Furniture/Wood Manufacturing and Refinishing
Industry Overview
Not all furniture/wood manufacturing and refmishing opera-
tions produce hazardous waste. If, however, you use any solvents,
flammable or combustible liquids, combustible solids, ignitable
paints containing flammable solvents, or other materials contain-'
ing toxic chemicals, the waste generated from using these materi-
als might be hazardous, and you might be subject to Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requirements covering
the generation, transportation, and management of hazardous
waste.
Your business is included in the furniture/wood manufacturing
and refmishing category if you manufacture, refinish, reupholster,
or repair:
• Wooden kitchen cabinets
• Hardwood veneer, softwood veneer, or plywood
• Particleboard
• Wooden household furniture or upholstered furniture
• Wooden office furniture, lockers, office and store
fixtures.
Hazardous Wastes from Furniture/Wood
Manufacturing and Refinishing
The furniture/wood manufacturing and refinishing industry
uses many solvents. Spent solvents and solvent still bottoms are
usually hazardous wastes. In addition to solvent wastes, your fa-
cility might generate ignitable wastes or toxic wastes. Many
wastes generated from the use of paints, wood treatments, stains,
varnishes, polishes, and adhesives might be ignitable or might
fail the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) test.
Sawmills and planing mills can generate wastewaters that fail the
TCLP test.
Table 1 lists general processes/operations that use hazardous
materials and that can result in the generation of hazardous waste.
If you generate 100 kilograms (220 pounds or about half of a 55-
gallon drum) or more of hazardous waste per month, you must
fill out a Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest when you ship the
hazardous waste off your property. The Manifest requires the
proper Department of Transportation (DOT) description for each
waste. Table 2 lists proper DOT shipping descriptions for a num-
ber of wastes that might be generated during furniture and wood
manufacturing and refinishing. Table 1 and Table 2 are not com-
prehensive lists. If you generate a waste that is not in these ta-
bles, consult your EPA Regional office or state hazardous waste
management agency to determine if your waste is hazardous and
to obtain the proper DOT information.
Waste Minimization
An effective waste minimization program can reduce the costs,
liabilities, and regulatory burdens of hazardous waste manage-
ment, while potentially enhancing efficiency, product quality, and
community relations. Waste minimization techniques that can
EPA/530-SW-90-027c
help you reduce the amount of hazardous waste that you generate
include:
• Production planning and sequencing
• Process/equipment adjustment or modification
• Raw material substitution
• Loss prevention and housekeeping
• Waste segregation and separation
• Recycling.
Training and supervision of employees implementing waste
minimization techniques is an important part of your successful
program. Call the RCRA/Superfund Hotline toll-free at 800-424-
9346 (or TDD 800-553-7672 for the hearing-impaired) for waste
minimization information and publications.
Table 1
Typical Furniture Manufacturing and Refinishing Operations:
Materials Used and Hazardous Wastes that Might be
Generated
Process/
Operation
Wood
Cleaning and
Wax
Removal
Refinishing/
Stripping
Staining
Painting
Finishing
Brush
Cleaning and
Spray Gun
Cleaning
Materials
Used
Petroleum
distillates, white
spirits
Paint removers,
varnish
removers,
enamel
removers,
shellac
removers, paint
solvents,
turpentine
Stains
Enamels,
lacquers,
epoxies, alkyds,
acrylics
Varnish, shellac,
polyurethane,
lacquers, wood
treatments,
polish
Paint thinners,
enamel reducers,
varnish
removers,
shellac
removers, white
spirits
Typical Material
Ingredient
Petroleum distillates,
mineral spirits
Acetone, toluene,
petroleum distillates,
methanol, methylene
chloride, alcohols,
ketones, oxygenated
solvents
Mineral spirits,
alcohol, pigments
Toluene, pigments,
titanium dioxide,
epoxy-ester resins,
aromatic hydrocar-
bons, glycol ether,
halogenated hydro-
carbons, vinyl-
acetate acrylic .
