United States Environmental Protection Agency Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OS-305) EPA530-N-93-001 Winter/Spring 1993 Federal Recycling Programs Mushroom Pizza lovers might be surprised to learn their favorite take-out meal could arrive in a box made of pulped and processed government re- ports from the National Security Agency. This initiative is the result of creative ventures made possible by federal agency efforts to launch or expand recycling programs in re sponse to a 1991 Executive Order. To oversee these programs, each federal agency appointed its own recy- cling coordinator. At the helm is Gail Miller Wray—EPA's federal recycling coordinator and the author of the first of five annual reports detailing the actions taken by federal agencies to set up or strengthen their waste reduc- tion, recycling, and buy-recycled programs. The Order's mandate to procure items made of recycled materials spurred federal agencies into action. In the first year alone, the number of agencies with programs to buy prod- ucts with recycled content jumped from 2 to 50. Examples of affirmative procurement range from the Depart- ment of Agriculture's testing of 40 (Continued on page 2) Federal Agency Recycling e Business Buy Recycled Campaign 9 Luxury Hotel's Environmental Program o Packaging Waste o Interstate Trade of Solid Waste « Focus On Materials Exchange • Nebraska Woman Finds Markets for Recyclables e Separating Plastics eGeorgia Compost Program » Forum On Heavy Metals e Unit Pricing Businesses Unite to Boost Demand for Recycled Products There's a new type of merger in the business world. Nearly three dozen American corporations have joined forces to put their buying power to work for the environment. These companies are part of the Buy Recycled Campaign, launched last year by the National Recycling Coalition (NRC) with seed money from EPA. Companies that join the Buy Recycled Campaign make a commitment to purchase goods made with recycled materials. The Campaign sprang to life last year after NRC hired Phil Bailey, who had worked on related projects in Colorado. As NRC's market development director, Bailey contacted several major corporations that he knew were buying recycled products and urged them to work together to lead others along the same path. The project soon snowballed to include 3 5 companies and (Continued on page 12) 'Bruce "—'-^ejcQitte to a new year of Reus- able News.Thisyear promises to be full of change for all of EA fs we welcome Carol Brownej; as 3£pew administrator. BFowner comes To usher in the new year of ] ffy^ge. Reusable News is adding a j hiwfeature,"Perspectives," which of | fers a forum for interested parties to j present their viewpoints on a current j event or topic in the solid waste j arena. The debut of the feature ap- ring her two years leading up the DER, rowner made pollu- [gA from the Florida^Department of pears on page 4 and focuses on in- j „„„_ .__„„,-.,._,.. _, „_ tefstateWanspoWof municipal solid j |da's principal environmental agency. waste (MSW). j Since Reusable News 1 began four years ago, the j newsletter has chronicled : many milestones in MSW \ management. Recycling \ programs have increased \ in scope, size, and num- \ her; source reduction has • taken hold; and new land- • filling and combustion:; regulations have been is-l sued that will enhance the j safety and efficiency of i these practices. To share j , prevention a major iprity^JShe supported ~ng state waste re- Action and recycling egislation, while endeav- a^ng to pass legislation "Jat woyld go even fur- to raeet FFlbrida's twaste management goals. Florida DER Waste Deduction Section^ Ad- pninistratot__Ron Hen- EPA Administrator Carol Browner all the latest information "] |ricks is sorry to see her with you, we have made j Jeave: "CafoLBrowner's new ap- this issue of the newsletter 12 pages \ "5intment is a loss for Florida and a long. We look forward to keeping you i fit for EPA." up-to-dateonMSWissues inthefuture. i > Reusable News is printed with soy/canola ink on paper that contains at least 50 percent recycled fiber. ------- Federal Recycling Programs Mushroom (Continued from page 1) recyded-content plastic picnic tables in an Oklahoma national forest to EPA's procurement of 6 million pounds of recycled paper from titie Government Printing Office. Agencies also made significant strides in source reduction. For exam- ple, ttxe Central Intelligence Agency's in-house cafeteria now serves meals on china \vith metal utensils instead of disposable paper plates and plastic utensils. In addition, most federal agencies, including the Department of the Interior, the Defense Logistics Agency, and EPA, have switched to reusable laser printer cartridges. to one of the major federal recy- cling efforts, the General Services Administration set up programs in 345 government-owned buildings to recycle white paper and bever- age containers. The 22,000 tons of materials collected for recycling during the first year generated $500,000 in sales and saved the government $1 million in landfill tipping fees. To encourage agency recycling coordinators to share ideas and success stories, a monthly seminar series in Washington, DC, is organ- ized by Wray. When the Executive Order first was signed, Wray's of- fice provided a packet explaining various aspects of the Order to each agency head and recycling co- ordinator. The Order also called for the for-| mation of the Council on Feders Recycling and Procurement Policy,] whichis chaired by Wray andincludes representatives from several agen-l cies. As its first project, the Council organized last June's Government) Buy Recycled Products Trade Fair anc Showcase in Washington, DC, to edu-l cate government officials aboutf available products made from recy-l cled materials, to convince vendors| that the government is committed tc buying such products, and to helpl vendors better understand the pro-| curement process. For more information, call EPA'sl Office of Federal Recycling at! 202-260-6980.1 Luxury Hotel's Environmental Program Generates New Business Tedd Saunders of The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers replaced tiny plastic bottles with bulk dispensers for health and beauty products. Tedd Saunders has proved that even a luxury hotel can "reduce, reuse, and recycle" without sac- rificing quality—or customer satisfac- tion. Two years ago, Saunders, title environmental program director of the 977-roomBostonParkPlazaHotd &Towers, launched an ambitious pro- gram thathas slashed waste generation, saved money, and even attracted new business. In fact, hotel executives es- timate having generated more than $750,000 in new business due to cli- ents' desires to support this environ- mentally conscious establishment. To date, the hotel has completed over 90 initiatives in the areas of source reduction, recycling, reuse, water and energy conservation, and outreach. For these efforts, the hotel received a 1992 Presi- dent's Environment and Conservation Challenge Award. In the area of source reduction, one impor- tant change the hotel made was to install a shampoo and liquid soap pump dispenser system in each of the guest rooms. This might seem like a small step; however, the estab- lishment no longer throws out two million tiny plastic bottles per year. With the money saved, the hotel now buys higher quality health and beauty products for its guests. In another major source re- duction initiative, Saunders banned the use of disposable napkins, uten- sils, and cups throughout the hotel. Recycled products, from hotel sta- tionery to carpeting made of recycled plastic soda bottles, also are purchased whenever available. An exciting aspect of the progra is that all levels of personnel in t hotel have become involved, wit many of the hotel staff coming up wit their own waste prevention ideas. FoJ example, housekeeping staff arcj ,; •••••••• making kitche aprons out oJ| stained linei tablecloths thai| otherwise would be discarded. In-l volving everyone] fromthetop<~ is extremely valu-l able since it no fl only encourages| individuals tc ..,, Jhe hotel..., received a 1992 Presidents _ Environment | Conservation ^Challenge E---"Award. » take an active role, but also fur-] thers the goals of the program. In addition to internal improve-l ments in the hotel, Saunders is hoping that he can effect change beyond the establishment by insist-] ing, whenever feasible, that suppliers deliver goods with mini-] mal packaging. For example, one distributor now delivers meat in re usable containers as opposed tc disposable ones, and cleaning fluids are supplied in 15-gallon drums of concentrate instead of individua bottles. With these actions, the hotel] is reducing its own waste generatior while serving as a role model for other businesses. For more information, contact Tedd Saunders of The Boston Part Plaza Hotel at 617-457-2413. J ------- packaging Waste low the United States Compares to »ther Countries oy James E. McCarthy >enior Analyst, Congressional Research Service Americans who visit Paris are likely to notice the little cafes that seem to grace every corner, :he open-air markets where fresh bod is sold, and the relative scarcity >f fast food restaurants. But a tourist ooking for a cup of carry- nit coffee or a soda ma- iiine might die of thirst Defore finding one. When :he French are thirsty, they instead stop at cafes, where coffee is served in :hina cups, and soft rinks are poured into glasses from refillable mottles. To the solid waste pro- cessional, these differences are more ian just cultural or lifestyle choices. iey influence waste generation and disposal practices, particularly in the area of packaging. In general, France and other indus- trial countries use less packaging than the United States. In 1988, Americans generated 463 pounds of packaging per capita, about one-third of munici- pal solid waste (MSW) by weight. Both Japan and the European Community appear to generate at least one-fourth less. Japanese and European packag- ing is also more likely to be recycled. Of 18 countries for which glass recycling data are available, the United States ranked last in 1988, at a 13 percent rate. Five European coun- tries, including Germany, exceeded 50 percent. The U.S. rate of paper recycling also lags behind most of Europe and Japan: of the 18 countries, the United States ranked 15th. The United States does rank high in aluminum can and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic recycling. The U.S. aluminum can recycling rate (64 percent in 1990) was third among 19 countries. Its PET bottle recycling rate (28 percent in 1990) was far higher than the European average (less than 2 percent). But alumi- num cans and PET bottles together compose only 1.1 percent (by weight) of to- tal MSW in the United States, compared to nearly 25 percent for paper and glass packag- ing. Also, Europeans are making rapid strides in the case of PET. Over the last three years, at least seven European nations have seen the introduc- tion of refillable PET bottles, with return rates estimated at more than 90 percent. Other countries have proposed new legislation and regulations applicable to packaging materials. In the European Community and the Nordic countries, new regulations aim to re move most packaging waste from the MSW stream, making industry largely responsible for fi- __ nancing and, in several cases, operating collection and recycling programs. Canada, too, has set ambi- tious targets for reducing packaging waste, al- though the specific measures to be used to reach the targets are still being debated. In all countries, con- cerns about financing and organizing recycling programs are raised fre- quently. Recycling collection programs in the United States have been financed and run largely by local governments (with some exceptions such as deposit-refund systems). Because indi- vidual cities, towns, and counties generally do not exert a significant in- fluence on commodity markets, local govern- ments can be left holding the bag, or bot- tle, when demand for collected materials de- clines. Local government also has little control over the types of packaging used by manufacturers, and, in many instances, there is uncer- tainty as to whether sufficient funds are available to sustain collection and sorting programs. Europeans have addressed these concerns by turning increasingly to in- dustry as a partner or responsible party for collecting and recy- cling waste. In Germany, for example, industry is financing and operating what's called the "Dual System," a recycling pro- gram that provides separate collection of re cyclable paper, glass, metal, and plastic pack- aging. While local governments continue to collect solid waste, the Dual System aims to collect 90 percent of mostpack- aging materials and to recycle 80 percent of what is collected. France has a similar, but less ambitious, scheme. Whether this approach is transfer- able to our side of the Atlantic is not clear. But as U.S. policymakers search for solutions to the problems of fi- nancing and marketing recyclables, we're likely to hear more about how it is done in Europe. 1 The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Congressional Research Service. ------- Two Vie Free Trade Ensures Proper Management by Eugene J. Wingerter Executive DirectQr/CEO of the National Solid Wastes About 15 years ago, New Jersey got upset over solid waste that Pennsylvania was exporting to the Garden State and sued to block this transport of waste. The lawsuit went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that states may not unilaterally interfere with inter- state commerce, including com- merce in waste. How lucky for New Jersey that it lost. New Jersey now exports waste to many states, including Pennsylva- nia. Lucky, too, for Pennsylvania, which, continues to export waste to a number of states, although not to- New Jersey. Almost all states export waste. Market realities make interstate movement of waste feasible and even desirable. For some towns, a landfill in the next state could be closer than an in-state facility. There are still more reasons for allowing states and communities to transfer waste and share disposal capacity. As old landfills close, either because they are full or be- cause they cannot comply with stringent new federal requirements, the most cost-effective newer landfills are those that serve a large territory. The costs of the state-of- the-art facilities mandated by Subtitle D of the Resource Conserva- tion and Recovery Act and the Clean Air Act might be sustainable only by revenues derived from regional landfills, some of which serve "waste sheds" that cross state lines. If states—or worse, individual dis- tricts or communities within a state—were forced to build their own disposal facilities inde- pendently, costs could become burdensome and private investment would be discouraged. Such district- ing couldrequire the construction of more landfills than would be neces- sary if communities share capacity. Importing waste can be beneficial to the community that ^^^^ "hosts" a new landfill Not : only will the community's 5 own waste be managed , safely while its old facility ij is being dosed, but also the ; community likely will re- ? ceive benefits as a result of ] the revenues from im- i ported waste—from free """"""""""" local disposal to capital improve- ments to "host fees." Many communities already have enjoyed these benefits, as well as new jobs and expanded tax revenues, by host- ing a new landfill. Exporting waste aids communi- ties in fragile ecosystems and communities with environmentally unsafe facilities that cannot be re placed immediately. An entire region could benefit environmentally from being able to export its waste. Exporting waste aids communities in fragile ecosystems. Interstate movement of wasta does not preclude state governmenta from ensuring a certain amount 01 disposal capacity within their bor ders. States can require thei communities to plan for a certs disposal capacity and then let eac individual community decide whether to add capacity and the benefits from imports. Commu-j nities might wish to contract foif capacity or build their own. Interstate movement of waste had declined for a variety of reasons! including the rise of recycling, thq economic downturn, and adverse publicity surrounding the issue. Evi-j dence suggests that the "problem1] was always greatly overstated. Unfortunately, the issue gainec • steam in the 102nd Con-l ress, and the 103rd Con-| Bkely will see ne __> to restrict interstate] b^ernent of waste.t ver the legislatiyel _ fess plays out, we cahl redict that local commu-I nities likely will have more direct say in Wastel import matters. Understanding the! importance of this voice, the wastel services industry is trying hard to! work with communities to meet I their needs. That means protecting! communities' freedom to decide for I themselves. Rigid legislation re-1 stricting movement of waste will not I help. As the case of New Jersey and I Pennsylvania indicates, market re-J alities rule. Today's imports could I be tomorrow's exports. I ''Recycling Realities" Broadcast Live Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (KAB) broadcast a live 2-hour panel discussion and call-in talk show about recycling's role in integrated municipal solid waste (MSW) management to approxi- mately 250 viewing locations across the United States. The program, enti- tled "Recycling Realities: A National Town Meeting," was broadcast via satellite from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC, on April 5, 1993, to more than 20,000 individuals in businesses, govern- ment offices, universities, and schools across the country. Issues on the agenda included the capabilities and limitations of recy- cling; trends for the future of recycling; and the importance of com- posting, waste-to-energy