UMass Amherst implemented a campus-wide chemical inventory management program in 2005. All chemicals used for research have been inventoried and entered into an online database. This effort realizes the following benefits:

• An on-line real-time chemical inventory system eliminates the need for faculty to conduct an annual manual inventory.

• Maintaining a current inventory reduces the likelihood that an unknown compound may be found in the lab thus reducing the expensive disposal costs for unknown chemicals.

• 28% of our waste stream is unused commercial compounds. EHS has cleaned out refrigerators in the past that have multiple partially filled containers (i.e., 6 half filled containers of butyl lithium in one refrigerator). Better management of compounds can eliminate redundant purchases, thereby reducing the amount of chemical in the waste stream.

• Enhances the Chemical Reuse and Exchange program reducing disposal costs and unnecessary purchases.

More information can be found at the UMass Chemical Environmental Management System site .