Denatured alcohols,
resins, shellac,
petroleum distillates,
toluene diisocyanate
Acetone, toluene,
petroleum distillates,
methanol, methylene
chloride, isopropanol,
mineral spirits,
alcohols
General Types
of Waste
Generated
Ignitable
wastes
Toxic wastes
Solvent wastes
Ignitable
wastes
Toxic wastes
Paint wastes
Solvent wastes
Ignitable
wastes
Toxic wastes '
Solvent wastes
Ignitable
wastes
Toxic wastes
Paint wastes
Solvent wastes
Ignitable
wastes
Toxic wastes
Spent solvents
Solvent still
bottoms
Ignitable
wastes
Toxic wastes
Spent solvents
Solvent still
bottoms
Printed on recycled paper
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Waste Type
Table 2
Furniture/Wood Manufacturing and Refinishing Waste Descriptions1
Designations/Trade Names DOT Shipping Name Hazard Class
UN/NA
ID Number
SPENT SOLVENTS AND STILL BOTTOMS AND IGN1TABLE OR TOXIC WASTES CONTAINING:
Waste Ethylene Dichloride
Ethylcne Diehloridc*
Benzene*
Toluene
Ethyl Benzene
Chlorobcnzene*
Methyl Ethyl Kctonc*
Chloroform*
Carbon Teirachloride*
Hcxachloroethane*
Cresols*
Pentaehlorophenol*
Acetone
White Spirits, Varsol
Kerosene
Mcthylcnc Chloride
Toluene
Benzene*
Ettunol
Phenol*
Ethylene Dichloride, 1,2-DichIoro-
cthane
Benzene
Toluene
Ethyl Benzene
Chlorobenzene, Monochlorobenzene,
Phenylchloride
Methyl Ethyl Ketone, MEK, Methyl
Acetone, Meetco, Butanone, Ethyl
Methyl Ketone
Chloroform
Perchloromethane, Tetraform, Carbona
Halon 104
Hexachloroethane
o-Cresol, m-Cresol, p-Cresol, (m,p)-
Cresol, (o,m,p-Cresol)
Pentaehlorophenol
Acetone
White Spirits, Mineral Spirits,
Naphtha-
Kerosene, Fuel Oil #1
Dichloromethane, Methane -Bichloride,
Methylene Bichloride, NCI-C50102,
Solacsthin, Aerothene, Narkotil,
Solmethine
Toluene, Methacide, Methylbenzene,
Methylbenzol, Phenylmethane,
Toluol, Antisal 1A
Benzene, Benzol
Ethanol, Ethyl Alcohol
Phenol
Flammable Liquid2 UNI 184
PAINT WASTES WITH HEAVY METALS
Heavy Metal paints with:
Lead*
Nickel*
Chromium*
Waste Benzene (benzol)
Waste Toluene (toluol)
Waste Ethyl Benzene
Waste Chlorobenzene
Waste Methyl Ethyl Ketone
Waste Chloroform
Waste Carbon Tetrachloride
Waste Hexachloroethane
Waste Cresol
Waste Pentachlorophenol, Liquid or Solid
Waste Acetone
Waste Naphtha
Waste Kerosene
Waste Dichloromethane or Methylene Chloride
Waste Toluene (Toluol)
Waste Benzene (Benzol)
Waste Ethyl Alcohol
Waste Phenol
Hazardous Waste, Liquid or Solid, NOS4
Flammable Liquid
Flammable Liquid
Flammable Liquid
Flammable Liquid
ORM-A
ORM-A
ORM-A
Corrosive Material
ORM-E
Flammable Liquid
Flammable Liquid
Combustible Liquid3
ORM-A
Flammable Liquid
Flammable Liquid
Flammable Liquid
Poison B
ORM-E
OTHER WASTES
Ignimblc Wastes, NOS
Hazardous Wastes, NOS
Ignitable Wastes NOS, Solvents
Waste Flammable Liquid, NOS
Waste Combustible Liquid, NOS
Waste Flammable Solid, NOS
Waste Petroleum Distillates
Hazardous Waste, Liquid or Solid, NOS
Flammable Liquid
Combustible Liquid
Flammable Solid
Flammable Liquid
ORM-E
UNI 114
UN1294
UNI 175
UNI 134
Flammable Liquid UNI 193
UN1888
UN1846
NA9037
UN2076
NA2020
UN1090
UN2553
UN1223
UN1593
UN1294
UNI 114
TJN1770
UN1671
NA9189
UN1993
NA1993
UN1325
UN1268
NA9189
* Toxlcity Characteristic constituent. Any waste that results in a TCLP extract containing a Toxicity Characteristic constituent equal to or above regulatory
levels is hazardous.
1 These descriptions may change given variations in waste characteristics or conditions. Note that the DOT shipping name, hazard class, and UN/NA ID number
do not directly correspond to RCRA hazardous waste categories.
2 A flammable liquid has a flash point below 100°F.
3 A combustible liquid has a flash point between 100°F and 200°F.
4 NOS - Not otherwise specified.
For further information call the RCRA/Superfund Hotline 1-800-424-9346
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