EPA and Industry
EPA/744/F-96/018A
Design for
A partnership'far a cleaner future.
Katherine M. Han, Deborah L. Boger, and Michael A. Kerr
APCB shop's ability to .react to complex
environmental rules, regulations, and regu-
latory costs can mean the difference between
success and failure. To this end, companies in all
industrial sectors are responding to current and future
environmental considerations and potential tort liability
by identifying opportunities to prevent pollution (e.g.,
eliminating the generation of hazardous waste) and by
using safer materials and technologies. Past methods of
addressing environmental problems, largely by control-
ling pollution through end-of-pipe approaches, have
proven to be expensive and less effective. Today's
successful companies are finding that pollution preven-
tion often results in substantial cdst savings and th'at
performance, productivity, and even marketability are
often enhanced by adopting environmentally friendly
processes and technologies and considering DfE.
f , -
What Is DfE?
Design for the environment (DfE);. is most com-
monly viewed as an adaptation of the design for "X"
concept, where "X" represents a'desired product charac-
teristic (e.g., safety, durability) integrated as a process-
goal. In DfE initiatives, cost and performance as well as
environmental considerations are an integral part of the
design or redesign of the product.
The evolution of the pollution prevention-philos-
ophy caused many companies to "design for the environ-
ment" by directing their environmental efforts earlier in
the production cycle, from clean-up and control technol-
ogies to better management to product redesign. Deci-
sions made at the design or redesign stage affect a
product's impact on worker and consumer safety, the
risks and releases to human health and the environment.
and the characteristics of the product's waste streams.
16 Printed Circuit Fabrication • •
The EPA's DfE Program
The EPA's DfE program builds on the industry^
pioneered DfE concept by striving -to help businesses
incorporate environmental considerations in all aspects
of plant operation. One way in which the EPA accom-
plishes this goal is through voluntary partnerships with
particular industry sectors in developing.the information
and tools needed to' make environmentally informed
choices. The'EPA's DfE program also includes broad
institutional projects aimed at changing general business
practices, which include:
• working with the private sector to develop "account-.
'ing tools that incorporate environmental costs and
, benefits into .accounting and capital budgeting
practices (total cost accounting)
.• working with the National Science Foundation to
encourage academic research into alternative meth-
ods for producing chemicals that reduce or elimi-
, nate the use or generation of toxic substances (the
Benign by Design program)'
• working with the insurance industry to encourage
, the incorporation of pollution prevention principles
in the underwriting and risk management decision-.
making process
' • working with the financial community to facili-,
tate companies in financing pollution prevention
initiatives ,
• establishing a National Pollution Prevention Cen-
ter at the University of Michigan where curricula
are being developed that incorporate pollution
prevention, lifecycle analysis, and DfE principles
into a variety of disciplines, including business,
engineering, accounting, and marketing.
In DfE projects with businesses, trade associations/
and stakeholders in specific industry segments, the EPA
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helps the industry gather and develop the information
and tools necessary to evaluate available or emerging
alternative chemicals, processes, and technologies. It
does this by taking advantage of the EPA's risk manage-
ment methods and expertise. The DfE program can also
provide Other incentives for industry participation,
including funding to develop and analyze critical infor-
mation for individual companies and the .general public
regarding environmentally beneficial alternatives.
The DfE program is currently working with
stakeholders in the PCB fabrication and assembly
industries. The project's goals are consistent with the
work underway in the EPA's Common Sense Initiative
iCSn. a program in which EPA has brought together
Stakeholders in several other industries to identify
opportunities for achieving cleaner, cheaper, and smarter
environmental protection in six major areas: current and
tuture environmental regulations, requirements report-
ing, environmental compliance, permitting, pollution
prevention, and environmental technology.
Project Purpose
In April 1993. the research consortium Microelec-
tronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC)
spearheaded a study entitled "Life Cycle Assessment of a
Computer Workstation." In this ground-breaking study,
the EPA, the U.S. Department of Energy, and industry
partners such as SEMATECH found that the production
ut PCBs accounts for 79% of the energy used, 95% of the
water used, and 95% of the hazardous waste associated
with computer manufacturing. The potential for im-
provement in these areas led the EPA's DfE program to
include environmental and public interest groups in its
working partnership with the printed circuit board
industry. ' •
As the underlying- link between semiconductors.
computer chips, and other electronic circuitry, PCBs are
an irreplaceable part of many high-tech products. In the
rapidly changing PCB industry, opportunities abound to
integrate environmental objectives into emerging pro-
duction processes and technologies. However, many
manufacturers are small businesses who are unable to
invest in expensive environmental analyses and process
redesign. To facilitate the evaluation and implementa-
tion of affordable and environmentally beneficial alter-
natives, the EPA entered into a DfE programpartnership
to provide assistance to the entire PCB industry.