facilities, and sanitary landfills in integratec MSW management. Panelists include a cross-section of experts on solic waste issues. A toll-free telephond number allowed viewers to call in ques-j tions and participate in the dialogue. For more information or to obta a videotape of "Recycling Realities,"! contact Sharon Oxley of KAB at" 203-323-8987.1 ------- Interstate Trad© i • i ! Local Control; Necessary to Manage Solid Waste by Seth Phillips Chief, Solid Waste Management Unit, Waste Management Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources I I On June 1,1992, the US. Supreme Court struck down Michigan's provisions regulating the interstate transport of solid waste in the case of Fort Gratiot Sanitary Landfil i versusMchiganDepartrnentofj Sfatural Resources, et ol The] Supreme Court has made. itl clear that without federal J authority states may not regu-1 ate movement of solid waste i among states more than it is' regulated within states. Since that time, Michigan, along with more; than 40 other states, has worked with "ongress to develop a federally legis- ated remedy to the problem created by these decisions. Michigan has had a comprehensive solid waste management planning program in place for over 10 years. The program calls for each of Michi- gan's 83 counties to create its own ntegrated solid waste management plan. Taken together, these plans "orm the State Solid Waste Manage- ment Plan. Although the plans address many solid waste issues, their driving force is the definition of ade- quate long-term disposal capacity for each county/thereby ensuring the availability of environmentally sound, cost-effective disposal capacity for the entire state. Contrary to the expe- rience of many other states, Michigan's program has been highly successful in establishing capacity, and additional disposal facilities are being sited; The reason .that Michigan's pro- gram has been .effective at creating disposal capacity is that the program provides counties with an appealing trade-off. Counties are required to designate, or provide for, guaranteed siting of necessary disposal capacity. Jp. jeturn for providing this '.. acity, counties are given Authority to control the ;-range use of that ca- Idry so thai: they can meet eir planning obligations. sent the ability to conttol use of disposal capacity, •unties have no assurance .at .they can meet their arming obligations. In fact, absent this control, long-term capacity cannot even be de- fined since out-of-state waste streams can use that capacity without control. Disposal facilities frequently as- sure communities long-term capacity even when their use clearly dictates that they will be full in shorter time frames. Given the dictate for ensuring adequate capacity siting under Michi- gan law, this would force the creation of new facilities that would not be needed if communities had relied in- stead on regulatory planning power. If communities cannot exercise some control over the proliferation and loca- tion of new disposal facilities, it is likely mat the political consequences will be what other states, absent the power to We should be responsible for addressing problems of our own creation. control waste importation, have suf- fered—a paralyzing inability to create needed capacity for the future. Michigan andmany other states have recognized, as do the proposed Re- source Conservation and Recovery Act reauthorization bills, that solid waste is an issue that needs to be addressed locally, state by state. States .that have actedresponsibly to provide for sound, long-range solid waste management for its citizens have demonstrated the ability and courage to face this difficult issue. They can only be successful in meeting these long-range objectives if ihey have the power to protect such capacity from being swallowed up by other states that lack the political will to take the steps necessary to solve the solid waste management needs of their own communities. As Chief Justice William Rehnquist noted in his dissenting opinion in the Fort Gratiot case, "The Court today pe- nalizes the State of Michigan for what to all appearances are its good-faith efforts, in turn encouraging each state to ignore the waste problem in the hope that, another will pick up the slack." Indeed, if Congress does not act to rem- edy this situation, states will react just as Chief Justice Rehnquist suggests. Mthin days of the Fort Gratipt decision, measures were introduced in Michi- gan's Legislature to restrict imports and to impose amoratorium on issuance of all disposal facility licenses and permits. Like many states, Michiganhas long practiced its belief that we should be responsible for addressing problems of our own creation. The cpntinued lack of ability for states to control waste imports will lead us in the op- posite direction, ft HHW Collection Programs Are on the Rise At the Seventh Annual Household Hazardous Waste Management Conference, it was reported that the number of permanent household hazardous waste (HHW) collectionpro- grams increased 33 percent between 1991 and 1992. The conference, held in Minnea- polis, Minnesota, on December 9 to 12, 1992, was designed to foster communication on complex HHW issues, including source reduction, education, collection, and manage- ment. The conference also addressed conditionally exempt small quantity generator (CESQG) management of hazardous waste and reducing the toxicity of HHW by reformulating household prod- ucts. The conference drew 400 attendees representing the United States, Switzerland, England, and Canada and featuredmore than 100 speakers. The next conference is scheduled to be held in Burlington, Vermont, on No- vember 9 to 13,1993. For proceedings or tapes of the 1992 conference, con- tact the Waste Watch Center at 508-470-3044. For more information, contact Tracy Bone of EPA's Office of Solid Waste at 202-260-5649.1 ------- The articles on these two pages focus on the activities of organizations engaged In materials exchange. Materi- als exchange is based on the principle that one person's trash can be another person's treasure. Unwanted items such as used clothing, furni- ture, appliances, and building materials are collected and redistributed to individuals and organizations that can reuse them. As these articles illustrate, materials exchange not only reduces waste, but also can be profitable, serve social purposes, and enhance cultural activities. Berkeley Business t* I I'V I" ?! 111 j'S ET '.- I "ill ," " T . i " PUN 1111 ill u I * i, ik " •"'"or more than a decade, Urban I— Ore, Inc., has turned a profit by I salvaging everything including thekitcjien sink from in.and around lelr^eley, California. Urban Ore col- lects, sorts, and then sells still-useful 'equipment!c"5|(ictibles^"andbuild- ing materials. The company's cus- tomers—home remodelers,. landlords, artists, collectors, inventprsj and flea market vendors—repair the ;,_,_„.__„„ _as_is." What: n'S^campTseTtt^s'Tecy-"11 Artist Sculpts Materials Exchange New York City has long been a mecca for the aits. In. recent years, the city also has become somewhat celebrated for its towering landfill fa Staten Island. M a" unique collaboration, New York City cultural leaders and sanitation officials have joined forces to enhance the local arts scene while reducing waste generation Visual artist Angela Fremont founded aprogram called Materials for the Arts in 1979 to collect unwanted goods and materials from both busi- nesses and individuals. Materials for the Arts then redistributes these materials to nonprofit cultural or- ganizations; social, community, and health service organizations with art programs; and individual artists working on public projects in New York City. Fremont, who was working at New York City's Department of Cultural Affairs at that Jme, got the idea for the program gfegJfae. Metropolitan Museum of ArraRacpSOier seeking to off-loadsomenq|Qrjgerdieededped- estals. As an artist7"she understood .-' cled, - About 10 percent of Urban Ore's i inventory is retrieved directly from the tipping floor at Berkeley's transfer station, where municipal discards are collected for transport to nearby land- fills. Most of the company's merchandise, however, is dropped off nearby at Urban Ore's two retail sites by local residents and businesses. Ur- ban Ore also frequently picks up goods from homes, businesses, and construction sites. The salvaged materials are pric| and displayed for sale four blc away at Urban Ore's 2-acre reuse ce ter—one of the nation's largest most diverse, according to Da\ Stern, Urban Ore's information se ices manager. Urban Ore's Gene Store carries furniture, rugs, hot wares, books, tools, records, andjof equipment in a large warehouse. large lot next door, the Building Ma^ rials Exchange handles lumbe bricks, tile, glass, pipe, sinks, bat| tubs, doors, and windows. Unlike traditional thrift store which carry small, highly marketat inventories, Urban Ore handles | large volume of goods of va quality—about 5,000 tons of mat] rial per year, according to Ste While preserving valuable lane space by selling reusable discarc Urban Ore also has proved that pr venting waste can be profitable. 1992,'Stern predicts, the compe will gross more than $1.1 mUlic from turning trash into treasures. I For more information^jcpntal David Stein of Urban Ore'sVlnfqrml tion Services at 510-559-4454.f the need in the arts community for such materials and realized that if it could happen once, it probably could happen again. Materials for the Arts accepts all types of items for artistic endeavors, including stereo equipment, musical instruments, theatrical lighting, pho- tography supplies, fabric, and notions. Staff members pick up every item at no charge, so the donor avoids costly remojcal fees. To ensure that donations actually gq to support the arts, every pfQsJ^ctiyerecipient must submit proof~o|Jnphprofit status, documentation"~QF cultural activities, and a "wish list" of desired items or materials. Today, Materials for the Arts receives donations from approxi- mately 1,000 donors and distributes the materials to more than 800 groups, from the Boys Choir of Har- lem to the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre to senior citizen centers. The founders of Materials for the Arts originally cast its image as a means of enhancing the city's arts scene, not as a reuse program with ; benefits. But in 198 as t^ejpirogram's director, Susl Glass, was speaking atji solid was conference, she reafizj^yhaj: the pi| gram also coulxOessen New Yc City's enormous landfill burden ConsecpeStiy, Glass sought, and] ceived, funding from the New York C Department of Sanitation's Bureau I Waste Prevention, Reuse, and Red cling. The increased funding, toget with additional warehouse space was provided by the city in 19£ Helped expand the program to point^where it is today. Prior to time/s^ace ^g a serious problem \ Materials for the Arts. "We had b< turningi flown, donations because had no spacejtp put things," says Gla Thanks toTEatextra space and func' Materials for the Arts redistributi each year nearly 400 tons of hand-r downs otherwise destined for disposd which have an estimated value of a] proximately $1.5 million. For moreinformatign,contact Suss Glass, director of thfrMaterials for 1 Arts program, at 2-S255-5 ------- idustry 'ftovers Spark Children's laginations Qio would have imagined that discarded lids from cans of shaving cream could be trans- rmed into wheels on a toy race car that plastic cores for solid deodor- t could become the car's axles? A ild would. Across the country, a nonprofit ucational organization is funneling anufacturirig leftovers into class- oms to jump-start students' laginations. What started 17 years o in Worcester, Massachusetts, as ic teacher's impulse to scour the immunity for extra teaching mate- is has blossomed into a unique ultistate partnership between isinesses and schools. Word is reading that such cooperation can eserve valuable landfill space hile enriching children's class- iom learning. Walter F. Drew, co-founder and 'esident of the nonprofit Institute >r Self-Active Education (ISAE), unched the National Schools Recy- e Network in 1981. Along with inning rnaterials exchange centers school gymnasiums and old ware- >uses in nearly a dozen states, ISAE •ganizes workshops throughput ie country encouraging teachers to Children in classrooms across the country are creating new uses for manufacturers' discards through the National Schools Recycle Network. develop creative classroom uses for industrial waste products. To date, more than 500 companies across the country have donated their unwanted punch-outs and sur- plus stock to the centers. A typical center overflows with reams of col- ored paper and cellophane, wood scraps of all shapes and sizes, clear plastic bottles, skeins of yarn, pieces of brightly colored foam and felt, bolts of doth, and rolls of wire. Stu- dents use the materials in science, math, language skills, and art classes, as well as for free-time play. Whatever the subject, children are experiencing ways to reuse valuable resources, in- stead of throwing tihem away. Public schools are issued free membership cards that allow teach- ers to stuff bags and boxes full of the center's creative teaching tools. Paid memberships also are available for families, individuals, and private or- ganizations such as daycare centers. The bulk of the centers' funding comes from private, state, and fed- eral grants, including some from EPA The centers typically are staffed by one or more paid employees who not only locatemanufacturers willing to make donations, but also pick up, transport, unload, sort, and display the". materials. "It's labor-intensive work," says Drew. "When you start serving thousands of teachers, you're hauling around tons of materials." But the hard work is worthwhile. As Drew points out, "We've seen fabu- lous materials thrown away every day 'that are unbelievably exciting and challenging for children and teachers." Formoreinformation, contact Walter F. Drew of ISAE at 407-984-1018.1 kiilding a Better uture . Second Life for onstruction Supplies 1 or eight years, the Loading Dock has recovered surplus construc- tion supplies to help individuals nd organizations build a better fu- r-rft 1 I~gMSpj, -, ^&$*&&Lf. -a ore. The Loading gogfe.jrnonprofit: rganization, redis^^p:es3tnesem,S- alals for a handlinfffee, about,jbne- lird of their retail price, to clients in iced. The organization's client^ are aw-income individuals, nonprofit roups, religious organizations, and usinesses that maintain properties occupied by nonprofit organizations or low-income tenants. The Loading Dock started in a small, unheated, rat-infested office in Baltimore, Maryland, that had as its best asset a very nice loading dock- hence the company name. Today, with 13 employees and a 21,000 square foot warehouse, the Loading Dock redistributes over $1 million worth of building supplies a^year. In 1992, the company diverted from the municipal solid waste stream over 7,000 tons of surplus material, such as lumber, paint, and floor cov- erings. According to Executive Director Hope Cucina, about 20 per- cent of the supplieVTedistributed at the Loading DocKl||!taken directly from drop-off areas at county landfills; the restis donatedby a well-established network of building supply distribu- tors, manufacturers, retailers, and other organizations. By donating mate- rials to the Loading Dock, businesses avoid disposal costs and qualify for a tax deduction Cucina estimates that about 400 Baltimore-area businesses regu- larly contribute surplus or hard-to-seU materials to the company. The company's operatiojiv%hich have been described by Maryland Governor Donald Schaefeipas "out- standing and original," fre being modeled in other parts oj||he state as well. For more informajibn, con- tact Hope Cucina of ther Loading Dock at 410-728-3625.1 ------- uestion: What can! do to reduce the amount of trash generated from packaging? nswer: Containers and packaging make Lup a significant portion of municipal solid waste:—nearly one-third of the trash generated in 1990 (by weight). Man>' products come in packages that protect or contain them or keep| them fresh. Packages sometimes offer instructions as well. But yjou might find that not all packaging is necessary or desirable. As consumers, each of us can make thoughtful shopping decisions to minimize the amount of trash we generate. We can, for example,:look for items that can be purchased loose or in bulk, such as nails at hardvvare stores or produce at grocery stores. For nonperishable, frequently used items such as laundry soap, baking soda, or cat litter, consi'der economy-sized packages. Remember that as the amount of product in a container increases, the packaging waste per serving or use tfends to decrease. Concentrated products, such as frozen juices, typicidly require less packaging and energy to ship to the store, saving jsothjnoney and natural resources. In addition, don't forget that we can tell store managers when we are pleased to see certain products displayed in bulk bins or with minimal packaging. Also, we can let manufacturers know that we appreciate their efforts to reduce packaging. For more tips, see EPA's The Consumer's Handbook for Reducing Solid M'asfc? (EPA530-K-92-003), available by calling the RCRA/Superfund Hotlihe (see below for calling information). Did You Knowll In addition to reducing the amount of materials in the solid waste stream,! reducing waste toxicity is an impor-| tant component of source reductior Toxicity reduction can be achieved by following some simple guidelines: • Use materials or products wit nonhazardous or less hazardousl components to accomplish the! task at hand, such as choosing| batteries with reduced mere content. • When you do use products withl hazardous components, avoidl wasting extra materials by| purchasing only what you need. • Share any leftover amounts you do I have with neighbors, local! businesses, or charities. Resources The following publications are available at no charge from the EPA RCRA/Superfund Hotline. Call 800-424-9346, or TDD 800-553-7672 for the hearing impaired, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. In Washington, DC, the number is 703-412-9810 or TDD 703-412-3323. ! Household Hazardous Waste: Steps to Safe Management (EPA530-F-92-031). This i pamphlet discusses what household hazardous waste, (H^W) is, dangers of improper disposal, ways to reduce and recycle HHW, arid safe storage and disposal practices. • ; Household Hazardous Waste Management: A Manual for 1-Day Community Collection Programs (EPA530- R-92-D26). This manual describes how community leaders and collection organizers can plan and operate ;a successful household hazardous waste drop-off program. '• ; "Green" Advertising Claims (EPA530-F-92-024). Developed in conjunction with the Federal Trade Com- mission and the U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs, this pamphlet lists key pointslfor consumers to consider \vher| selecting products labeled with environmental claims. i Municipal Solid Waste Prevention in Federal Agencies (EPA530-F-92-016). This fact sheet describes the activities undertaken by some federal agencies to prevent solid waste generation. ! Used] Dry Cell Batteries: Is a Collection Program Right for Your Community? (EPA530-K-92-006). This guide examines the economic and planning issues to be considered before^ establishing a collectiojn program for used dry cell batteries. | Safer Disposal for Solid Waste: The Federal Regulations for Municipal Landfills (EPA53p-SW-91-092i). This Educational booklet assists the general public in understanding the rolei of landfills in solid wastje management and how they function when properly designed and operated. Criteria for Solid Waste Disposal Facilities: A Guide for Owners/Operators (EPA530-SW-91-089). This nontechnical guide for landfill owners/operators and communities discusses implementation of the neiv municipal solid waste landfill criteria of RCRA Subtitle D. ', .