vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Research and Development
National Risk Management
Research Laboratory
Cincinnati, OH 45268
EPA/600/S-95/026 September 1995
ENVIRONMENTAL
RESEARCH BRIEF
Pollution Prevention Assessment for a Manufacturer
of Food Service Equipment
Harry W. Edwards*, Michael F. Kostrzewa*,
and Gwen P. Looby**
Abstract
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has funded
a pilot project to assist small and medium-size manufacturers
who want to minimize their generation of waste but who lack
the expertise to do so. In an effort to assist these manufactur-
ers Waste Minimization Assessment Centers (WMACs) were
established at selected universities and procedures were
adapted from the EPA Waste Minimization Opportunity As-
sessment Manual (EPA/625/7-88/003, July 1988). That docu-
ment has been superseded by the Facility Pollution Prevention
Guide (EPA/600/R-92/088, May 1992). The WMAC team at
Colorado State University performed an assessment at a plant
that manufactures commercial food service equipment Raw
materials used by the plant include stainless steel, mild steel
aluminum, and copper and brass. Operations performed in the
plant include cutting, forming, bending, welding, polishing paint-
ing, and assembly. The team's report, detailing findings and
recommendations, indicated that paint-related wastes are gen-
erated in large quantities and that significant cost savings
could be achieved by retrofitting the water curtain paint spray
booth to operate as a dry filter paint booth.
This Research Brief was developed by the principal investiga-
tors and EPA's National Risk Management Research Labora-
tory, Cincinnati, OH, to announce key findings of an onqoinq
research project that is fully documented in a separate report
of the same title available from University City Science Center
* Colorado State University, Department of Mechanical Engineerinq
University City Science Center, Philadelphia, PA.
Introduction
The amount of waste generated by industrial plants has be-
come an increasingly costly problem for manufacturers and an
additional stress on the environment. One solution to the
problem of waste generation is to reduce or eliminate the
waste at its source.
University City Science Center (Philadelphia, PA) has begun a
pilot project to assist small and medium-size manufacturers
who want to minimize their generation of waste but who lack
the m-house expertise to do so. Under agreement with EPA's
National Risk Management Research Laboratory, the Science
Center has established three WMACs. This assessment was
done by engineering faculty and students at Colorado State
University's (Fort Collins) WMAC. The assessment teams have
considerable direct experience with process operations in manu-
facturing plants and also have the knowledge and skills needed
to minimize waste generation.
The pollution prevention opportunity assessments are done for
small and medium-size manufacturers at no out-of-pocket cost
o the client. To qualify for the assessment, each client must
fall within Standard Industrial Classification Code 20-39 have
gross annual sales not exceeding $75 million, employ no more
than 500 persons, and lack in-house expertise in pollution
prevention.
The potential benefits of the pilot project include minimization
of the amount of waste generated by manufacturers, and
reduction of waste treatment and disposal costs for participat-
ing plants. In addition, the project provides valuable experi-
ence for graduate and undergraduate students who participate
in the program, and a cleaner environment without more reau-
lations and higher costs for manufacturers
Printed on Recycled Paper
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Methodology of Assessments
The pollution prevention opportunity assessments require sev-
eral site visits to each client served. In general, the WMACs
follow the procedures outlined in the EPA Waste Minimization
SSnify Assessment Manual (EPN625i7-8QIOO^i.July 1988)
The WMAC staff locate the sources of waste in the plant and
identify the current disposal or treatment methods and their
associated costs. They then identify and analyze a variety of
ways to reduce or eliminate the waste. Specific measures to
achieve that goal are recommended and the essential support-
ing technological and economic information is developed. Fi-
SlyTsi confidential report that details the WMAC's findings
and recommendations (including cost savings, implementation
costs, and payback times) is prepared for each client.
Plant Background
This plant manufactures commercial food service equipment,
storage bins, cabinets, and other miscellaneous sheet meta
products. Sixty employees produce one-half million pounds of
stainless steel and painted steel products during approximately
2,200 operating hours annually.
Manufacturing Process
Specialty Sheet Metal Fabrication
Food service equipment, counter tops, case work, and other
products required on a job-shop basis are produced in the
custom shop area of the plant. Raw materials used include
stainless steel (primarily), mild steel, aluminum, and copper
and brass.
Stainless and mild steel arrive at the plant in sheets of precut
blanks that are trimmed to size using hydraulic shears. Opera-
tions performed include plasma cutting, forming, bending, cus-
tom welding, polishing, finishing, and assembly.
Ice Storage Equipment Fabrication
The other production activity at this plant is the fabrication of
ice storage equipment. Trimmed sheet metal received from the
shearing operation is cut, formed, welded, finished, prepared
for painting, painted, and insulated with a polyurethane foam.
An abbreviated process flow diagram depicting the production
operations of this plant is shown in Figure 1.
Existing Waste Management Practices
This plant already has implemented the following techniques to
manage and minimize its wastes.
Scrap stainless steel is collected and sold to a scrap metal
dealer for reuse.
A citrus-based cleaner is used instead of solvents in some
wipe-down cleaning operations.
Most of the ice storage products are coated using powder
coating technology ratherthan conventional painting, thereby
reducing the generation of paint-related wastes.
The nozzle of the foam insulation application system is
cleaned with ethylene glycol rather than methylene chloride.
Pollution Prevention Opportunities
The type of waste currently generated by the plant, the source
of the waste, the waste management method, the quantity of
the waste, and the waste management cost for each waste
stream identified are given in Table 1.
Table 2 shows the opportunities for pollution prevention that
the WMAC team recommended for the plant. The opportunity,
the type of waste, the possible waste reduction and associated
savings and the implementation cost along with the simple
payback time are given in the table. The quantities of waste
currently generated by the plant and possible waste reduction
depend on the production level of the plant. All values should
be considered in that context.
It should be noted that the economic savings of the opportuni-
ties in most cases, results from the need for less raw material
and from reduced present and future costs associated with
waste treatment and disposal. Other savings not quantifiable
by this study include a wide variety of possible future costs
related to changing emissions standards, liability, and em-
ployee health. It also should be noted that the savings given for
each opportunity reflect the savings achievable when imple-
menting each pollution prevention opportunity independently
and do not reflect duplication of savings that may result when
the opportunities are implemented in a package.
Additional Recommendations
In addition to the opportunities recommended and analyzed by
the WMAC team, two other measures were considered. These
measures were not analyzed completely because of projected
lengthy payback times. Since these approaches to pollution
prevention may, however, increase in attractiveness with chang-
ing conditions in the plant, they were brought to the plants
attention for future consideration.
Install a solvent recovery unit to recover waste toluene
generated during parts cleaning and wipe-down in the paint-
ing area.
Install an enclosed spray gun washer in order to reduce
solvent air emissions associated with paint gun cleaning.
This research brief summarizes a part of the work done under
Cooperative Agreement No. CR-819557 by the University City
Science Center under the sponsorship of the U. S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency. The EPA Project Officer was Emma
Lou George.
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Stainless Steel
And Other Metals
Custom Shop
L
Fabrication
Plasma Cutting
- Forming
- Welding
- Polishing
- Finishing
1
Shearing
Assembly
Completed Products
Ice Storage Equipment
Fabrication
1
Fabrication
- Plasma Cutting
- Faming
- WeMing
- Polishing
Painting Preparation
Painting
Foaming
Figure 1. Abbreviated process flow diagram for production of food service equipment.
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United States
Environmental Protection Agency
National Risk Management Research Laboratory (G-72)
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
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EPA
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EPA/600/S-95/026
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