-equipped a lab.  She gave it to me and a friend
of mine. Many homework assignments got done on that stuff. Included were
partial containers of nitric, sulfuric, hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids.
Now she'd probably be sent to prison -- or Gitmo, along with us two boys. :)