-..>. ------- I "Taking Action" is a Reusable News feature that spotlights the everyday efforts of individuals to reduce, reuse, and recycle I in the home, office, and community. If you know of anyone who has made an innovative contribution to meeting the municipal I solid waste challenge, but not as part of an environmental profession, please write to John Leigh, Reusable News, Office of I Solid Waste, U.S. EPA (OS-305), 401 M Street, SW., Washington, DC 20460. K lebraska Woman Finds Markets for Recyclables LeMara Eicke is tightening the load for the landfill in Washington County, Nebraska. Over the past hree years, Eicke has jump-started recycling in her hometown, expanded •ecyding to a county level, and found :onsistent and creative markets for )ver 650 tons of recyclables otherwise iestined for a landfill. Her success in eading these efforts earned her the title "Recycler of the Year" from the sfebraska State Recycling Association in 1991. As chairperson of the Washington lounty Recycling Association WCRA), Eicke is responsible for find- .ng reliable markets for all of Washington County's recyclables— newspaper, glass, steel cans, and high density polyethylene (HOPE) andpoly- ethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics. Partially due to good publicity, the amount of recyclables collected in Washington County has increased by 25 percent in the past year. To date, Eicke has had tremendous success in locating markets and has been able to keep pace with the in- crease in supply. Eicke states that WCRA is fortunate to have found very stable markets for newspaper and glass, which consistently compose the majority of Washington County's recyclables. Each month WCRA deliv- ers a full trailer of newspapers (24 tons) to a company that uses recycled newspaper in its insulation products. The glass (7 tons per month) is sold to a nearby beverage distributer. The dis- tributer sells the glass to the company that manufactures the bottles used for its beverages, effectively dosing the loop. While the amount of steel cans and plastics collected is not as great, Eicke also has found stable markets for these recyclables. WCRA sells its plas- tic to a holding company that, in turn, resells the material to larger compa- nies with the technology to recycle plastic into building materials for sheds and animal hutches, park benches, and carpets. Steel cans are typically sold to scrap metal dealers that smelt the cans for reuse as steel construction materials and other products. Eicke's public commitment to re- cycling dates back to 1989 when she and her husband became the self-appointed curbside recyclers for their hometown of Washington, Nebraska. Using their pickup truck and a trailer, the couple devoted many of their Saturdays to collect- ing old newspapers from the 130 residents of their hometown. In an effort to expand the scope of her recycling initiative to the county level, Eicke and a corps of volunteers from local civic and church groups formed WCRA. In 1991, with the help of the City of Blair, WCRA was able to set up a permanent recycling cen- ter, which is open every Saturday and staffed by WCRA volunteers. WCRA is able to maintain the per- manent center due to Eicke's success in finding markets. Eicke recognizes that finding reliable markets is not always easy. Her advice is simple: "Don't collect anything that you can't get rid of." A successful recycling program will assess the availability of markets before deciding what mate- rials it can feasibly collect. She also cautions against commingling. Ac- cording to Eicke, few companies will sort recyclables, and it is often easier to locate separate markets for differ- ent recyclables. For more information, call LeMara Eicke at 402-238-2341.1 Minnesota Publishes Solid Waste Education Guide Anew educational guide on solid waste issues that teaches children how to build a replica of a landfill, among other activities, is now available from the Minnesota Extension Service. The Extension Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agricul- ture, developed the 64-page guide along with the Minnesota 4-H Youth Development education team. The publication, entitled Working on Waste, contains background material on the municipal solid waste stream and waste management concepts and provides awareness-building activities for children from 9 to 12 years old. The guide also discusses actions that youth can take to help meet solid waste challenges in their homes, neighborhoods, and schools. Working on Waste was funded by a grant from the Minnesota Office of Waste Manage ment. The guide is available for $6.00 from the Minnesota Extension Service Distribution Center, 3 Coff ey Hall, 1420 Eckles Avenue, St. Paul, MN 5 5108-6064. For more information, contact the Distribution Center at 612-625-8173. I ------- A System to Separate PVC for Recycling One of the thorniest issues fac- ing plastics recycling today is that the products collected for recycling are made of different types of plastic. Unless these recov- ered plastics are separated before processing, the types of products that can be produced from the recy- cled material are limited. Given that separated plastic can be used in nearly as great a variety of products as virgin plastic, it is important for technologies to be developed to sort plastic materials efficiently. Traditional manual separation methods, inwhichpeople sort plastic items by hand, are labor intensive and can, therefore, affect the economic feasibility of recycling. Recognizing this, National Recovery Technologies, Inc. (NRT) of Nashville, Tennessee, with funding from EPA's Small Busi- ness Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, the Vinyl Institute, and other industry sources, has devel- oped a new system for automatically sorting plastic bottles called VinylCycle™. NRT received EPA's "Outstanding Small Business Enter- prise Award" for this system in 1991. The system separates polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bottles, such as cook- ing oil and mineral water bottles, from bottles made from high-density polyethylene (HOPE), such as milk jugs, and polyethylene terephmalate (PET), such as soda bottles. It is par- ticularly important to separate PVC from PET because even a very small amount of PVC can contaminate PET, and vice-versa. In the system, whole or crushed bottles traveling on a conveyor belt are fed onto an acceleration slide and pass over a computerized detector. The detector recognizes the presence of chlorine atoms in the PVC bottles, and the system computer triggers the release of a burst of air that blows the PVC bottles off the conveyor belt and into a separate holding container. Automated sorting systems of- fer certain advantages to plastics recyders. In addition to being more cost-effective than manual sortii due to reduced labor costs, autc mated systems indirectly impro\ cost-effectiveness by accuratel| separating the different types plastic. Since many plastic bottle look and feel similar, manual sept ration can result in a high level error, which can be reduced signiff cantly by automation. Although automated sorting i| not a new process, the system doe offer improvements over morl primitive machines, according tl NRT. For example, whereas soml older systems process only on| bottle at a time, requiring adc tional machinery or labor to line uj bottles before sorting, this syste allows multiple bottles to pasl through its sensors simultaneously in any orientation or position. Thil allows sorting to be accomplisheq at higher speeds, thereby lowe operating costs. To obtain further informatior contact J. Bruce Goodman of NRT; 615-734-6400 or Donald Carey o| EPA's Office of Exploratory Re search at 202-260-7899.1 Georgia Launches Statewide Compost Program Last April, the Georgia Depart- ment of Com- munity Affairs (DCA) launched the na- tion's first statewide home composting program for leaves and yard trimmings. With seed money from an EPA re- gional office, Geor- gia DCA offered grants to local gov- ernments for estab- lishing local home composting pro- grams. Thirteen counties submitted proposals, and 10 were awarded Georgia Governor ZellMiller, pitchfork in grants. hand, composts at the Governor's mansion. Aided by onsite and telephone guidance from Georgia DCA, each local government is setting up a compost dem- onstration site to teach its residents the art of composting. Demonstration sites display commercially available 10 compost bins and offer instructions on how to build homl made bins. Standard bins are fashioned from fence wire a a cost of about $3.00 each. Larger bins, suitable for school! churches, and homes with big yards, are constructed froJ used wooden shipping pallets. Local businesses dona^ pallets for the bins, thereby eliminating the cost to citizen and the need for new materials, and preventing 1 pallets from being disposed of in landfills. To optimize the value of the demonstration sites, Geo:| gia DCA also sponsored 10 regional orientation workshop for volunteers from each participating county. At workshops, volunteers toured a compost demonstratioj site and learned how to introduce home composting their own neighborhoods. In return for the free trs Georgia DCA asked each volunteer to spend 40 hoi helping their friends and neighbors overcome what prcj ject consultant Clark Gregory calls the "invisible barrie to home composting—thinking that composting requ' special training or effort. As Gregory puts it, "We recruiting a composting army in Georgia to spread the wor| that home composting is okay." It is too early to tell how extensive the local compostrnj programs will be, reports Leamon Scott of Georgia DC but DCA hopes to see a compost bin behind nearly eve Georgia home before long. Georgia DCA also hopes th| home composting project will serve as a model for simile programs in other states. Says Gregory, "Why make you leaves leave home? Compost makes them work for you.'| For more information on Georgia's home compostir program, contact Leamon Scott of the Georgia DCA 404-656-3851 or Clark Gregory of the Fulton County Soij and Water Conservation District at 404-876-2943. ~ ------- Forum Focuses on Reducing Heavy Metals Voluntary efforts to reduce the amount of heavy metals found in the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream was the focus of a Heavy Metals Source Reduction Fo- rum held on December 2 to 3,1992, in Providence, Rhode Island. Repre- sentatives from industry, govern- ment, academia, and public interest groups met at the forum, which was a pilot program sponsored jointly by EPARegion 1 andEPA's Office of Solid Waste, to discuss six products con- taining heavy metals: Fluorescent lamps (mercury). Thermometers (mercury). Rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries (cadmium). Cathode ray tubes or CRTs (lead oxide), which are found, for example, in computers and televisions. Lead solder (lead), which is used in the manufacture of printed circuit boards, a component of products such as video games and computers. Plastic thermal stabilizers (cadmium), which are used in flexible polyvinyl chloride plastic found in shoes, shower curtains, and coatings on artifical leather. EPA selected these products us- ing a framework for source reduction developed by the World Wildlif e Fund, as well as EPA char- acterization reports on products containing lead, cadmium, and mercury. The forum organizers chose only products that as yet have not been analyzed thor- oughly. Forum participants discussed voluntary source reduction oppor- tunities for each of the six products. For example, an active program by the fluorescent light- ing industry to reduce the amount of mercury in fluorescent lamps was examined. Participants also discussed efforts to increase the lifespan of thermometers by en- casing them in metal. Similarly, forum attendees examined the de- velopment of "smart chargers," which could prolong the life of rechargeable nickel-cadmium bat- teries by preventing customers from overcharging their batteries. A report on the forum will be avail- able in the spring. For more information, contact Cynthia Greene of EPA Region 1 at 617-223-5531.1 "Green" Advertising Claims Pamphlet Available Now available from the RCRA/Superfund Hotline is a pamphlet that addresses advertising claims about the environmental attributes of products. "Green" Advertising Claims lists five key points for con- sumers to consider when selecting products: Look for environmental claims that are very specific. For example, if a label says "recycled," check how much of the product or packaging is recycled. Be wary of overly broad or vague environmental claims such as "environmentally friendly." Look thoroughly into claims of "degradability." Check "ozone friendly" and "CFC free" claims carefully. Consider the contribution of products to ground-level ozone. EPA, the Federal Trade Commission, and the U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs joined together to produce the pamphlet to help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions. See Hot Off the Hotline on page 8 for information on how to order the pamphlet. H Unit Pricing Roundtable Brings Cities Together recent roundtable on unit pricing might provide the template for a knew means of communication among EPA headquarters, EPA regional offices, states, and local government leaders. The roundtable, which was held on December 4,1992, brought together people who already have implemented unitpricing programs with those who are _^^____, in the development ^ _ _ _ i stages of their own tUnit pricing programs. | refers to any Unit pricing re- - waste fers to any waste management management sys- rr- :- -• - tern that fharo-pc svstem that : - rhar customers based 'L Cnaiges upon the amount I; customers Of waste they gen- Is based upon erate. Although t the amount there are eco- E- of waste nomic incentives there also are cer- |- generate. tain barriers to ^___^^^^^ implementation. The roundtable offered a forum for waste management officials to meet and discuss these barriers. It also pro- vided EPA with a working laboratory, where personnel from EPA headquar- ters and regional offices learned first hand of unit pricing experiences and the needs of local officials who are implementing a unit pricing waste management system. The roundtable was a collabora- tive effort between EPA's Office of Solid Waste (OSW) and Office of Pol- icy, Planning, and Evaluation (OPPE). OSW also is creating a guidance docu- ment on unit pricing for local officials. In addition, OPPE is leading a residential solid waste demonstra- tion project to study the effects of changing from a conventional solid waste pricing system to unit pricing. For more information on the dem- onstration project, contact Deborah Nestor of OPPE at 202-260-5500. For more information on the round- table or the guidance document, contact Jan Canterbury of OSW at 202-260-2349. I 11 ------- Businesses Unite to Boost Demand for Recycled Products (Continued from page 1) trade associations that together func- tion as the Campaign's steering committee, called the Buy Recycled Business Alliance. In addition to signing a charter committing them to use more prod- ucts made of recycled materials, each of the Alliance's founding corpora- tions surveyed their current level of recycled-product purchasing—a benchmark from which to measure their future progress. Survey results showed that these companies had spent a total of almost $3 billion on a myriad of recycled products—from company letterhead to carpeting. "American businesses are committed to buying recycled," said Alliance member Larry Long of Anheuser- Busch, Inc. "We are not starting, from ground zero here. We have discovered a substantial base from which to build." NRC's goal for the Buy Recycled Campaign over the next two years is to recruit 5,000 companies to sign the charter. To meet this goal, NRC plans to distribute educational videos and handbooks, provide on-line access recycled-product market informatioi| and hold a series of workshops seminars on buying recycled produc NRC has been flooded with inquirie from additional companies intereste| in joining the Campaign. Having se charters and surveys to roughly 6( companies at their request, Bailey i| optimistic that enthusiasm for Campaign will continue to grow. For more information, contact Ph Bailey of the NRC at 202-625-6406. i Members of the Buy Recycled Business Alliance 3M American Airlines American Plastics Council Anheuser-Busch, Inc. AT&T Bank of America Bell Atlantic Co. Browning Ferris Industries The Coca-Cola Co. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. EL DuPont Co. Food Management Institute Fort Howard Corp. Garden State Paper Co. James River Corp. Johnson Controls Johnson & Johnson KMart Laidlaw, Inc. Lever Brothers, Inc. McDonald's Corp. Menasha Corp. Moore Business Forms, Inc. Quaker Oats Quill Corp. Rock-Term Co. Rubbermaid Com- mercial Products, Inc. Safeway, Inc. Scrap Tire Manage ment Council Sears Roebuck and Co. Steel Can Recycling Institute Wal-Mart, Inc. Waste Management, Inc. Wellman, Inc. Wisconsin Tissue Mills Reusable News is the quarterly newsletter of the EPA Office of Solid Waste's Municipal and Industrial Solid Waste Division. Reusable News reports on the efforts of EPA and others to safely ] and effectively manage the na- tion's garbage and provides useful information about key issues and concerns in municipal solid waste management. Address comments or suggestions to: John Leigh, Editor (OS-305) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 401 M Street, SW. Washington, DC 20460 The mention of publications, products, or organizations in this newsletter does \ not constitute endorsement or approval for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Communications Services Branch (OS-305) Office of Solid Waste U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 401 M Street, SW. Washington, DC 20460 Official Business, Penalty for Private Use $300 ------- United States Environmental Protection Agency Solid Waste And Emergency Response (5305W) €PA530-N-96T005 Winter/Spring 1996 vvEPA Native American Network Special OS >olid Waste Perspective: EPA continues to focus on issues iportant to Indian Tribes, we've rected our attention to the unique oblems facing Alaska Natives, irticularly in the area of rural sanita- n. Assistant Administrator Elliott iws, along with Region 10 and Alaska 'A staff, had an opportunity to visit iree remote villages in Alaska this ast August. eir travels took them to Togiak in the stol Bay region (southwest Alaska), a National Tribal Conference '96 The Thircl National Tribal Conference on Envi- ronmental Management will be moving west this year. This year's conference will be hosted by the Flathead Nation of Montana. The conference will be at the K5/va 13q Nuk Resort located on the beautiful Flathead Lake in northern Montana. The conference will address multimedia issues throughout Indian country and an environmental vendor exhibit is also planned. All tribes are eagerly encour- aged to attend to Jielp this year's conference be bigger and better than the previous two. if you would like more information regarding the conference, please call Bill Swaney, Divi- sion of Environmental Protection, Flathead Nation at (406) 675-2700. (See page 7). fishing village ofappf people, to Kongiganal==a=w.»^s=r e_ Kuskokwim Delta (a village oF'appfbxi- mately 300 people) and finally to Northway in interior Alaska. While each village faces situations unique to the location and geography of their respective regions, there were many similarities in how the communities addressed their problems. 5 The village of Togiak has been working under the leadership of EPA Ameri- Corps member Brian Abraham to address solid waste problems. The garbage dump, located just off the shore of Togiak Bay was not contained within an enclosed area and there were automobile batteries and appli- ances in evidence throughout, along with discarded vehicles. A fire was burning unattended. Driving through town, Brian pointed out the trash barrels he had made out of'oil drums, areas where he and students con- ducted clean-up activities on Earth Day and the storage shed he was planning to convert to a battery storage facility. His biggest activity he advised his visitors, was in community education on solid waste issues. Though progress had been slow, solutions were coming from within and under local leadership. =ra-erery-rrn?lasRa the group flew to Bethel, then hopped a small plane for a one-hour flight to the village of Kongiganak at the mouth of, the Kuskokwim River. They visited the solid waste dump site located three miles away from the community by skiff. During the winter, residents have to haul their garbage over land by , snow mobile to the dump site making transport difficult and dangerous. The third day the group traveled to Tok where they were met by staff of the Tanana Chiefs Conference who took them by car on the last leg of their trip to Northway. Northway is a small ^. Elliott Laws, Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Recycled/Recyclable • Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Recycled Paper (50% Postconsumer) • Please Recycle as Newsprint ------- NATIVE AMERICANNETWORK Rural Alaska (cont'd) village located 11/2 miles off the Alaskan Highway with a population of just over 100. The residents of Northway (a town which was once part of the Lend/Lease operation), were trying to focus attention on removing debris left behind by the federal government. While the Army Corps of Engineers is conducting a cleanup of just the con- taminated containers, old rusted cans and oil drums that were empty littered the top of the ground. Region 10 and Headquarters are currently evaluating the FY 96 budget for possible assistance to the village in its cleanup efforts. In summary the unique characteristics of Alaska require that state and federal agencies consider the logistics of doing business there - the geographic characteristics and climate that some- . times require more costly approaches, the cost to operate facilities, the expense and time involved in traveling from point to point, and the high cost of living. While funding is a big part of I solution to rural sanitation problems, | must go hand in hand with local initiatives and a partnership between! local governments and state and fed( agencies, as well as a recognition of local preferences by state and federal officials. For more information, contac Charlene Dunn in EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response at (2 260-9466, or Kathy Veit, EPA Region 101 (206) 553-1983. • EPA Rule Delays Compliance Date for Small Landfills EPA published a final rule (60 FR 52337; October 6,1995) extending the general compliance date for small municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLFs) located in either dry or remote locations. EPA extended the compliance date for qualifying MSWLFs by two years, from October 9,1995, to October 9,1997. These small MSWLF units do not become subject to the federal landfill criteria (found in 40 CFR Part 258) until October 9,1997, unless a state or tribal program requires an earlier compliance date. The final rule applies only to small MSWLFs that have no evidence of existing ground-water contamination, and are located in a remote or arid area (receiving less than 25 inches of precipitation annually). In a related action, EPA plans to publis a final rule by October 1996 thatallov small MSWLFs in dry or remote loca- tions to conduct alternative ground- water monitoring on a case-by-case basis. • On March 26, 1996, President Clintorl signed the Land Disposal Flexibility Ac] (PL-104-119) which provides needed re| forms to certain municipal landfill ground-water monitoring require! ments. See next issue for complete details. First Tribal Pollution Prevention Conference a Success Over 230 individuals from across the country came to Billings, Montana, for the first National Tribal Pollution Pre- vention Conference on August 15-17, 1995, at the Radisson Northern Hotel. Native Americans were well repre- sented at the conference. More than 60 tribes from 30 states and Canada were in attendance, and 26 of the 38 speakers were Native American. Con- ference participants were exposed to a wide variety of issues and participated in workshops and sessions which pro- vided insight into pollution prevention (P2) principles and methods. The conference featured several note- worthy keynote speakers: Billy Frank Jr., Director of the Northwest Indian Fisher- ies Commission; Tom Maulson, Chair- man of the Lac du Flambeau Reserva- tion in Wisconsin; Gail Small, Executive Director of Native Action; and Bill Yel- lowtail, Regional Administrator for EPA, Region 8. A three-hour workshop by motiva- tional speaker and community wellness expert Don Coyhis - Presi- dent, White Bison, Inc. -- kicked off the conference and set the stage for P2 concepts and learning. Coyhis de- scribed the significance of the Medi- cine Wheel and the Healing Forest in preventing pollution and protecting the environment. One important theme throughout the workshop was that preventing pollution involves a change in behavior, and that any change must be preceded by a vision, the "seed" ' from which action germinates. Coyhis led participants through innovative and stimulating exercises designed to raise awareness about environmental issue! and change behavior. There were 18 concurrent sessions throughout the conference, and particj pants had to choose from among threl at a given time. Conference evaluation! have been extremely positive and indicate that both the scope and con- tent of the conference were both right| on target. There is clearly widespread interest in holding" a second annual conference. For additional information about the conference, contact Todd MacFadden at the Montana State Ex- tension Office (406) 994-3451. H ------- NATIVE AMERICAN NETWORK DO YOU KNOW ... Where to Look for EPA's Regulations? The Federal Register, Regulatory Plan, and tie Regulatory Agenda, are all sources where tribal governments can identify •egulations issued by EPA. These publications can help tribal officials determine their priorities for getting involved in specific rules that are important to their local communities. Distributed every weekday except holidays, the Federal Register lists regulations issued by all federal agencies (such as EPA). The Regulatory Plan and Regulatory Agenda are summaries of EPA's regulations. The Plan, issued each November, outlines EPA's annual regulatory strategy listing key policy initiatives and regulations. The Agenda, issued every November and April, contains a cumulative summary of the status of EPA regula- tions under development. At the back of the Agenda are several indices. One is arranged by subject area and the other lists regulations expected to affect state and tribal governments. Once an individual has identified a regulation of interest to their community it is recommended that they call or write the EPA contact listed at the end of the particular Agenda entry to find out the current status of a specific regulation. if you would like to get on the mailing list to receive a free copy of the Agenda, call or write Bridgette Dent at the Regulation Development Branch, EPA, Mailcode 2136, Washington, D.C. 20460. Phone number (202) 260-5475. Copies of the Federal Register are available to use at many local public libraries, federal depository libraries, and local colleges and universities. A list of depository libraries is available free, upon request, by writing to: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washing- ton, DC 20402, (202) 512-1800. EPA also has a public access server on the Internet (free of charge) where you can obtain Federal Register information, as well as other environmental infor- mation. Listed below are several addresses for logging on to the EPA server, depending upon what type of Internet access you might have. O Gopher: gopher.epa.gov O World Wide Web: http://www.epa.gov/ O Wide Area Information Server: wais.epa.gov • O File Transfer Protocol: ftp.epa.gov For assistance with EPA's Public Access Server, contact EPA via e-mail at: internet_support@unixmail.rtpnc.epa.gov For users of the IndianNet system, indianNet is now piloting access to the Internet. Native American Network will update readers on this initiative. Workshops on the Federal Register, "What It Is and How to Use It," are offered free of charge in selected cities across the country including Washing- ton, DC. The workshops focus on the regulatory process and your role in the development of regulations. For further information, contact Fran McDonnell at (202) 523-4534. For those unable to attend a workshop, a handbook entitled The Federal Register.- What It Is and How to Use ft provides guidelines for using the Federal Register and participating in the regulatory process. To order a copy contact the Superintendent of Docu- ments, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, (202) 512-1800. The cost is $7.00 per copy If you have any questions or would like more .information about the Federal Register, contact the Finding Aides Unit at (202) 523-5227 between 8:45 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. EST. [Information in this article was re- printed from SCAN, Small Communities Advisory Network, Summer 1995, Vol. 1, Issue 1, with permission from the international City/County Management Association, 777 North Capitol Street, N.E., Suite 500, Washington, DC 20002, (202) 289-4262. People interested in suscribing to this quarterly newsletter should contact Shannon Flanagan at (202) 962-3540.] • Eastern Tribes Try Their Hand at Composting On October 25 - 27, tribal representa- tives from seven eastern tribes at- tended a composting school sponsored by the Cooperative Extension Service, Departments of Agricultural Engineer- ing and Horticulture, at the University of Maryland. The quality of training at the school is among the best in the nation. Tribes represented were: Eastern Band of Cherokee (North Carolina), Catawba (South Carolina), Poarch Creek Indians (Alabama), Miccosukee (Florida), Seminole (Florida), Clifton Choctaw (Louisiana) and the Mississippi Band of Choctaws. Funding for the project resulted through the combined efforts of EPA's Office of Solid Waste and the U.S. Forest Service. The three-day course provided hands-on instruction about a variety of compost techniques directed toward different mixtures of compost materials. At- tendees learned how to construct and maintain a compost facility, providing a foundation for the implementation of tribal composting programs. Dr. Frank Gouin, professor emeritus in the Department of Horticulture at Maryland, will be providing technical assistance this winter to the Cherokees and the Catawba Nation to help them begin composting programs. The Catawbas are interested in yard materials composting, and the Cherokees are looking into establishing a wastewater sludge compost pro- gram. For more information, contact Dr. Rosalie Green of EPA at (703) 308- 7268. • ------- NATIVE AMERICAN NETWORK EPA and Morgan State University Host Environmental Ambassadors EPA and Morgan State University (MSU) in Baltimore, MD, are partners in an innovative project to enhance environ- mental awareness in the education arena. In the summer of 1995, the Third EPA/MSU Summer Environmental Teachers Institute was held on the MSU campus. The intensive two-week Institute was attended by 41 school teachers, representing 25 states, who will become "environmental ambassadors" in their communities. All of the participants teach in minority and/or economically disadvantaged communi- ties with waste sites near their schools. Seven teachers work in Native Ameri- can schools and many of the schools have a student body population with a high percentage of African-American, Asian and Hispanic students. The institute offers teachers a unique hands-on opportunity to learn about environmental issues affecting their neighborhoods plus a wide range of classroom activities. The teachers are a critical link in sharing their enhanced environ- mental awareness with their students, peers and commu- nities. The institute featured a number of field trips to ecological areas around the Baltimore area. Institute topics included: recycling and waste cleanup, environmental justice, pollu- tion prevention, technology innovation, lead issues, environmental careers, and school-community involvement. In conjunction with the Morgan State University Institute, an additional four teacher institutes were held this summer in Regions 4, 5, 6, and 8. The institutes provide an effective mecha- nism to empower local communities through education. At the completion of the program, teachers received a stipend, graduate credits and environ- mental classroom materials. • EPA Brownfields Program "Cities Redevelop Old Industrial Sites With EPA's Aid," "New Life for Birming- ham, AL," "St Louis To Get Cleanup Money,' "New EPA Program May Help Cities," "US EPA Gives Waste Site Cleanup Funds to 29 Cities." These headlines represent just a handful of the national news articles describing EPA's Brownfields Program since the Administrator announced the effort in January 1995. Since then, interest in OSWER's effort to assess, clean up and redevelop abandoned properties - known as Brownfields - has been tremendous. Hundreds of conferences, devoted solely to the issue of Brownfields cleanup and redevelopment, have been hosted by the American Bar Association, numerous cities and local governments, a variety of associations and countless others. The high participa- tion rate at Brownfields conferences has far exceeded expectations. So what are Brownfields and what is EPAs program to address them? Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is compli- cated by real or perceived environmental contamination. The present Superfund law (CERCLA) creates severe impediments to cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated property due to fear of liability on the part of lenders, real estate developers and investors. The results have been blighted urban centers, which are rife with abandoned factory shells, creating safety and health risks for residents, joblessness and a sense of hopelessness in our nation's inner cities. EPA's Brownfields program is designed to turn that phenomenon around. ' ' In January 1995, EPA Administrator Browner unveiled the Brownfields Action Agenda, a comprehensive approach to empower states, communities and other stakeholders interested in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse Brownfields. The Action.Agenda identifies! and addresses barriers created by regulations, guidance, and administrative | practices, and recommends swift, ^aggressive measures for change within the context of the existing Superfund law. Our efforts fall into four main categories: 1) Brownfields pilots; 2} clarifying liability and cleanup issues; 3) partnerships arid outreach; and 4) job development and training.' Brownfields Pilots As part of the Brownfields Action Agenda, the Agency plans to fund up to 50 Brown-fields pilots during 1996 for up; to $200,000 each. These pilots are intended to provide EPA, states, and' localities with useful information and new strategies for promoting environ- mental cleanup through redevelopment. The Agency is currently funding 28 national pilots --sponsored by EPA Headquarters and an additional 12 pilots chosen and supported by EPA Regional Offices.,' ' ------- NATIVE AMERICAN NETWORK BULLETIN BOARD Check Out These New Regulations OSWER has published several new regulations affecting tribes in the area of waste management. For informa- tion on the following regulations, please contact the EPA Hotline at 1 -800-424-9346 or (703) 412-9810. The proposed Indian Authorization rule for RCRA Subtitle C has been given final approval and will be . published in the Federal Register soon. Technical questions can be directed to Felicia Wright at (703) 308-8634. Military Munitions Rule: Hazardous Waste Identifi- cation and Management, Explosives Emergencies, Redefinition of On-Site. Proposed Rule, 60 FR 56468, November 8,1995; technical questions may be directed to Ken Shuster at (703) 308-8759. Revised Standards for Hazardous Wastes: Agency proposed standards for hazardous waste incinera- tors, cement kilns, .and hazardous waste burning light weight aggregate kilns (61 FR 17358, April 19, 1996); technical questions may be directed to Larry Denyer at (703) 308-8770. Native American Network Expands Its Coverage! "^ Beginning with our next issue, the Native American Network will expand its news coverage to represent a wider array of environmental activities within EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER). In addition to its RCRA solid and hazardous waste focus, the Networ/twill feature in-depth articles and Tribal Program Advisory sheets covering activities related to the Superfund program, chemical emergency preparedness, and underground storage tanks. In addition, the Network will continue to cover cross-media items of major significance to these programs.. This expansion is part of a major effort by EPA to improve its communication on environmental issues within Indian Country. Please contact Felicia Wright in the Office of Solid Waste at (703) 308-8634, or Charlene Dunn, OSWER, at (202) 260-9466 for more information. OSW Welcomes '^ New Native American Intern On September 19, 1995, the USEPA welcomed a new intern to its Office of Solid Waste. Mr. Rides at the door, an environ- mental studies major, will be working with the Indian Programs Manager on current Indian environmental issues for the next six months. Mr. Door is a Blackfoot from the Blackfeet Nation in Northern Montana and is also minoring in Native American Studies at Montana State University. Mr. Rides at the door is participating in a program that EPA and the Environmental Careers Organizations (ECO) has put together for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral, students with diverse backgrounds from across the nation, seeking a career in the environmental fields. The relationship between EPA and ECO dates back to 1985 when the Office of Exploratory Research introduced the . Minority Institutions Summer Internship Program. The implementation of these programs is aimed at offering training opportunities to college students who are ' interested in environmental careers. EPA and ECO share many common goals and currently work together on several joint programming activities. For more informa- tion, please call Mr. Door, at (703) 308-7287. I Final RCRA Public 3? Participation Rule Promulgated In an effort to empower all communi- ties to become more actively involved in local hazardous waste management, EPA is expanding the public participa- tion aspects of RCRA Subtitle C permitting. EPA promulgated the RCRA. Expanded Public Participation final rule (Monday December 11, 1995, 60 FR 63417-63434) which calls for earlier public involvement and expands public access to information through- out the permitting process and the operational life of hazardous waste management facilities. The rule becomes effective, on June 11,1996. - I ------- NATIVE AMERICAN NETWORK EPA Brownfields Program (cont'd) To date, the results of these pilots have been quite promising. For example, EPA is already seeing results at the Brownfields pilot in Cleveland, Ohio, awarded in 1992. In Cleveland, $3.2 million has been leveraged in environ- mental cleanup and property improve-. ments to the bankrupt and abandoned Sunar-Hauserman site, which now is home to several businesses and 171 new workers. Increased payroll tax payments alone have netted over $1 million for the local economy. Several national pilots, just announced in July are already coming to fruition. For example, in Knoxville, Tennessee, a buyer has been found for the first Brownfields site; and a solar technol- ogy business has finalized an agree- ment to locate in the new eco-indus- trial park, in Cape Charles, Virginia, the Commonwealth's poorest community. There has been an overwhelming response to the Brownfields Pilot competition. The Agency has already reviewed over 140 applications and we expect to receive more by March 1996, the final application deadline. Clarification of Liability and Cleanup Issues Other initiatives that are critical to the success of the program include an effort by the Office of Emergency and Remedial Response (OERR) to archive 24,000 sites from the Federal Superfund Inventory (CERCLIS). Among these sites, which are no longer of further federal interest, are thousands of sites having little or no contamination, and sites now addressed by state cleanup programs. We hope that archiving these sites -- removing them from CERCLIS -- will encourage the cleanup and redevelopment of these proper- ties. In addition, OERR has issued Land Use Guidance ensuring that EPA will consider both future land use during Superfund cleanups and the communi- ties' interests when choosing remedies. This guidance should facilitate expe- dited and more cost effective-cleanups at Brownfields sites. Further, guidance clarifying liability for prospective purchasers, municipalities and lenders, issued by the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assur- ance (OECA) and the Office of Under- ground Storage Tanks (OUST), will help to remove some of the uncertainties often associated with these properties. Partnerships and Outreach OSWER's Brownfields initiative is clearly about partnerships, including partner- ships with other EPA offices (e.g., OERR, OUST and OECA), other federal agencies and a variety of stakeholders. The Outreach and Special Projects Staff (OSPS) in OSWER, which oversees the Brownfields initiative, is also working with the Agency's Common Sense Initiative (CSl) and has identified the Brownfields pilot in Birmingham, Alabama, as an opportunity to link issues being addressed in the iron and steel sector. In addition, EPA's ten Regions have designated Brownfields Coordinators who oversee the Brownfields pilots and other Brownfields initiatives. External partnerships with the Associa- tion of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (ASTSWMO) will ensure that state voluntary cleanup programs play an important role in this initiative. Our efforts with the Depart- ment of Housing and Urban Develop- ment to collaborate in cities desig- nated as Empowerment Zones/ Enterprise Communities (EZ/EC) will leverage scarce federal resources. A partnership with the National Environ- mental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) continues to. provide us with the opportunity to reach communities across the country and receive direct input from citizens about the Agency's Brownfields initiative. And our joining forces with the Department of Labor will provide the important link to our job training. Job Development and Training We recognize the need to promote environmental workforce training programs in Brownfields communities throughout the country. The gap between the demand for environmen- tal workforce training and the ability of educational institutions to respond to that demand is growing. EPA, local organizations and community colleges have established partnerships to develop long-term plans for fostering workforce development in Brownfields communities. For example, EPA is working with the Hazardous Materials Training and Research Institute (HMTRl) to expand environmental training and curriculum development at community colleges located near Brownfields pilot communities. In November, HMTRl, with EPA support, hosted a workshop at the Catonsville Community College in Maryland to assist community colleges from Brownfields cities in developing environmental job training programs. Seventeen of our pilot cities were represented. Initiatives such as this will help to ensure that Brownfields cleanup and redevelop- ment efforts have the trained ' workforce needed to revitalize con- taminated properties and that local community members are involved in these efforts. So What Is Next? As we approach the one year anniver- sary of the Brownfields Action Agenda, many of the goals we set for ourselves have been accomplished. However, Brownfields redevelopment involves some of the critical issues of our time - -urban sustainability protection of human health and the environment, environmental justice, and its close ally public participation. This presents a unique challenge for everyone — a challenge we hope to address with the help of others during the year. The first milestone in '96 was a National Brownfields Meeting in Washington, DC, on February 13th-14th, which began identifying opportunities for augment- ing the environmental cleanup and redevelopment efforts in Brownfields pilot cities. ------- ! Registration Form Third National Tribal Conference on Environmental Management KwaTaqNuk Resort, Poison, Montana May 21-23, 1996 NAME of Participant ADDRESS: (please print clearly) TELEPHONE NUMBER: Home-. ( Office: ( OCCUPATION: EMPLOYER AND ADDRESS: Are you the designated representative to receive reimbursement? Yes No Third National Tribal Conference on Environmental Management Registration Receipt ( ) Pre-Registration Fee (includes banquet) , $75.00 Before May 5,1996 ( ) On-Site Registration (includes banquet) $100.00 After May 5, 1996 ( ) Extra Banquet Ticket $20.00 Method of Payment: Cash Check (No. ) FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Received From: Date: Dollars $ For: ( ) Pre-Registration ($75.00) ( ) On-Site Registration ($100.00) ( ) Banquet Only ($20.00) Received bv: ------- NATIVE AMERICAN NETWORK State/Tribal Implementation Rule Proposed Onjanuary 26,1996, the State/Tribal Implementation Rule (STIR) was pub- lished in the Federal Register, and has a 90-day public comment period begin- ning on this date. The proposed STIR gives Indian tribes the opportunity to apply for EPA-approved municipal solid waste landfill (MSWLF) permit programs, and details the procedures and criteria EPA will use to make permit approval decisions. Tlribal or state permitting programs that are approved by EPA have the option of allowing owners or operators of municipal solid waste landfills some flexibility in me'etingthe federal requirements found in 40 CFR Part 258. Tribes or states with unapproved programs are not allowed this flexibility, arid 'must follow the explicit federal, ' MSWLF design requirements. Approved tribes or states can allow alternative landfill designs as long as owners and operators demonstrate that the designs meet federal performance standards. For example, an approved tribe or state could use this flexibility in designing a landfill liner or a final landfill cover. EPA is seeking comment in the pro- posed rule on whether the Agency has incorporated suitable criteria and procedures for determining if a tribe's permit program is adequate. EPA also seeks comment on whether thq.rdle_'.. gives appropriate terms for tribal-' " ; governmental positions, such as Governor, Attorney General, Agency ;' and Director. EPA encourages trlbes'to. submit comments to Docket Clerk, Docket NO. F-96-STIP-FFFFF, USEPA ...... Headquarters at Mail Code 5305 W, 40) .M Street, SW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20460. The telephone ;\ ^ number for the RCRA Docket is ,(703) '"'•' 603-9230. Instructions for filing' comments are included in the pro-; posed rule. For additional inforrriatiorr about the proposed STIR, call Mia Zmud in the Office of Solid Waste,at. (703)308-7263. • . vy; • ; Native American Network is published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Solid Waste. -•* Editor-. Felicia Wright (703) 308-8634. ' ' K The views expressed in Native American Network are those of the authors. Articles by non- EPA authors do not' necessarily reflect or represent EPA policy. The intent of Native American Network is to provide a diverse array of information for those concerned about environmental issues in Indian country and to provide a forum for regulatory information exchange among tribal governments, EPA, other federal agencies, and state and local governments." United States Environmental Protection Agency (5305) Washington, DC 20460 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 ------- EPA/530-SW-89-056 Pollution Prevention in Metal Manufacturing Saving Money Through Pollution Prevention U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Solid Waste October 1989 Printed on Recycled Paper ------- Preface Pollution Prevention in Metal Manufacturing is intended to provide you with a brief introduction to pollution prevention, including what it is, how it can put money back into your company's pocket, what its basic elements are, and where you can get additional assistance. This booklet also provides a sample of the various technical options available to a wide range of metal manufacturing facilities. Typical economics (for example, capital investment, annual .savings^ and payback periods) are also provided for many of the options. . The technical and economic information in Pollution Prevention-in Metal Manufacturing is intended to be representative more than comprehensive. The collection and organization of this information is an ongoing and evolutionary process. The first version of this booklet reflects a sampling of information readily available at the time of preparation. As more pollution prevention activity takes place and technical approaches to pollution prevention change, EPA hopes to update and publish follow-up versions of this booklet. Pollution Prevention in Metal Manufacturing is only one of many sources of pollution prevention information available to you from EPA! For additional information about pollution prevention, or to comment on this booklet,.call: -.