Policy and procedures for safe disposal of hazardous materials and chemicals. 

Introduction:

Al-Ahliyya Amman University (AAU) implements a rigorous and fully institutionalized Hazardous Waste Management and Disposal Policy, publicly published through the university’s sustainability portal, to ensure the safe handling, monitoring, and disposal of all hazardous waste generated from teaching laboratories, research centers, medical units, engineering workshops, and campus maintenance operations. The policy is designed to protect human health, safeguard campus safety, and preserve the environment in alignment

with national regulations and globally recognized frameworks, including ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems, the Basel Convention on hazardous waste control, and Jordan’s Environmental Protection Law No. 6 (2017) and Waste Management Framework Law No. 16 (2020).

AAU’s hazardous waste management system ensures full traceability and compliance across the entire waste lifecycle—from generation to final treatment. All hazardous waste (chemical, biological, pharmaceutical, electronic, and laboratory-related materials) must be identified, segregated, labeled, stored in certified containers, digitally logged, and neutralized or treated according to the approved procedures. These practices are codified within the Hazardous Waste Disposal Management Procedure and the Recycled Waste Measurement Policy, which undergo periodic reviews to maintain regulatory alignment and incorporate new scientific and environmental best practices.

The university adopts a “Zero Harm” safety philosophy, emphasizing prevention, risk minimization, and staff competency. Faculty, lab technicians, and maintenance personnel receive mandatory training on safe handling, spill response, PPE use, and emergency protocols. The Environmental Health and Safety Unit conducts routine inspections and audits to verify compliance, while the Sustainability and International Ranking Center (SIRC) oversees documentation, monitoring, and annual reporting.

Through these systematic measures, AAU ensures environmentally sound hazardous waste management, significantly reducing pollution risks, preventing chemical exposure incidents, and enhancing overall operational sustainability. This policy directly advances SDG 12.4 (Environmentally Sound Management of Chemicals and All Wastes) and indirectly supports SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by preventing harmful exposures, SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) by preventing hazardous contamination of water resources, and SDG 13 (Climate Action) by reinforcing preventive environmental governance and risk control.

By institutionalizing science-based waste management practices, AAU positions itself as a national leader in sustainable and responsible environmental stewardship within higher education.

Hazardous Waste Disposal Policy

Centers and Departments: 

Activities: 

Impact Evaluation & Development Plan

1. Performance Evaluation

   AAU’s hazardous waste management system ensures end-to-end traceability, compliance, and safety.

   • All laboratories maintain digital waste registers under SIRC 
   • Regular inspections and audits by the Environmental Health Unit confirm 100 % adherence to segregation and labeling protocols.
   • A45 % reduction in hazardous waste volume (2022 – 2025) has been achieved through substitution of toxic chemicals and improved waste neutralization.
   • Annual sustainability reports publish verified data on waste generation, treatment, and environmental outcomes.
2. Development Actions

   Action 1: Smart Hazardous Waste Tracking System (2025 – 2028), QR-coded digital tracking of all hazardous waste containers for real-time monitoring, to Launch 2026 → 100 % adoption 2027.

   Action 2: Chemical Substitution Program (2025 – 2028) Replace 30 % of high-risk chemicals with eco-friendly alternatives, By 2027; annual audit verification.

   Action 3: Certified Disposal Facility Partnership (2025 – 2028) Expand partnerships with national treatment facilities for specialized biomedical and chemical waste, to get Full compliance certification 2026.

   Action 4: Green Lab Certification Program (2025 – 2028), Certify all university labs under the “AAU Green Lab Standard.”, 100 % certification 2028.

   Action 5: Research and Capacity Grant (2025 – 2028), Fund applied research projects on waste minimization and recycling technologies, to get ≥ 3 projects annually.

3. Benchmarking & Best Practice

   AAU benchmarks its system against the University of Cambridge, University of Melbourne, and KAUST (Saudi Arabia) for laboratory safety excellence.

    

   Adopted Best Practices:

   • Digitalhazardous-waste logs and QR
   • Life-cycleassessment (LCA) for laboratory 
   • Integrationof Chemical Hygiene Plans and Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
   • Annualexternal and internal audits for ISO 14001 

    

   Localization & National Alignment:

   Aligned with Jordan’s Environmental Protection Law No. 6 (2017) and Waste Management Framework Law No. 16 (2020).

    

   Future Goal (2028):

   Establish the AAU Hazardous Waste Treatment and Research Unit to serve as a regional training and innovation center in chemical waste management and environmental protection.

    

    

   Institutional Integration Summary

   The Sustainability and International Ranking Center (SIRC) coordinates the overall governance and reporting of hazardous waste management under SDG 12.4.

   Implementation is executed by the Facilities and Environmental Services Department, Health and Pharmacy Faculties, and Occupational Safety Unit, supported by HCASR, PDRC, and the Hourani e-Learning Center for continuous education and awareness.

   All hazardous waste data (generation, treatment, disposal certification) are collected quarterly and verified by SIRC, then published in the AAU Sustainability Dashboard, Annual Sustainability Report, and Executive SDG 12 Summary.

   This governance framework ensures that AAU’s hazardous-waste operations are data-driven, compliant, and transparent, embedding environmental and ethical responsibility across all academic, research, and operational dimensions.

   Through these mechanisms, AAU strengthens its contribution to SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), while simultaneously advancing SDG 3, SDG 6, SDG 9, and SDG 13, affirming its leadership in sustainable higher-education practices within Jordan and the broader region.