f/EPA
                            United States
                            Environmental Protection
                            Agency
                    Solid Waste
                    and Emergency Response
                    (5306W)
         EPA 530-F-97-022
         August 1997
Waste  Minimization:
Increased Profits  and
Productivity
PPG  Industries
    2 Year Return on
Investment
~~ $2D5K Savings
Annually
    320,000 Gallon
Reduction in Incinerated
Wastes
    Fewer Reporting
Requirements and Less Legal
Liability
Publicity is important even if
only in internal publications.
Increased awareness serves
as a springboard for more pro-
 What is PPG Industries?

    The automotive coatings plant of
 PPG Industries, Inc. (PPG), located
 in Cleveland, Ohio, manufactures
 both solvent-based and water-based
 coatings. Prior to 1992, PPG used
 thousands of liters of water each
 week to clean manufacturing equip-
 ment and incinerated a large vol-
 ume of wastewater contaminated
 with methyl isobutol ketone, butyl
 cellosolve, and lead.


 What Did They Accomplish?

    In 1992, PPG designed and
 installed a combined ultrafiltra-
 tion/reverse osmosis (UF/RO)
 process to recycle wastewater. By
 combining the two membrane-based
 technologies, PPG was able to utilize
 a progressive filtering system that
 cleaned the wastewater to a level
 suitable for reuse in equipment
 cleaning operations. As a result,
 PPG has cut the volume of haz-
 ardous waste requiring incineration
 from 400,000 gallons per year to
 80,000 gallons per year and saves
 $205,000 annually.


 Environmental
 Achievements

    PPG received a National
 Industrial Competitiveness through
 Energy, Environment and
Economics (NICE3) grant from the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
and worked cooperatively with the
State of Ohio to promote the UF/RO
cleaning technology. The UF/RO
system reduces the volume of waste
disposed by about 80%, depending
on the level of production. This
experience serves as one example of
how a successful partnership
between government and industry
can foster waste reduction.

   Another major achievement of
this project was the increased aware-
ness of waste minimization that
grew throughout the company. This
awareness was due in part to the
publicity the company received
through NICE3. The increased
awareness served as a springboard
for development and implementa-
tion of more projects. PPG has
undertaken numerous projects at all
of its approximately 15 facilities
located in nine countries. The corpo-
ration as a whole openly embraces
waste minimization as a major goal.


Regulatory Relief

   Though PPG's regulatory status
has not changed, less waste means
fewer opportunities for spills, acci-
dents and violations and therefore
fewer legal liabilities.

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 Waste Minimization: Increased Profits and Productivity
 PPG Industries
The Implementation Process

   Design of the UF/RO process
was accomplished by an in-house,
cross-functional team comprised of
environmental managers, produc-
tion managers, and other staff work-
ing with outside consultants who
provided expertise on UF/RO.

   Because the system was new,
three operators received training
during one session.  From concept to
implementation, the process took
about eight months.

   PPG has not altered the UF/RO
system since its inception in 1992.
The system has in no way impeded
manufacturing or lowered product
quality  PPG has measured the suc-
cess of the process by analyzing
reductions in waste using in-house
measurement tools.
agement and technical issues arose;
however they were quickly resolved.


Words to the Wise

   PPG is enthusiastic about waste
minimization and environmental
stewardship, especially considering
the positive publicity that came from
the UF/RO process.
Economics: Costs and
Payback

   PPG received funding from DOE
and the Ohio Department of Energy.
In addition, PPG contributed an ini-
tial capital outlay of over $200,000.
Annual operating costs for the unit
are estimated at $175,000.

   Annual savings resulting from
the project have remained fairly
steady at a level of $205,000, equal to
$380,000 worth of savings in water
disposal costs less the $175,000 in
operating costs.  The investment
paid for itself in just over two years.


Hurdles

   No significant hurdles presented
themselves when PPG implemented
these measures. A few minor man-
For more information about the Waste Minimization National Plan, call (800) 424-9346
or check the World Wide Web at http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/minimize
                                        WASTE
                                         MINIMIZATION
                                         NATIONAL PLAN
                                         Reducing To»csm Our Itaboris Waste

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