••,.,-. :/• ••-vv'-1 i^ ^C'.w Hf '!l i^'Vf HV • The RCRA/Superfund Hotline, at (800) 424-9346, or (202) 382-3000; • Myles Morse, of EPA's Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse, at (202) 475-7161; or * James Launsbury, Director of EPA's Waste Minimization Staff, at (202) 382-4807. ------- The Purpose of this Booklet If your metal manufacturing operations generate any wastes, the information in this booklet can help your firm. POLLUTION PREVENTKWf CAN: Significantly reduce your firm's costs, liabilities, and regulatory burdens associated with waste management; and Enhance your firm's efficiency, product quality, and public image. ited States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed this booklet to help your a pollution prevention program. It highlights the various components of a pollution m. It also provides two tables to help you identify specific pollution prevention options, es of processes or operations at your facility. The tables contain technical, cost, and waste ation on a variety of options that have actually been used at metal manufacturing facilities. in contained in the tables will help you evaluate potential annual savings from numerous ntion techniques. formation in this Booklet Helpful to Yottr Company it is designed to be. most useful to engage in metal manufacturing |ou should read this booklet if your res metal products, or is involved in lufacturing-type processes. FACTURING INCLUDES: Cutting or machining Degreasing Pickling Heat treating Finishing or painting Equipment and facility cleanup Electroplating TTH3=DOoklet will also be useful if your facility uses any combustible or flammable solvents* strong acid or alkaline solutions, plating solutions, paints, cyanide solutions, or any solutions containing heavy metals. Table I identifies how these materials are typically used and Table II shows what many facilities have done to save money. Your Company Can Save Money by Minimizing the Waste it Generates In addition to 'relying on traditional waste management approaches (such as treating or dis- posing of waste after it has been generated), many facility managers are finding that by minimizing the amount of waste their operations generate they can actually improve their firm's "bottom line." POLLUTION PREVENTION REDUCES: • Aggregate costs for raw materials • Treatment/disposal costs . • Environmental liability and fines In addition to these economic incentives for pollution prevention, EPA is taking several steps to create additional incentives for firms to reduce their waste generation. Some of EPA's actions include? • Making technical information available to help firms identify ways of reducing waste generation. • Supporting the development of State programs to assist firms in their waste reduction efforts. ------- 0 I— o ' I o Requiring hazardous waste generators, under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), to certify on their hazardous waste manifests and annuai permit reports that they have a "program-in-place" to reduce the volume or quantity and toxicity of their hazardous wastes as much as economically practical. Requiring generators to describe on their RCRA biennial reports the efforts they have undertaken during the year to reduce the volume and toxicity of their hazardous waste, and to compare these efforts to previous years. What is "Pollution Prevention?* Pollution prevention emphasizes reducing or eliminating any releases of hazardous materials (including hazardous wastes) into the environment through the use of source reduction and environmentally-sound recycling. A pollution prevention program can be developed by any business that generates wastes. The program might include several elements intended to reduce, to the extent feasible, any air or water discharges, or any solid or hazardous waste that is generated at the facility. Source reduction is intended to minimize or eliminate the waste at its source, before it is generated or released. Recycling, on the other hand, focuses on the use, reuse, or reclamation of the waste as an effective substitute for a commercial product or as an ingredient or feedstock in a process. Recycling by use or reuse involves returning a waste material to either the originating process or another process as a substitute for an input material Reclamation is the recovery of a valuable material, or removal of impurities, from a waste. Because it is significantly more efficient and less expensive to prevent the generation of waste m the first place, you should consider source •reduction to be the most preferable waste management option. Source reduction is followed, in order of decreasing preference, by recycling, treatment (for example, incineration or stabilization), and land disposal POLLUTION PREVENTION TERMS Pollution Prevention - Reducing or eliminating discharges and/or emissions to the environment through the use of source reduction and environmentally-sound recycling. Source Reduction - Reducing or eliminating waste at its point of generation. Recycling - Reprocessing waste in a way that makes it useful again. Recycling focuses on the use, reuse, or reclamation of waste. Use or Reuse - Returning a waste material to the original process that generated the waste or employing it in another process as a substitute for an input material. Reclamation - Recovering valuable materials or removing impurities from a~ waste. Many Pollution Prevention Options Are Available A pollution prevention program might include any number of specific pollution prevention techniques, each with a potentially unlimited range of pollution prevention options. Tne options under each technique that may be appropriate to your operation are limited only by your ingenuity. Table II provides suggested pollution prevention options that have actually been used in industry. The options are organized by technique. You should use these suggested options only as a starting point for your own creativity. Pollution prevention techniques are described below: • Training and supervision — provide employees with the information and the incentive necessary to minimize waste generation in their daily duties. This technique may include ensuring that employees know and practice \ • 2 ------- proper and efficient use of tools and supplies, and that they are aware of, understand, and support your company's pollution prevention goals. Production planning and sequencing — plan and sequence production so that only necessary operations are performed and that no operation is needlessly "undone" by a following operation. One example is to sort out "reject" parts priorto painting or electroplating. A second example is to reduce the frequency of having to clean equipment (e.g., painting all products of the same color at once). A third example is to schedule batch processing in a manner that allows the wastes or residues from 'one batch to be used as an input for the subsequent batch (e.g., to schedule paint formulation from lighter shades to darker) so that equipment need not be cleaned between batches. Process or equipment modification - change the process, or the parameters or equipment used in that process, to reduce the amount of waste generated. You can change to a paint application technique that is more efficient than spray painting, reduce overspray by reducing the atomizing air pressure to paint spraying equipment, reduce drag- out by reducing the withdrawal speed of parts from plating tanks, or improve a plating line by incorporating dragout recovery tanks or reactive rinsing. material substitution — repl raw materials with raw materials that will result in the generation of less waste. Examples include substituting alkali washes for solvent degreasers» and replacing oil with lime or borax soap as the drawing agent in cold forming operations. • Loss prevention and housekeeping — perform preventative maintenance and manage equipment and materials so as. to minimize opportunities for teaks, spills, and other releases of potentially hazardous wastes. For example, clean spray guns in a manner that does not damage leather L_ packings and subsequently causes the guns to leak; or place drip pans under leaking machinery to allow recovery of the leaking fluid. Waste segregation and separation — avoid mixing different types of wastes, and mixing hazardous wastes with non-hazardous wastes. This technique makes the recovery of hazardous wastes easier by minimizing the number of different hazardous con- stituents in any given waste stream. Also, it prevents the contamination of non- hazardous wastes. For example, segregate scrap metal by metal type, and segregate different kinds of used oils. Recycling — use or reuse a waste as an effective substitute for a commercial product or as an ingredient or feedstock. Recycling can be on-site, or it can be off- site through another user or a waste exchange. Examples of recycling include using a small on-site still to recover degreas- ing solvents, and selling waste pickling acids as feedstocks for fertilizer manufacturing. The Elements of a Successful Pollution Prevention Program Experience demonstrates that successful pollution prevention programs have certain common elements. These elements are described below: • Support from top management -- Support for a pollution prevention program should - 3 - ------- be dearly affirmed by your top management in a written statement. This statement should be circulated among all employees. • Explicit program goals and objectives - Explicitly identify the. goals and objectives for the pollution prevention program in a written statement. The goals should include reducing the volume or toxicity of the waste as much as is technically and economically feasible. The objectives should include a commitment to evaluate technologies, procedures, and personnel training. • Accurate, waste accounting - Carefully track changes over time in the types, amounts, and hazardous constituents of your wastes. * Accurate cost accounting — Ensure that your firm uses "fully-loaded" costs when accounting for waste management and disposal (i.e., costs should account for all liability, regulatory compliance, permitting, hauling, treatment, and oversight costs). * Involvement of all emplane; ~ Involve all appropriate employees in pollution prevention planning and implementation. You can use rewards and incentives to en- courage employee involvement • &chanec of technology and information - Encourage exchange of technology and information both within your firm and between your firm and others. Firms often contain a wealth of resources and information that results from years of operating experience. Such resources and information can play a major role in the efficient development of a pollution prevention program. Other organizations you should consult include EPA Region's and Headquarter's pollution prevention information clearinghouses, state agencies, trade associations, universities and colleges, nonprofit business assistance organisations,' and professional consultants. V Periodic pollution prevention assessment^ . - Periodically review individual processes (or facilities) to identify new or changing opportunities to undertake pollution prevention. Basically, you should develop your own program for pollution prevention, and wherever possible, formally define the program in a written document. You should also develop an implementation plan for each of your faculties or processes and periodically review, revise, and update the program to reflect changing conditions. You will need a method of tracking changes in waste generation rates and accounting for sources of waste. Establishing an effective pollution prevention program is not difficult, but it does require commitment from you and all of your firm's employees, including corporate management. Where To Go For Information and Help While it is important that you be actively involved in establishing and promoting your firm's pollution prevention program, you may wish to seek the guidance or help of other experts. Some organizations that you may wish to contact include: • Trade Associations « Often trade associations can provide you with pollution prevention assistance directly, or they can refer you to someone who can. • State Waste Management Agencies - These agencies often have staff people who are knowledgeable about pollution prevention and are willing to provide assistance. • Regional Environmental Protection Agency Offices - There are ten Regional Offices of the Environmental Protection Agency. The easiest way to find out which Regional Office is responsible for your area is to call the toll free RCRA/Superfund Hotline (see below) and ask for the telephone number or address of the Regional Office responsible for your area. • Environmental Protection Agency - Within EPA Headquarters you may conveniently contact any of the following information sources: • 4 - ------- Hazardous Waste Minimization Staff, at (202) 382-4807, can provide technical waste minimiza- tion information; Waste Minimization Branch, at (513) 569-7529, can assist you with research and development activities regarding waste minimization assessments, innovative technology and pollution prevention evaluations, and activities of the Waste Reduction Institute for Scientists and Engineers; Pollution Prevention Office, at (202) 382-4335, can assist you in _ understanding pollution prevention and provide you with a great deal of pollution prevention information; and the Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse. which includes a collection of reference literature pertaining to pollution prevention, outreach efforts, the Electronic Information Exchange System, and the RCRA/Superfund Hotline: Electronic Information Exchange System rEIESI. at (301) 589-8366, is an easy-to-use, interactive PC-based system. Using a personal computer and a modem, you can access EIES to obtain a wide variety of pollution prevention information, including case studies, a calendar of events, a directory of experts, a bibliography of publications! and descriptions, of federal and state pollution prevention programs. You can use an interactive message center to pose pollution prevention questions or provide comments to other users. The infonnation in Table II that is followed by an "EIES Number" has come from references that are available to you through EIES. You may examine these references for additional pollution prevention infonnation or ideas. RCRA/Superfund Hotline, at (800) 424-9346 (or (202) 382-3000), can answer your pollution prevention questions, help you access infonnation in EIES, and assist you in searching for and obtaining documents. HAVE YOU TRIED POLLUTION PREVENTION? If you have tried, or are planning on trying any pollution prevention activity at your facility and woold like to share your ideas or experience, .use your personal computer to access the Electronic Information Exchange System (EIES) at (301) 589-8366, and let others know! We can all learn from your experience! How To Use the Pollution Prevention Tables Two tables are included in this booklet as a quick guide, to help you begin identifying specific pollution prevention options. The ideas represented in these tables have been used at actual facilities, resulting in cost savings. Table I identifies typical processes and operations in the metal manufacturing industry. This table also identifies typical materials used and types of waste generated for each process. Table II is also broken down by process and operation. Table II, however, provides pollution prevention options for each {process and operation. These pofintioff pi eveuuuu options are organized by technique, as described in the previous section. In addition, Table II provides examples of cost and savings realized by other facilities, and additional relevant information.1 You should use this information to help decide which options would best serve your needs. When properly installed and maintained, none of the options described on Table II should adversely affect the quality of your products and all should reduce your potential liability from improper waare management. The entries in Table II that are followed by an 'EIES Number" have come from references that are available to you through EIES. You may request and examine these references for additional pollution prevention information or ideas. 1The cost, savings, and waste reduction iafi provided in Table II is based on actual case studies and reflects the successes of actual metal manufacturing facilities. Because specific applications are highly variable, however, you should use this infonnation only as an indicator of how a particular pollution prevention option may perform under your circumstances. 5 - ------- TABLE I TYPICAL METAL MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS WHICH MAY PRODUCE WASTES TYPICAL PROCESS OR OPERATION TYPICAL MATERIALS USED GENERAL TYPES OF WASTE GENERATED Metal Cutting or Machining • Cutting oils • Degreasing and cleaning solvents • Acids • Heavy metals • Acid/alkaline wastes • Heavy metal wastes • Solvent wastes • Waste oils Degreasing Pickling • Acid/alkaline cleaners • Organic solvents • Acid/alkaline solutions • Acid/alkaline wastes • Igm'table wastes • Solvent wastes • Still bottoms • Acid/alkaline wastes • Heavy metal wastes Heat Treating • Acid/alkaline solutions » Cyanide • Oils • Acid/alkaline wastes » Cyanide wastes. • Heavy metal wastes • Waste oils Metal Finishing and Painting Cleanup • Solvents • Paint carrier fluids • Heavy metal paint wastes • Ignitable paint wastes • Solvent wastes • Still bottoms Facility Cleanup Cteaning solvents Solvent wastes Still bottoms Electroplating • Acid/alkaline solutions • • Heavy metal bearing solutions • Cyanide bearing solutions Acid/alkaline wastes Cyanide wastes Heavy metal wastes Plating wastes Reactive wastes Wastewaters ------- TABLE n POLLUTION PREVENTION PRACTICES FOR PROCESSES AND OPERATIONS IN METAL MANUFACTURING POLLUTION POLLUTION; PREVENTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES OPTIONS EXAMPLES OF COSTS AND SAVINGS, AND OTHER INFORMATION* METAL CUTTING OR MACHINING Production Planning and Sequencing Process or Equipment Modification Improve scheduling of processes that require use of varying oil types in order to reduce the number of cleanouts. Standardize the oil types used for machining, turning, lathing, etc. This reduces the number of equipment cleanouts, and the amount of leftovers and mixed wastes. Use specific pipes and lines for each set of merals or processes that require a specific oil in order to reduce the amount of cleanouts. Save on coolant costs by extending machine coolant life through the use of a centrifuge and the addition of biocides. Install a second high speed centrifuge on a system already operating with a single centrifuge to improve recovery efficiency even more. Install a chip wringer to recover excess coolant on aluminum chips. Install a coolact reaawery sysisst and. collection vehicle for madanea not on the central coolant sump. Waste Savings/Redactions: 25% reduction in plant-wide waste coolant generation. Prodact/Wsste Throughput Information: based on handling 20,600 gallons of coolant per year. [EIES Number 100-101, p. 440] Capital Investment: $126,000. Payback Period: 3.1 years. Protect/Waste Throughput Information: based on handling 20,600 gallons of coolant per year. [EIES Number 100-101, p. 441] Capital Investment: 5233,500. Payback Period: 0.9 years. Product/Waste Throughput Information: based on handling 20,600 gallons of