United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
National Risk Management
Research Laboratory
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Research and Development
EPA/600/SR-96/115 September 1996
&EPA Project Summary
Pollution Prevention Assessment
U.S. Postal Service Materials
Distribution Center Topeka, KS
Carole O. Bell, Mary Hoel, Henry Huppert, and Steven Rolander
As part of its Waste Reduction Evalu-
ation at Federal Sites (WREAFS) Pro-
gram, the U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency (USEPA) National Risk
Management Research Laboratory
(NRMRL) worked cooperatively with the
U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to integrate
waste prevention and recycling activi-
ties into the waste management pro-
grams at various postal facilities
through conduct of pollution preven-
tion opportunity assessments (PPOA).
The PPOA summarized here was con-
ducted at a USPS facility in Topeka,
KS.
The PPOA documented and quanti-
fied waste generation at the USPS Ser-
vice Materials Distribution Center,
which consists of the Materials Distri-
bution Center, Central Repair Facility,
and Label Printing Center located in
Topeka, KS. The report makes recom-
mendations concerning the procure-
ment of office supplies, maintenance
supplies and hazardous materials; man-
agement of hazardous materials and
wastes; purchase of chemicals on
USEPA's 33/50 list; improvement of
source separation and recycling of pa-
per and paper products, metals and
plastics; management of unwanted
equipment; and other options for re-
ducing or eliminating pollution.
This Project Summary was developed
by USEPA's National Risk Management
Research Laboratory (NRMRL), Cincin-
nati, OH, to announce key findings of
the research project that is fully docu-
mented in a separate report of the same
title (see Project Report ordering infor-
mation at back).
Introduction
Since 1988, EPA's National Risk Man-
agement Research Laboratory (NRMRL)
has managed a technical support effort
known as the Waste Reduction Evalua-
tions at Federal Sites (WREAFS) Program.
WREAFS was established to provide pol-
lution prevention solutions to environmen-
tal issues through research, development
and demonstration of pollution prevention
techniques and technologies, and trans-
ferring lessons learned within the federal
community and related private sector in-
dustries.
The United States Postal Service
(USPS), in cooperation with NRMRL's
WREAFS Program is engaged in an effort
to integrate pollution prevention and recy-
cling activities into the waste management
programs at postal facilities. The purpose
of this project was to perform pollution
prevention opportunity assessments
(PPOAs) at Postal Service facilities, rec-
ommend implementation strategies, and
develop facility guidance that can be in-
corporated into a revision of the USPS
Waste Reduction Guide. The project was
funded by the U.S. Postal Service through
an interagency agreement with EPA
NRMRL.
In this report, the findings of the PPOA
conducted for the United States Postal
Service at the facilities associated with
the Materials Distribution Center in To-
peka, KS are described. The PPOA was
conducted during the week of March 6,
1995.
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Facility Description
The Materials Distribution Center (MDC)
is located in Topeka, KS. The USPS op-
erations occupy eight buildings on the site.
Four buildings are owned by the USPS
and four are leased.
The mission of the MDC is the specifi-
cation, acquisition, storage, distribution and
maintenance of more than 16,000 parts,
supplies, and pieces of equipment for the
USPS automation and computer systems,
nationwide. The MDC encompasses five
distinct operations: Materials Distribution
Center, Inventory Control, Inventory Sup-
port, Systems Integration, and the Topeka
Purchasing Center.
The Label Printing Center (LPC) pro-
duces variable data bag and tray labels
for 40,000 customers, including USPS na-
tionwide and a variety of bulk mailers.
The mission of the Central Repair Facility
(CRF) is to repair electronic equipment,
including circuit boards, monitors, printers
and motors from USPS facilities nation-
wide.
Waste Management
Facility-wide, monthly solid waste man-
agement fees are estimated at $5,034 for
an annual expense in excess of $60,000.
These charges are divided among the
three organizational groups: the Material
Distribution Center which pays three-fifths
of the total, the Label Printing Center one-
fifth, and the Central Repair Facility one-
fifth.
The MDC generates limited quantities
of hazardous waste. In the past year two
drums of waste paint were inadvertently
shipped to the MDC and disposed of as
hazardous waste.
The LPC generates several hazardous
wastes. These include gear oil, hydraulic
oil, and cleaners, degreasers, and chemi-
cals associated with the operation of the
offset lithography presses.
The offset presses generate three waste
streams which are hazardous when spent.
These include: Blanket wash (Blankrola)
which contains tetrachloroethylene (F002
when spent); Electrostatic solution con-
taining potassium hexacyanoferrate (po-
tentially D003); and liquid developer con-
taining isoparaffinic hydrocarbons (D001
if spent). The LPC generates approxi-
mately one gallon of each per week.
Facility-Wide
Recommendations
Pollution prevention recommendations
applicable to the entire facility include op-
tions in several categories as discussed
below.
General Rnvironmental
Management
• Appoint environmental coordinators to
monitor the environmental issues at
the facilities and identify opportunities
to either reduce or recycle the wastes
generated at the facility.
• Reallocate waste disposal costs based
on waste volume to provide incen-
tives to reduce waste.
• Determine the cost/benefit of replac-
ing single-use corrugated boxes and
jiffy bags in certain USPS shipping
operations with distribution packag-
ing that can be reused hundreds of
times.
