According to the Mercury Project, “Environmentally Sound Management of the Life Cycle of Mercury-Containing Products and Their Waste,” Universidad ORT Uruguay in Universidad ORT Uruguay is taking steps toward environmentally sound and committed management, and the institution aims to go even further by encouraging members of its educational community to promote best environmental practices.”
The objective of the project is to collaborate with a model organization in the process of implementing the Minamata Convention—a global treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury—in Uruguay, and to help strengthen that institution in the implementation and updating of waste management plans, in accordance with Decree 15/019.
The project, which has by the Uruguayan Agency for International Cooperation (AUCI), also aims to strengthen the management of the National Directorate of the Environment within the Ministry of Housing, Land Use Planning, and the Environment (MVOTMA).
Stages of the process
The project began in September 2019, when a series of exchange events was held in which various organizations shared their best environmental practices, and ORT was invited to participate as a leading institution.
Inés Tiscornia, M.A., deputy coordinator of Environmental Management at Universidad ORT Uruguay, explained that the purpose of the event was "to raise awareness among public and private organizations about the management of mercury-containing waste and to learn about their experiences with best practices and environmental commitment."
Some time later, Griselda Castagnino, the coordinator of these exchange programs, contacted the university again with the aim of continuing the program.
There, ORT was assigned a facilitator, María José Manivesa, with whom they held several meetings and took tours of the university; the report was then prepared based on those interactions.
According to the Mercury Project, “Environmentally Sound Management of the Life Cycle of Mercury-Containing Products and Their Waste,” Universidad ORT Uruguay is taking steps toward the environmentally sound and committed management of all special waste streams, and the institution aims to go even further by encouraging members of its educational community to serve as advocates for good environmental practices.”
The report's findings
The scope of the report is the effective implementation of the Mercury Waste Management Plan in accordance with Decree 15/019. “To that end, we had to draft protocols, systematize the traceability of mercury-containing waste, set up a collection site in the university’s storage facility, arrange for removal by authorized waste management companies, and we are training our staff,” Tiscornia explained.
In addition, the coordinator explained that the report places great emphasis on the environmental awareness campaign being carried out at the university and on the multidisciplinary ORT team working on these issues.
He also noted that the text “takes a broader view of waste management, and in that regard we still have work to do, but we’re on the right track.”
Other highlights
The report places particular emphasis on the active involvement of staff members from various departments across the university. "One of the strengths of the environmental and waste management process has been the participation and commitment of key figures from different departments and with complementary backgrounds, which enriches the management process," noted the coordinator.
Furthermore, the text particularly highlights creativity in design and the use of materials containing recycled content. “Innovative infrastructure and signage stand out as strengths, emphasizing creative design and the integration of recycled materials,” he said.