coolant per year. [EIES Number 100-101. p. 441] Capital Investment: 511,000 to 323,000 (chip wringer and • centrifuge system). [EIES Number 101-004, p. 8.2-6] C«fsi&4 lBv«9iise8& £104,000. Payback Perteak 1.9 years. Predesi/Wesie Throughput Information: based on handling 20,600 gallons of coolant per year. [EIES Number 100-101, p. 441] •• Use a coolant analyzer to allow better control of coolant quality. Use an ultrafiltration system to remove soluble oils from wastewater streams. Capital Investment: $5,000. Payback Period: 0.7 years. Prcdaci/Waste Throughput Information: based on handling 20,600 gallons of coolant per year. [EIES Number 100-101, p. 441] Savings: 5200,000 (in disposal costs). ProdBct/Waste ThroBgnpot Information: Based on a wastewater flow rate of 860 to 1,800 gallons per day. "[EIES Number 805-001] The cost, savings, and waste reduction information provided in- Tsbte- II is based on actual case studies and reflects the successes of actual metal manufacturing facilities. Because specific applications are highly varabte, however, you should use this information only as an indicator of how a particular pollution prevention option may perform under your circumstances. These options cost less, than S30.000 to implement. ------- TABLE n (continued) POLLUTION PREVENTION PRACTICES FOR PROCESSES AND OPERATIONS IN METAL MANUFACTURING POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES 'OLLUTION PREVENTION OPTIONS EXAMPLES OF COSTS AND SAVINGS, AND OTHER INFORMATION* Raw Material Substitution Use disk or belt skimmers to remove way oil from machine coolants and prolong coolant life. Also, design sumps for ease of cleaning. In cold forming or other processes where oil is used only as a lubricant, substitute a hot lime bath or borax soap for oil. Waste Savings/Redaction: Coolant is now disposed once per year rather than 3-6 times per year. fEIES Number °°" "01. p. 78] *>> " Use a stamping lubricant thai can remain on the piece until the annealing process, where it is burned off. This eliminates the need for hazardous degreasing solvents and alkali cleaners. Annual Savings: 312.000 (results from reduced disposal. raw material, and labor costs). Waste Throughput Information: The amount of waste solvents and cleaners was reduced from 30,000 Ibs. in 1982 to 13,000 Ibs. in 1986. Employee working conditions were also improved by removing vapors associated with the old cleaners. [EIES Number 034-006, p. 5] VVasU Segregation a ad If filtration or reclamation of oil is required before reuse, segregate the used oils in order to prevent mixing wastes. ** Segregation of metal dust or scrap by type often increases the value of metal for resale (e.g., sell previously disposed metallic dust to a zinc smelter). Capital Investment: SO. Annual Savings: 3130,000. Payback Period: immediate. Waste Savings/Reduction: 2,700 tons per year. [EIES Number 306-001, p. 109] '" Improve housekeeping techniques to prevent cutting oils from becoming contaminated with 1,1,1-trichloroethane (e.g., use care when cleaning cutting equipment to prevent the mature of enttmg oil and Use cleaning solvent). Capital Investment: SO. Annual Savings: S3.000 in disposal costs. Waste Savings/Reduction: 60% (30 tons reduced to 10 tons). (EIES Number 005-043, p. 24] Recycling Where possible, recycte oil from cutting/ machining operations. Often oils need no treatment before recycling: Capital Investment: SI,900,000. Annual Savings: 5156,000. Waste Throughput Information: 2 million gallons per year. Facility reclaims oil and metal from process water. [EIES Number 306-001, p. 137] Oil scrap mixtures can be centrifuged to recover the bulk of the oil for reuse. Follow-up magnetic and paper nitration of cutting. Quids, with. "^raO** ration By so doing, a much larger percentage of cutting fluids, can be reused. Capital Investment- 542,000 (1976). Annual Savings: 333,800 (1980). [EIES Number 400-072] ------- TABLE n (continued) POLLUTION PREVENTION PRACTICES FOR PROCESSES AND OPERATIONS IN METAL MANUFACTURING POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES POLLUTION PREVENTION OPTIONS EXAMPLES OF COSTS AND SAVINGS, AND OTHER INFORMATION* ' * Perform on-site purification of hydraulic oils using commercial "off-the-shelf" cartridge filter systems. Capital Investment: $28,000. Annual Savings: 317,800/year based on operating costs, avoided new oil purchase, and lost resale revenues. Payback Period: less than 2 years. Product/Wast* Throughput Information: example facility handles 12300 gallonsfyear of waste hydraulic oil. [EIES Number 100-101, p. 144] ** Use a continuous flow treatment system to regenerate and reuse aluminum chemical milling solutions. Capital Investment: 5465,000. Annual Savings: $342,000. Payback Period: less than 2 years. Waste Savings/ Redaction: 90%. [EIES Number 806-001, p. 11] ** Use a settling tank (to remove solids) and a coalescing unit (to remove tramp oils to recover metal-working fluids. DECREASING Annual Savings: $26,800 (resulting from reduced material, labor, and disposal costs). [EIES Number 034-009, p. 679] ** Training and •• Improve solvent management by Supervision requiring employees to obtain solvent through their shop foreman. Also, reuse "waste" solvents ft"ui deatiei up-stream operations in down-stream, machine shop- type processes. Capital Investment: SO. Annual Savings: 57,200. Waste Savings/Reduction: 49% (310 tons reduced to 152 tons). Product/Waste Throughput Information: original waste stream hiiMty: reactive anion* (6-.10& gatlotw/yr), waste oils (1,250 gallons/yr), hatogenated solvents (500 gallons/yr). [EIES Number 005-043, p. 74] Production Pre-cleaning will extend the life of the Planning and aqueous or vapor degreasing solvent (wipe, Sequencing squeeze, or blow part with air, shot, etc.). Annual Savings: 540,000. Payback Period: 2 years. Waste Savings/Reduction: 48,000 gallons of aqueous waste. Aluminum shot was used to preclean pans. [EIES Number 306-001, p. 239] Use countercurrem solvent cleaning (i.e., rinse initially in previously used sataent aast progres* to new, clean solvent). Cold clean with a recycled mineral spirits stream to remove the bulk of oil before final vapor degreasing. Only degrease parts that must be cleaned. Do not routinely degrease all parts. Process or EqoipBMOt Modifies**** The loss of solvent to the atmosphere from vapor degreasing equipment can be reduced by: • increasing the free board height above the vapor level to 75% of tank width; covering the degreasing unit (automatic covers are available): - 9 ------- TABLE II (continued) POLLUTION PREVENTION PRACTICES FOR PROCESSES AND OPERATIONS IN METAL MANUFACTURING POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES POLLUTION E PREVENTION C OPTIONS A • installing refrigerator coils (or additional coils) above the vapor zone; • routing parts before removal from the vapor degreaser to allow all condensed solvent to return to degreasing unit; • controlling the speed at which parts are rcnrovsd (10 ft/mm or lest ii desirable) so as not to disturb the vapor line; EXAMPLES OF COSTS AND SAVINGS, AND OTHER INFORMATION* installing thermostatic heating controls on solvent tanks; and • adding in-line filters to prevent paniculate buildup in the degreaser. •• Reduce grease accumulation by adding automatic oilers, to avoid- «""••«« oil applications. [EIES Number 6W-OOIJ Raw Material Substitution •• Use less hazardous degreasing agents such as petroleum solvents or alkali washes. For example, replace halogenated solvents (e.g., trichloroethylene) with liquid alkali cleaning compounds. Capital Investment: SO. Annual Savings: SI2.000. Payback Period: immediate. Waste Savings/Reduction: 30% of 1,1,1-trichIoroethane replaced with an aqueous cleaner. [EIES Number 034-010. p. 25] Capital Investment: 5438,000. Payback Period: 5.1 years. Replaced trichloroethylene degreaser with aqueous cleaner system. [EIES. Number 022412. p. 122} Annual Savings: $2,000. Payback Period: 1.6 years. Substituted chlorofluorocarbon solvents with proprietary cleaner. [EIES Number 022-013] Annual Savings: 38% of cost savings and a 62% return on investment. Payback Period: L.6 years. [EIES Number 022-011, p. Recycling " Recycle spent degreasing solvents on site using batch stills. Capital Investment: 57,500. Annual Savings: 590.000. Payback Period: 1 month. Waste Savings/Reduction:. 10,000 gallons annually of spent solvents by in-house distillation. [EIES Number 306-001, p. 79] Capital Investment: $2,600-54.100 and 54,200-517,000. Product Throughput Information: 35-60 gallons per hour and 0.6-20 gallons per hour, respectively. Two cost ,md throughput estimates for distillation units from two vendors [EIES Number 005-003. p. 70) • 10 - ------- TABLE II (continued) POLLUTION PREVENTION PRACTICES FOR PROCESSES AND OPERATIONS IN METAL MANUFACTURING POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES POLLUTION PREVENTION OPTIONS EXAMPLES OF COSTS AND SAVINGS, AND OTHER INFORMATION* •• Use simple batch distillation to extend the life of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1.1,1-TCA). Capital Investment: S3.500 (1978). Annual Savings: S50.400. Product/Wist* Throughput Information: facility handles 40,450 gallons 1,1,1-TCA per year. [EIES Number 100-101, p. 442] ** When on-site recycling is not possible, agreements can be made with supply companies to remove old solvents. Capital Investment: 53,250 for a temporary storage building. Annual Savings: $8,260. Payback Period: less than 6 months. Waste Savings/Reduction: 38.000 pounds per year of solvent sent off site for recycling. [EIES Number 306-001, p. 149] " Arrange a cooperative agreement with other small companies to centrally recycle solvent. PICKLING Process or Equipment Modification Increase the number of rinses after each process bath and keep the rinsing counter- current in order to reduce, dragq' Acids in the wastewaters may be recoverable by evaporation. Reduce rinse contamination via dragout by: • slowing and smoothing removal of pans, rotating them if necessary; • using surfactants and other wetting agents; • maximizing drip time; • using drainage boards to direct dripping solution* back to process tanks; • installing dragout recovery tanks to capture dripping solutions: • using a fog spray rinsing technique above process tanks; • using techniques such as air knives or squeegees to wipe baih solutions off of the part; and ------- TABLE n (continued) POLLUTION PREVENTION PRACTICES FOR PROCESSES AND OPERATIONS IN METAL MANUFACTURING POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES POLLUTION PREVENTION OPTIONS EXAMPLES OF COSTS AND SAVINGS, AND OTHER INFORMATION* changing bath temperature or concentrations to reduce the solution surface tension. Instead of pickling brass parts in nitric acid, place them in a vibrating apparatus with abrasive glass marbles or steel balls. A slightly acid additive is used with the glass marbles, and a slightly basic additive is used with the steel bails. Capital Investment: S62.300 (1979); 50% less than conventional nitric acid pickling. [EIES Number 400-036] " Use mechanical scraping instead of acid solution to remove oxides of titanium. Annual Savings: SO; cost of mechanical stripping equals cost of chemical disposal. Waste Savings/Reduction: 100%: Waste Throughput Information: previously disposed IS tons/year of acid with metals. [EIES Number 005-043 P- 32] " For cleaning nickel and titanium alloy, replace alkaline etching bath with a mechanical abrasive system that uses a silk and carbide pad and pressure to clean or "brighten" the metal. Capital Investment: S3.250. Annual Savings: 57,500. Waste Savings/Reduction: 100%. Waste Throughput Information: previous etching bath waste total was 12.000 jattom/yetr. [E1F.S Number 063-043, p. 50] Clean copper sheeting mechanically with a rotating brush machine that scrubs with pumice, instead of cleaning with ammonium persulfate, phosphoric acid, or sulfuric acid (may generate non-hazardous waste sludge). 1 Capital Investment: S59.000. Annual Savings: more than $15,000. Payback Period: 3 years. Waste Savings/ Reduction: 40,000 pounds of copper etching waste reduced to zero. (EIES Number 101-028, p. H-3] Annual Savings: 515,000 in raw materials, disposal, and labor. Payback Period: 3 years. Wast* Savings/Reduction: avoids generation of 40,000 pounds per year of hazardous waste liquid. (EIES Number 803-061) Reduce molybdenum concentration in wastewaters by using a reverse osmosis/precipitation system. Capital Investment: 5320,000. Waste Throughput Information: permeate capacity of 18,000 gallons per day. Saving! Relative to an Evaporative System: installed capital cost savings: 5510.000; annual operating cost savings: 590,000. (EIES Number 207-001, p. 5] Raw Material Change copper bright-dipping process from a Substitution cyanide and chromic acid dip to a sulfuric acid/hydrogen peroxide dip. The new bath is less toxic and copper can be recovered. (EIES Number 306-001. p. 130] *• Use alcohol instead of sulfuric acid to pickle copper wire. One ion of wire requires 4 liters of alcohol solution, versus 2 kilograms ol" sulfuric acui. Capital Investment: SO. [EIES Number 400-069] 12 - ------- TABLE II (continued) POLLUTION PREVENTION PRACTICES FOR PROCESSES AND OPERATIONS IN METAL MANUFACTURING POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES POLLUTION PREVENTION OPTIONS EXAMPLES OF COSTS AND SAVINGS, AND OTHER INFORMATION* Replace caustic wire cleaner with a biodegradable detergent. [EIES Number 604401] Recycling Replace chromated desmutting solutions with nonchromated solutions for alkaline etch cleaning of wrought aluminum. Sell waste pickling acids as feedstock, for fertilizer manufacture or neutralization/ precipitation. Annual Savings: $44,541. Waste Savings/Reduction: sludge disposal costs reduced by 50%. [EIES Number 806- 001, p. 10] Recover metals from solutions for resale. Annual Savings: $22,000. Payback Period: 14 months. Company sells copper recovered from a bright-dip bath regeneration process employing ion exchange and electrolytic recovery. [EIES Number 306-001, p. 171] •• Send used copper pickling baths to a continuous electrolysis process for regeneration and copper recovery. Capital Investment: $28,500 (1977). Product Throughput Information: pickling 12,000 tons of copper, copper recovery is ar the rate of 200 a/ion of processed copper. [EIES Number 400-097] •• Recover copper from brass bright dipping solutions using a commercially available ion exchange system. Annual Savings: $17,047; based on labor savings, copper sulface elimination, sludge reduction, copper metal savings and bright dip chemicals savings. Product Throughput Information: example facility processes approximately 225,000 pounds of brass per month. [EIES Number 804- 001] * * Treat industrial wntewater high in soluble iron and heavy metals by chemicat precipitation. Annual Savings: $28,800: based on reduced water and sewer utes. Waste Tftroughput Information: wasrewater flow from facility's "patening" line- is 100 gallons per minute. (EIES Number 034-013] HEAT TREATING Process or Equipment Modification •* When refining precious metals, reduce the acid/metals waste stream by maximizing reaction time in the gold and silver extraction process. Capital Investment: $0. Annual Savings: $9,000. Waste Savings/Reduction: 70% (waste total reduced from 50 tons to 15 tons). [EIES Number 005-043, p. 73] Raw Material Substitution Rep : and cyanide saH heat treating with a carbonate/chloride carbon. mixture, or with furnace heat treating. Replace thermal treatment of metals with condensation of saturated chlorite vapor* on the surface to be heated. Waste SavfaBS/RcdtKtfonr this process is fast, nonoxidizing. and uniform; pickling is no longer necessary. [EIES Number 400-108] ------- TABLE n (continued) POLLUTION PREVENTION PRACTICES FOR PROCESSES AND OPERATIONS IN METAL MANUFACTURING POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES POLLUTION PREVENTION OPTIONS EXAMPLES OF COSTS AND SAVINGS, AND OTHER INFORMATION* Replace cyanuratcd salt handling process with one using fluidized baths of nitrogen and corundum. Relative Savings: nitrogen and corundum hardening costs 60% of the conventional cyanurated salts process, and generates, no waste. [EIES Number 400-071] Recycling Oil quench baths may be recycled on site by filtering out the metals. Alkali wash life can be extended by skimming. off the oil layer (this skimmed oil may be reclaimed). METAL FINISHING AND PAINTING Training and Supervision Always use proper spraying techniques. Production Planning and Sequencing Improved paint quality, work efficiency, and lower vapor emissions can be attained by formal training of operators. Avoid buying too much finishing material at one time, due to its short shelf life. Use the correct spray gun for particular applications: conventional air spray gun for thtn-lilm- build requirements; airless gun for heavy film application; and • air assisted airless spray gun for a wide range of fluid output. Preinspect parts to prevent painting of obvious rejects. Process or Equipment Modulcatton Ensure the spray gun air supply is free of water, oil, and dirt. Replace galvanizing processes requiring high temperature and flux with one that is low temperature and does not require flux. Capita* lB»«3lmtHL S9e&.