One short-term goal is to generate interest and
participation in the DfE PCB project and to disseminate
information on viable pollution prevention ideas that the
industry can implement immediately. Over the long
term, the project seeks to effect behavioral change to
improve the competitiveness and environmental perfor-
mance of PCB manufacturers. To reach these goals, the
DfE Project Team will:
.• evaluate and develop technical information on
pollution prevention technologies that reduce com-
pliance costs, environmental releases, risks to hu-
man health, and chemical and natural resource use
• develop industry -and regulatory profiles that identic
fy barriers to pollution prevention .
• facilitate technology transfer among PCB compan-
• ies to avoid duplication of effort and cultivate the
use of alternatives.
Successfully accomplishing these project tasks will
help to increase the international competitiveness of the
industry through enhanced efficiency and streamlined
operations—two common by-products of pollution
prevention.
Subject Areas
DfE's work with, the PCB industry and other
stakeholders is .conducted within three project areas—
.- technical studies, communication efforts, and implemen-
tation activities.
Technical Studies. In late 1994, the DfE Tech-
nical Workgroup mapped out the major steps in PCB
fabrication and chose four .major functional arero fcr
further evaluation, each of which includes several
process steps. The Workgroup then identified the chemi-
cals used in existing and emerging process alternatives
for each of the functional areas and conducted a
preliminary assessment of environmental and human
health risks associated with each area.
The DfE Project Team selected the functional area
of making holes conductive (PTH) for detailed analysis in
a Cleaner Technologies Substitutes Assessment (CTSA)
to be conducted by the EPA and the University of
' Tennessee's Center for Clean Products and Clean
Technologies. A CTSA contains information not only
about the environmental impacts (e.g., releases to the
Vol. 18, No. 4 April 1995 17
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ERA. and Industry
Environmental resources
Selection of process step
Human health risks
Environmental risks
Pollution prevention
survey '
ed decision by PWB manufacturers
Information and tools that contribute to environmentally informed choices.
environment, hazardous waste generation, water and
energy use, and comparative risk) of existing and
emerging alternatives but also examines; their cost and
performance. As part of the assessment, performance
demonstrations will-be carried out to test the effective-
ness of alternative technologies in real-world settings,
providing crucial information about the cost and perfor-
mance of the alternatives under various conditions. The
information in the CTSA and other project documents
will allow the PCB industry decision-makers to evaluate
their existing processes and practices and identify viable,
cost-effective pollution, prevention options. The printed
circuit board CTSA is expected to be completed by the
summer of 1996. ,
The PCB Project Workgroup is also developing a
number of other tools for use by the industry. The
"Industry and Use Cluster Profile" contains information
about the current economic status of the industry and the
current methods by which PCBs are manufactured. It
describes industry demographics, board types, market
size, international trends and other industry characteris-
tics. It also describes basic manufacturing steps and
alternative technologies for each major process step.
A "Pollution Prevention Survey," being conducted
by industry participants, will contain an in-depth analy-
sis of pollution prevention technologies currently being
used in the industry and data on chemical use, waste
reductions, and the savings that have resulted from
implementing the technologies. The: EPA has also
developed a document to help the industry assess the
regulatory implications of current and alternative tech-
nologies titled, "Federal Environmental Regulations
Potentially Affecting the Computer Industry".
Communication Efforts. Throughout the proj-
ect, the EPA and project stakeholders will conduct
outreach activities to promote the awareness of the
project and to generate interest in the project's technical
and information products. The Project:Team has given
18 Printed Circuit Fabrication • \ - --.
presentations at PCB trade shows, written.articles for
the trade press, distributed DfE information at booth
exhibits, and created project fact sheets. The strategy
developed by the' Communications 'Workshop includes
developing-pollution prevention case studies that will
provide practical information on substitute materials
processes, technologies, and work practices. Based on
CTSA information and successful pollution prevention
experiences, the first two case studies are expected to be
completed by May 1995.
Implementation Activities. An Implementa-
tion Workgroup will be established to provide assistance,
and a certification.program will be formed for individual
PCB manufacturers who implement the alternative
technologies identified in the CTSA. This Workgroup
may also conduct additional demonstration projects and
workshops, create videotapes, and develop other training
materials. • . '
ition?
How Can I Get More Infot
. The DfE Project Team encourages all interested
parties to participate in the project, either by joining the
Technical or Communications Workgroups, by attend-
ing project meetings, or by asking that the EPA include
them on the project mailing list. The next project
meeting will be held in San Diego on May 4, I995, in
conjunction with IPC-Expo. v
For more information about the DfE program, the
DfE PWB Project, or to be added to the mailing- list,
contact EPA's Pollution Prevention Information Clear-
ing House (PPIC), U.S.. Environmental Protection
. Agency, 401 M St., S.W. (3404), Washington D.C. 20460.
Tel. 202/260-1023, fax -0178. ,BQB
Katherine M'. Hart and Deborah L. Eager are environmental'
protection specialists with EPA's Design for the Environment
Staff, Washington D.C. Michael A. Kerr is the environmental,
' safety & health manager at Circuit Center Inc., Dayton OH.
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