Administrative Procedures Handbook

Guidelines, Policy and Procedures for Disposing of Scrap, Valuable Waste, and for Storing Salvageable Material

Purpose:

  • That all scrap, valuable waste, and salvageable materials associated with, remodeling, renovation, maintenance, and new construction accomplished or managed by Physical Plant shall be properly disposed of, or prepared for storage and reuse in a manner that complies with all applicable State and Local law as well as WIU and Physical Plant policy.
  • To reduce the possibility of misappropriation of scrap, valuable waste, and salvageable material, or the perception that such material is being misappropriated during the course of normal Physical Plant work functions.
  • To strictly control short or long term storage of salvageable material and equipment to reduce costly storage of non valuable or obsolete material and equipment within Physical Plant.

Guideline versus Policy:

As the work of a Physical Plant is extremely diverse, the act of disposing of scrap and salvageable material in every instance may not always fit within the rigidity of a described policy or procedure. This directive will distinguish between "guideline" and "policy" to allow for flexibility and common sense interpretations needed to accomplish the stated purpose.

For situations where these guidelines do not seem to apply, the responsible manger shall use common sense in developing procedures that best satisfies the stated purpose.

Whenever a deviation in this policy is thought to be required, all proposed revised procedures shall first be approved by the Director of Physical Plant.

Policy:

The proper disposition of scrap, valuable waste, and salvageable material will be planned for all Physical Plant work functions, whether for a specific single event, or for continuous operations.

Transport of all scrap, valuable waste, and salvageable material shall be properly recorded when disposed of, or inventoried when stored for later use.

The manifest for disposition of scrap and salvageable material will be in the form of a service request to relocate material by a designated Plant division that includes a description of the material, its initial location, and final disposition or storage location.

No Physical Plant employee may acquire for their own personal use or gain any item of of scrap, valuable or non-valuable waste, or salvageable material. This shall include packaging materials and used construction materials destine for disposal, even if disposal is to be in the University waste stream.

Guidelines:

Ideally, a separate Plant division from those directly involved in generating scrap, valuable waste, or salvageable material will move the material to its point of final disposal or storage. As a policy, when the same Plant division will generate and move material noted in this directive, different personnel within that division will generate or set up the material for relocation than those who will actually relocate the material to the final destination for disposal or storage. (This policy still requires that a recorded service request be completed as a manifest for the relocation and disposition of the material by personnel within the same division.)

Maintenance activities:

Maintenance shops that generate scrap or valuable waste are being supplied with recycling bins for disposal of small and medium sized material through Property Accounting. Maintenance shops shall involve proper moving personnel, Safety and Health Officer, and Property Accounting as applicable for disposing of materials and/or equipment.

Construction and renovation activities:

Care shall be exercised to distinguish between inventoried property and equipment, and non-inventoried building components.

WIU inventoried property and equipment that will be disposed of shall be manifest to Property Accounting via service request. Ensure that the Physical Plant Business Manager is aware of inventoried items being disposed of which are under Physical Plant managerial control.

Construction managers in Physical Plant Facilities Planning and Construction will address in writing within project documents the complete disposition of scrap, valuable waste, and salvageable material including inventoried or non-inventoried equipment or building components.

Include a contract provision that stipulates that Contractors will legally dispose of all salvageable materials and waste items in accordance with all applicable Federal, State, and local laws and environmental regulations.

Include a contract provision that stipulates a Contractor may be required by the WIU construction manager to provide weight tickets from landfills, salvage yards, etc. for any project waste disposal. Tickets and manifests for disposal and salvage will become part of the permanent project record.

Include a contract provision that a Contractor must have a waste, recycling, and salvageable material plan that properly manages disposition of material covered in this directive. Discussions of the plan will be included as an agenda item in the pre-construction conference.

Include a contract provision that a contractor may not provide materials covered in this directive, directly or indirectly to an employee of Western Illinois University. This provision shall also be stressed in the pre-construction conference.

Where construction contracts involve the State Capital Development Board (CDB), and the CDB is providing clearly delineated policies regarding disposition of all items noted in this directive, CDB policies and procedures shall govern.

Salvaged Materials and Equipment to be Stored at Physical Plant for Future Use:

Material intended for reuse and storage at Physical Plant may only be accepted by the Central Stores Manager of Physical Plant. A superintendent or Assistant Director must request the item(s) be stored and that person shall be the responsible manager assigned to that material and/or equipment.

The Stores Manager will create and maintain a record of these items deemed "Special Inventory" which shall list the following minimum information: Description of the item, quantity, original location obtained (IE Simpkins Hall), location stored (North Shed, South Bay #1), date stored, superintendent or assistant director requesting storage (the responsible manager), description of how item would be reused.

Generally, historical building components may be stored indefinitely at Physical Plant. Items which are scavenged for use on existing operating obsolete equipment may be kept as long as that equipment is still in use, but must be properly disposed of when the obsolete equipment is no longer in use or is scheduled for imminent replacement. Non historical distinctive fixtures from restrooms, lighting, or other building components which are no longer available may be kept as long as those fixtures are still being used in a campus building. Most other building materials shall be reused in less than 12 months. Exceptions include new or almost new building materials salvaged or not used on renovation or construction projects. These items as well as other new or almost new building materials being stored at Physical Plant should not be included in the inventory described here. However, the physical limits for storage of surplus materials such as lumber, plywood, piping, masonry, and electrical supplies shall be specifically defined by the Stores Manager. Surplus materials shall not exceed the assigned storage space allocated for them by the Store Manager.

The Physical Plant will not store used building materials for use by residence hall students or student clubs to be used for the purpose of modifying their residence hall rooms or any other part of a residence hall, or for any other building type project, or for sandwich signs. This prohibition includes but is not limited to, plywood, framing lumber, concrete masonry, paint, etc.

No less than once every 24 months the Stores Manager shall require all responsible managers authorized storage to reaffirm that material or equipment they have entered into this special inventory shall remain in storage. Responsible managers shall notify the Stores Manager when an item located in storage that is included in the special inventory has been removed for reuse, salvage to the State, or disposed. Service request manifest procedures described in this policy shall also be used for removal of inventoried storage. The Stores Manager shall use these manifests to update the special inventory report.

Every effort will be made by responsible managers and the Stores Manager to limit storage of items designated for reuse, as well as to provide for the expeditious turnover of items stored for reuse. Decisions to store any such items shall consider the cost of storage relative to the true value of the item being stored and the benefits of its reuse. While reuse can be a desirable sustainable initiative, there is a cost associated with storage to include loss of valuable space, risk of shrinkage, breakage, obsolescence, and the cost of continuous management of the special inventory.

All superintendents and managers shall prepare a written report of items covered by this directive which are currently stored or proposed to be stored in other remote campus locations. This does not include short term storage of construction materials or equipment being installed on a project. The report shall generally describe the items being stored, quantities, and location by building and room number.

Remote storage that is intended to avoid the purpose of this directive is deemed inappropriate.

Long term remote storage is discouraged and shall be carefully considered by a responsible manager for cost versus benefit as well as risks associated with long term remote storage. The responsible manager is accountable for security, proper controls, and safety of any remote storage that is associated with their functions.

Policy and Guideline issued October 13, 2008

Back to top.