Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal of waste materials, usually ones produced by human activity, in an effort to reduce their effect on human health or local aesthetics or amenity.

In the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering, the Safety and Engineering Cell manages the hazardous waste in compliance with standard waste management procedures, followed all over the world. Hazardous waste is mostly generated from science labs across the School in the form of hazardous liquids (e.g., acid, base, oxidizers, flammables, biohazardous liquids) and hazardous solids (solid chemicals, infectious syringes, containers, tubes etc.).

Each lab contains designated hazardous containers. These drums are color coded for chemical and biohazardous waste disposal. Yellow drums are designated for chemical waste and red containers are designated for biohazardous waste. Lab occupants dispose all the hazardous waste in the designated hazardous waste drums and once the waste container reaches 80% of its capacity, it is then transported to waste management lab. Sinks installed in these labs and drains are connected to waste management lab to ensure that all hazardous waste goes for treatment.

The team ensures that all waste is disposed off safely in designated drums and these drums are taken away by an EPA certified 3rd party for further treatment. 

The team that makes this possible comprises of Umer Qureshi (Safety Supervisor) and Makhdoom Hussain (Safety Technician). They are supervised by Eaitsam Akram, who heads the Safety and Engineering Cell. They are responsible for treatment and safe disposal of hazardous waste. Daily readings of pH neutralization unit and storage drums are documented digitally, and a record of all prior readings is kept for trend analysis.

pH neutralization unit working includes the following steps:

1.    SSE lab effluents goes to an underground pit.
2.    The effluent is then transferred to underground storage tank.
3.    The water from underground tank is transferred to feed tanks depending on the water level in the underground tanks.
4.    The water is then transferred to 2-stage mixer where water pH is maintained within the range 6-9 using acid and base dosage.
5.    The water is then drained after controlling the pH.

The object of waste management at SBASSE is to reduce the generation of waste (both solid and liquid), and to ensure that all the generated waste is treated per best practices and the processes are compliant with the best global waste management standards.