«». Annual Savin*?: 50% (as compared to conventional galvanizing). Product Throughput Information: 1.000 kg/h. (P.IES Number 400-008] - 14 - ------- TABLE II (continued) POLLUTION PREVENTION PRACTICES FOR PROCESSES AND OPERATIONS IN METAL MANUFACTURING POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES POLLUTION PREVENTION OPTIONS EXAMPLES OF COSTS AND SAVINGS, AND OTHER INFORMATION* Investigate use of transfer methods that reduce material loss such as: dip and flow coating; • electrostatic spraying; and electrodeposition. ** Change from conventional air spray to an electrostatic finishing system. Annual Savinjs: £15,000. Payback Period: less than 2 years. [EIES Number 310-001, p. 136] Use plastic blast media for paint stripping rather than conventional solvent stripping techniques. Waste Savings/Redaction: volume of waste sludge is reduced by as much as 99% over chemical solvents; wastewater fees are eliminated. [EIES Number 503-001] Use solvent recovery or incineration to reduce the-emissions of volatile orgaaics from curing ovens. Annual Savings: 5400,000. [EIES Number 806-001, p. 7] Regenerate anodizing and alkaline silking baths with contemporary recuperation of aluminum salts. Annual Savings: $0.02/m2 of aluminum treated. Annual Savings: (including sale of the recovered dry aluminum sulfate) SO.OS/m2 Waste Throughput Information: based on an example plant that previously disposed 180,000 liters of acid solution per year at S0.07/litre. [EIES Number 451-501] Raw Material Substitution Use alternative coatings- for solvent based paints to reduce volatile organic materials use and emissions, such, an high solids coatings (this may require modifying the painjing process; including high speed/high pressure equipment, a paint distribution system, and paint heaters); Waste Savings/Reduction: 30% net savings in applied costs per square foot. [EIES Number 038-003] Waste Savings/Reduction: 41% reduction in VOC emissions. The VOC of the paint decreased from 5.5 lb./gallon to 3 Ib./gallon. [EIES Number 739-001, p. 182] • water based coatings; and Waste Savings/Reduction: 87% drop in solvent emissions and decreased hazardous waste production. [EIES Number 739-001, p. 182] » powder coatings. Capital Investment: S1.5 million. Payback Period: 2 years. Example is for a large, wrought iron patio furniture company. [EIES Numtw 73»-«»J. p. 185] ------- TABLE n (continued) POLLUTION PREVENTION PRACTICES FOR PROCESSES AND OPERATIONS IN METAL MANUFACTURING POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES POLLUTION PREVENTION OPTIONS EXAMPLES OF COSTS AND SAVINGS, AND OTHER INFORMATION* •• Substitute chromic acid cleaner with non-fuming cleaners such as sulfuric acid and ' hydrogen peroxide. Substitute non-polluting cleaners such as tnsodium phosphate or ammonia for cyanide cleaners. Annual Savings: $10,000 in treatment equipment costs and S2.50/lb. of chromium in treatment chemical costs. Product/ Waste Throughput InfermBttoo: rinse water flowrate of 2 gallons per minute. [EIES Number 101-027, p. 115] Annual Savings: $12,000 in equipment costs and S3.00/lb. of cyanide in treatment chemicals costs. Product/Waste Throughput Information: rinse water flowrate 2 gallon per minute. [EIES Number 101-027, p. 115] Waste Segregation and Separation Recycling Segregate non-hazardous paint solids from hazardous paint solvents and thinner. [EIES Number 604-001] Do not dispose of extended shelf life items (hat do not meet your facilities' specifications: They may be returned to the manufacturer, or sold oc donated as a raw material. [EIES Number QQ5.-043,. p. 2fiJ Recycle metal sludges through metal recovery vendors. [EIES Number 005-043, p. 27] Use activated carbon to recover solvent vapors, then recover the solvent from the carbon by steam stripping, and distill the resulting water/solvent mixture. Capital Investment: $817,000 (1978). Waste Savings/ Reduction: releases of solvent to the atmosphere were reduced from 700 kg/ton of solvent used to 20 kg/ton. [EIES Number 400-032] Regenerate cauttic soda act aluminum by using hydrolysis of sodium aluminate to liberate free sodium hydroxide and produce a dry, crystalline hydrate alumina byproduct. Capital Investment. S260.000. Annual Savings: $169.282: from reduced caustic soda use, income from the sale of the byproduct, and a reduction in the- cost of solid waste disposal. Payback Period: 1.54 years. Product/Waste Throughput Information: anodizing operation for which the surface area is processed ai a rate of 200 m2/hour. (EIES Number 505-001] METAL FINISHING AND PAINTING CLEANUP Production Planning and Reduce equipment cleaning by painting with lighter colors before darker ones. Reuse cleaning solvent* for the same resin system by tint allowing- solids to settle out of solution. 16 - ------- TABLE II (continued) POLLUTION PREVENTION PRACTICES FOR PROCESSES AND OPERATIONS IN METAL MANUFACTURING POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES POLLUTION PREVENTION OPTIONS EXAMPLES OF COSTS AND SAVINGS, AND OTHER INFORMATION* Flush equipment first with dirty solvent before final cleaning with virgin solvent. Use virgin solvents for final equipment cleaning, then as paint thinner. Use pressurized air mixed with a mist of solvent to clean equipment. Waste Savings/Reduction: 98%; from 25.000 gallons of paint cleanup solvents to 400 gallons. Company uses cleanup solvents in formulation of subsequent batches. [EIES Number 034-010. p. 14] Raw Material Substitution " Replace water-based paint booth filters . with dry filters. Dry filters will double paint booth life and allow more efficient treatment of wastewater. Annual Savings: 31,500. Waste Savings/Reduction: 3,000 gallons/year. [EIES Number 806-001, p. 7] Loss Prevention and Housekeeping To prevent spray gun leakage, submerge only the front end (or fluid section) of the gun into the- cleaning solvent. Waste Segregation and Separation Solvent waste streams should be kept segregated and free from water contamination. Recycling •• Solvent recovery units can be used to recycle spent solvents generated in flushing operations. Install a recovery system for solvents contained in air emissions. Annual Savings: Sl.OOO. [EIES Number 034-010, p. 10] Use batch distillation to recover isopropyt acetate generated during equipment cleanup. Payback Period: 2 years. [EIES Number 034-010. p. 17] Use bstch distillation to recover xylene from pgjqt ^nipmTrH cleanup. Payback Period: 13 months. Annual Savings: 55,000. [EIES Number 034-010, p. 18] Use a small solvent recovery still to recover spent paint thinner from spray gun cleanups and excess paint batches. Capital Investment: $6,000 for a 15 gallons capacity still. Anesal Savings: 53,600 in new thinner savings; 55,400 in disposal savings. Payback Period: less than 1 year. Waste Savings/Reduction: 75% (745 gallons of tlunner recovered from 1.003 gallons). Product/Waste Throughput Information: 1.500 gallons of spent thinner processed per year. (EIES Number 034-006, p. 6| . . 17 - ------- TABLE n (continued) POLLUTION PREVENTION PRACTICES FOR PROCESSES AND OPERATIONS IN METAL MANUFACTURING POLLUTION POLLUTION PREVENTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES OPTIONS EXAMPLES OF COSTS AND SAVINGS, AND OTHER INFORMATION" Instill a methyl ethyl ketone solvent recovery system to recover and reuse waste solvents. Annual Savings: S43,000/Vear, MEK recovery rate: 20 gallons/day, reflecting a 90% reduction in waste. (EIES Number 806-001, p. 7] Arrange an agreement with other small com- panies to jointly recycle cleaning wastes. FACILITY CLEANUP Leu Prevention and House keeping Improve housekeeping practices to reduce spillage of cleaning solvents. Install collection/drip pans under machinery and lubrication operations to recover oils. Use rags to their full oil absorbing capacity, and use a laundering system to clean oil- laden rap. ELECTROPLATING Training and Educate plating shop personnel in the Supervision conservation of water during processing and in material segregation. [EIES Number 005- 043. p, 20] Production PUnnlnj and Sequencing Prcinspect parts to prevent processing of obvious rejects. Process or Equipment Modifkatten Employ countercurrent rftsmg to greatly reduce rinse water usage. Increase drain lime to allow parts to drain 10 seconds or more after removal from bath. [EIES Number 002-016, p. 12] Add wetting agents to the plating baths to reduce adhesion of solution to the parts. [EIES Number Q&Z-016. p. 12} Increase bath temperature to reduce viscosity and improve drainage. [EIES Number 002- 016, p, 13] IS ------- TABLE n (continued) POLLUTION PREVENTION PRACTICES FOR PROCESSES AND OPERATIONS IN METAL MANUFACTURING POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES POLLUTION PREVENTION OPTIONS EXAMPLES OF COSTS AND SAVINGS, AND OTHER INFORMATION* Use spray rinsing to increase rinsing efficiency for non-complex pan configurations. Use air agitation in rinse tanks to improve nnsing efficiency. Change continuous treatment to a batch system to account for upsets in effluent levels. Capful Investment- 5210,000. Payback Period: 3 years. Waste Springs/Reduction: reduced water usage from 12.000 gallons per day to 500 gallons per day. [EIES Number 306- 001. p. 133J Reduce bath evaporation by covering the surface with a blanket of polypropylene balls. Continuously filter process baths to extend their life. [EIES Number 005-043, p. 17] If etching,'is done only to put a shine OB the parts, some customers may agree to buy them unetched, thus, greatly reducing etch bath wastes. {EIES Number 005-043, p. 22] " Use low concentration plating solutions rather than mid-point concentrations in order to reduce the total mass of chemicals being dragged out. Annual Savings: SI,300. Product/Waste Throughput Information: a nickel operation having 5 nickel tanks and an annual nickel dragout of about 2,500 gallons. [EIES Number 101-027, p. 121] Use the Kushner and Providence methods of double dragottl followed by treataent or recycle of the concentrated dragout solution to minimize rinse water use. Annual Savings: using the Providence method in lieu of conventional water treatment: Shop size (gpd): 6,000 36,000 134.000 Annual Savings: SI 7,110 S60.080 $44,095 [EIES Number 101-027] Employ countercurrem and conductivity controls to reduce rinse water flows. Annual Operating Costs: S 10.00/1,000 gallons. Annual ' Savings: $170,000. Waste Savings/Reduction: nnse water was reduced from 43,000 gallons per day to 8,000 gallons per day. [EIES Number 806-001, p. 8] *• Use electrolytic cells to recover metals from waste plating solutions. Applicable to recovery of gold, silver, cobalt, nickel, cadmium, copper, ami zinc from solutions. with 100 mg/1 to 1,000 mg/1 of metal. Capital Investment: 58,750 - Sf7,500. Metal Recovery: 1- 2 tonnestyr. Waste Savings/Reduction: metal losses reduced by a factor of 100. [EIES Number 400-101] Raw Material Substitution Use less toxic materials whenever possible. Substitute zinc lor cadmium in alkali/saline environments. - 19 - ------- TABLE II (continued) POLLUTION PREVENTION PRACTICES FOR PROCESSES AND OPERATIONS IN METAL MANUFACTURING POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES POLLUTION PREVENTION OPTIONS EXAMPLES OF COSTS AND SAVINGS, AND OTHER INFORMATION* Substitute nitric or hydrochloric acid for cyanide in certain plating baths in order to produce a less hazardous sludge. [EIES Number 024-001, p. 26] Substitute zinc chloride for zinc cyanide. [EIES Number 024-001, p. 26] Substitute a non-chlorinated stripper in place of mwhylene chloride. [EIES Number 005-043. p. 16] Segregation and Separation Wastewaters containing recoverable metals should be segregated from other wastewater streams. Recycling Instead of disposing of plating bath when strength has decreased, Qlter and reconstitute it. *• Instead of disposing of process baths, attempt to make them marketable for resale. Annual Savings: $16,300. [EIES Number 306-001) Recycle used rinse waters into bath makeup solutions for their respective process baths. •• Reduce the quantity and toxicity of wasiewatea by employing, technologic* such evaporation; Annual Savings: greater than $100,000. Payback Period: less than 1 year. Waste Savings/Reduction: from aboui 8,000 pounds of chromium consumed per month to less ihan 200 pounds per month. Company used a closed-loop evaporator on the chromium bearing nnse waters. (EIES Number 450-001, p. 7-6] Capital Investment: 512,200. Annual Operating Costs: 524,741. Annual Savings: $60,964. Payback Period: 7 months. Evaporative recovery employed on the company's nickel plating rim* waters. [EIES Number 034-011] Payback Period: 2-2.5 years. Waste Sarfngs/Rednctioar 84% reduction of chromium usage, 15-20% sludge reduction Company insulled an evaporative recovery unit for a chromium'plating process. [EIES Number 450-001. p, 7-6] ------- TABLE n (continued) POLLUTION PREVENTION PRACTICES FOR PROCESSES! AND OPERATIONS IN METAL MANUFACTURING POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES POLLUTION PREVENTION OPTIONS EXAMPLES OF COSTS AND SAVINGS, AND OTHER INFORMATION" Capital Investment: 525,000, estimated for evaporative recovery equipment. [EIES Number 005-033. p. 29] Installed Cost 335,680. Annual Operating Cost: 59,160. Annual Savings 521,000. System operates for 5,000 hours/year, recovering 9,375 Ibs/year chromic acid. [EIES Number 400-047] • ion exchange Capital Investment- 5375,000. Payback Period: 2 years. Wasn Saving Rwttt-uk>ffii 92% recovery of ion exchange- treated wastewater for reuse. [EIES Number'310-001 pp. 57-58] Payback Period: 5 years. Nickel sulfate solution is treated by ion exchange and returned to nickel plating process. [EIES Number 306-001, p. 21] Capital Investment: 515,000 (1981). Ion exchange unit installed to recover chromium. [EIES Number 450-001, p. 7-5] Capital Investment: 51.3 million. Annual Savings: SI.2 million. Product/Waste Throughput Information: 350,000 m3tyear of wastewater. [EIES Number 400-067] • reverse osmosis: Capital Investment: 516,000. Payback Period: 20 months. Waste Savings/Reduction: almost 100% of lost chemical and 90% of wastewater recovered. Waste Throughput Information: 260 liters per hour of wastewater. [EIES Number 310-001, pp. 54-55] Capital Investment: 562,000 (539,000 for the reverse osmosis unit). Payback Period: less than 2 years. Company installed reverse osmosis unit and evaporative heaters to recover nickel and rinse waters. [EIES Number 034-010, p. 27] Capital Investment: 58,500. Waste Savings/Reduction: about 85% of the nickel dragout. Company installed reverse osmosis to recover nickel and rinse water. [EIES Number 450-001, p. 7-2] Capital Investment: 5200,000 (330 ft2 membrane). Annual Operating Cost: large, due to high pressures in system. Publication discusses reverse osmosis in general and states thai it is applicable to many electroplating baths. [EIES Number 005-033, pp. 29-30] ------- TABLE n (continued) POLLUTION PREVENTION PRACTICES FOR PROCESSES AND OPERATIONS IN METAL MANUFACTURING POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES POLLUTION PREVENTION OPTIONS EXAMPLES OF COSTS AND SAVINGS, AND OTHER INFORMATION* Capital Investment $21,500. Operation Cost $9.113. Gross Annual Savings: $17,464. Annual Savings; $8.351 Payback Period: 2.4 years. Product/Waste Throughput Information: economic information for a watts nickel plating line with dragout rates greater than one gallon per hour. [EIES Number 504-001 j electrolysis; Capital Investment: $8,500. Annual Savings: $26.060 in chemical usage and process water. Product Throughput Infnrmillnn- 60,000 ft2 cadmium electroplating, plant. Company implemented a high surface area (HSA) electrolytic reactor for cadmium recovery. [EIES. Number 310-001, p. 48] Capital Investment- $43,000 (1979). Annual Savings: treatment cost* eliminated, between 5 and 14 kilograms each of silver, nickel, and copper are recovered weekly. Company used fluidaed bed electrolysis to recover metals from electroplating rinse waters. [EIES Number 450-001, p. 7-6] electrodialysis with ion exchange; and ! Investment $21,050 (15-cell-pair unit). Payback 9- months. Company recount gold front plating rinse water using electrodialysis and ion exchange. [EIES Number 450-001, p. 7-4] Capital Investment: $26.000/year (reduct Number 400-100] 109.600 (1980). Annual Savings: n detoxification costs). [EIES Capital Investment: $220.000. Annual Savings: $45,000. A medium sized jewelry plating and manufacturing company; updating the existing water treatment facility would have"cost 5560,08* [EIES Number 622-011, p-. A-l] cvanide destruction. Capital Investment: S20,000-$50,000 for hydrolysis process. Waste Savings/Reduction: Can reduce cyanide from 50.000 mg/1 to less than 30 rag/1. Waste Throughput Information: 300 gallons per day. [EIES Number 005-033, pp. 44-45] Capital Investment: $10,000-$50,000 for chlorine and hypochlorite processes. Waste Throughput Information: 200 gallons per day - 20 gallons per minute. [EIES Number 005-033, pp. 41-42] Capital InveMownt: $300,000 for ozone oxidation. Product/Waste Throughput Information: Rinse tanks operated at a rate of 4 gallons, per minute (reactive nnsmg can eliminate 2 out of 3 plating line rinse tanks). [EIES Number 034-012. p. 239) ------- TABLE H (continued) POLLUTION PREVENTION PRACTICES FOR PROCESSES AND OPERATIONS IN METAL MANUFACTURING POLLUTION PREVENTION TECHNIQUES POLLUTION PREVENTION OPTIONS EXAMPLES OF COSTS AND SAVINGS, AND OTHER INFORMATION* " Use reactive rinsing in nickel plating operations to reduce rinse water use, improve plating efficiency, and conserve process chemicals. Capital Investment: S250 for plumbing and installation. Product/Waste Throughput Information: rinse tanks operated at rate of 4 gallons per minute (reactive rinsing can eliminate 2 out of 3 plating line rinse tanks). [EIES Number 034-012, p. 239] Recover phosphate from aluminum bright dipping operations by reacting rinse acid with soda alkalies to yield a trisodium phosphate solution. Filter the solution, cool it (so trisodium phosphate crystallizes out), and recycle the remaining mother liquor with further batches of rinse acid. [EIES Number 807-001] OVERALL Loss Prevention and Housekeeping. Reduce the number of hazardous materials purchased for similar purposes, (e.g., from 275 different types of adhesive to 2 or 3). (EIES Number 005-043, p. 27] Employ a strict preventative maintenance system to prevent spills and leaks. [EIES Number 005-043, p. 27] - 23 - ------- ------- ------- ------- |