CMI CMI Waste Disposal & Recycling Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of waste requires a red bag for disposal in commercial and healthcare facilities?
- Regulated medical or biohazardous waste (Correct answer)
- General office paper waste
- Food waste
- Recyclable plastics
Correct answer: Regulated medical or biohazardous waste
Red biohazard bags are used for regulated medical waste such as contaminated materials, blood-soaked items, or items that may contain infectious agents.
Question 2: What does 'source separation' mean in a commercial recycling program?
- Separating recyclables from trash at the point where they are generated (Correct answer)
- Sorting all recyclables at a central facility only
- Removing recyclables from landfill sites
- Hiring a specialized recycling company
Correct answer: Separating recyclables from trash at the point where they are generated
Source separation means occupants sort their waste into recyclables, compostables, and trash at the point of generation, reducing contamination and making custodial collection more efficient.
Question 3: What should a custodial technician do if recyclable bins are contaminated with food waste or liquids?
- Remove the contamination if safe, or redirect the bin contents to general waste per facility policy (Correct answer)
- Ignore the contamination and continue collecting as recyclables
- Dump the entire bin in the parking lot
- Refuse to collect the bin
Correct answer: Remove the contamination if safe, or redirect the bin contents to general waste per facility policy
Contaminated recyclables can spoil entire loads sent to recycling facilities, so removing contamination or redirecting to general waste per policy prevents rejected recycling loads.
Question 4: How should custodial staff handle used fluorescent light bulbs that need to be discarded?
- Place in a designated EPA-compliant container for mercury-containing waste, not general trash (Correct answer)
- Break and place in regular trash
- Flush crushed bulbs down a drain
- Place whole bulbs in regular trash bags
Correct answer: Place in a designated EPA-compliant container for mercury-containing waste, not general trash
Fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, a hazardous material regulated by the EPA, and must be disposed of through designated collection programs or universal waste handlers.
Question 5: What is the custodial technician's responsibility regarding recycling contamination education?
- Communicating contamination issues to building occupants or supervisors to improve recycling habits (Correct answer)
- Sorting all waste personally without informing others
- Ignoring contamination as it is not their responsibility
- Removing all recycling bins to prevent contamination
Correct answer: Communicating contamination issues to building occupants or supervisors to improve recycling habits
Custodial technicians often serve as front-line observers of recycling contamination and can help improve a facility's program by communicating issues to management or occupants.
Question 6: Which of the following materials is typically NOT accepted in standard commercial paper recycling bins?
- Food-soiled paper plates and napkins (Correct answer)
- White office paper
- Cardboard boxes
- Newspaper
Correct answer: Food-soiled paper plates and napkins
Food-soiled paper is contaminated with grease and organic matter that ruins paper recycling batches and must go in compost or general trash, not the paper recycling stream.
CMI CMI Waste Disposal & Recycling Procedures 2
Which type of waste requires a red bag for disposal in commercial and healthcare facilities?