• Use software to store information on
all items purchased in a database
that includes fields for tracking monthly
use, quantity on-hand, price, vendor,
and storage location.
• Establish preference programs and
adopt specifications for the purchase
of products made with the percent-
ages of recovered materials specified
in EPA Guidelines.
Cardboard
For the cardboard that cannot be re-
duced at the source, recycling is recom-
mended as discussed below. Exhibit 1
presents a summary of facility-wide corru-
gated cardboard recycling options.
Exhibit 1. Corrugated Cardboard Recycling
Maximize corrugated
cardboard recycling
Option 1:
Continue current arrangement with
Topeka Waste and Republic Paper
Option 2:
Negotiate a contract with
another paper recycler
Total additional pulls of
dedicated 40 cu yds
compacted corrugated per year
Annual weight of corrugated
Annual collection costs
Annual avoided disposal
Revenues from sale of corrugated
50
300 tons
$15,250 ($305/pull)
$15,650
$6,250 ($125/pull)
50
300 tons
0
$30,900
$22,500 - $30,000
($75-100/ton)
Total Savings
$21,900
$53,400 - 60,900
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Establish a corrugated cardboard
source separation policy, designate
containers for cardboard only and train
all employees to maintain separation
of OCC for recycling. Continue cur-
rent collection arrangement with To-
peka Waste and Republic Paper.
Establish a corrugated cardboard
source separation policy, designate
containers for cardboard only and train
all employees to maintain separation
of OCC for recycling. Establish a mar-
ket with a local recycler willing to en-
ter into a contract based on a fixed
price plus a fixed percentage of cur-
rent market price.
Exhibit 2. Office Paper Recycling
Commodity/Price
Mixed Office Paper
• Reduce computer paper usage by es-
tablishing duplex-printing policy, us-
ing electronic mail, and limiting distri-
bution lists.
• Establish a paper recycling program
and enter into a long-term paper re-
cycling contract indexed to the paper
market. If the office paper is recycled
as mixed paper, recyclers generally
pay between $50 and $150 per ton.
However, if the computer paper is
separated from the mixed paper, the
computer paper may receive up to
$200 per ton. Mixed-paper recycling
can often maximize the amount of
paper recycled, but it can lower the
Option 1:
Mixed Paper Recycling
revenues derived. Exhibit 2 pre-
sents a summary of different
mixed-paper recycling options
available to the facility.
• Train employees on the kinds of
paper that should be recycled.
Materials Distribution Center
The MDC pays approximately
$36,000 in annual waste disposal
costs. Exhibit 3 presents a summary
of the MDC's wastes, the current man-
agement practices for each, and rec-
ommended pollution prevention op-
Option 2:
Computer Paper Recycling/Mixed
Paper Recycling
Annual Paper Waste Generation
White Paper (estimated 25% of waste stream)
Mixed Paper (estimated 75% of waste stream)
Price per ton
Total
18.75 tons
$100' per ton
$1,875
18.75 tons
4.75 tons
14 tons
$200 per ton (computer paper)
$100' per ton (mixed paper)
$2,350
' May 1995 paper recycling figures.
Exhibit 3. MDC Waste Generation
Waste
Current Management
Opportunities
Obsolete, damaged or
defective equipment
Corrugated cardboard
Computer printout
White paper
Mixed paper
Magazines
Toner cartridges
Pallets
Plastic stretch wrap
Strapping
Dunnage
USPS logo removed/defaced; auctioned or sold as
scrap
Some hauled to Republic Recycling by Topeka
Waste Management for net cost of $180 per
compactor load
Some collected for recycling by Hunter; some
discarded as waste
Some collected for recycling; most discarded as waste
Some collected for recycling; some discarded as waste
Discarded as waste
Refurbished and reused
Reused then discarded as waste
Discarded as waste
Discarded as waste
Discarded as waste
Reduce generation
Improve economics of scrap sales
Reduce incoming boxes
Improve diversion for recycling
Improve economics of recycling
Reduce generation
Improve diversion for recycling
Reduce generation, divert for recycling
Reduce generation, divert for recycling
Reduce generation divert for recycling
Combine into single program
Reduce variety, establish recycling
options
Reduce generation, divert for recycling
Divert for recycling
Reuse, divert for recycling
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tions. Several options are discussed in
more detail in Exhibit 3.
Packaging
• Reduce multiple layers of packaging,
whereever product integrity will not
be threatened.
• Utilize reusable mail transport equip-
ment rather than single-use corru-
gated cardboard boxes and/or jiffy
bags whenever possible.
Paper
• Minimize the number of printed items
that become obsolete.
Exhibit4. LPC Solid Waste
Waste
Label Printing Center
Exhibit 4 presents a summary of the
wastes generated by the Label Printing
Center, the current management practices
for each, and recommended pollution pre-
vention opportunities.
Other pollution prevention opportunities
for the Label Printing Center include
• Seek an alternative mechanism, such
as bar code system, to label mail
bags, boxes and reusable mail distri-
bution equipment.
• Specify tag paper with recovered con-
tent in new procurement.
• Modify the label printing process to
reduce reject rate.
Current Management
- Replace degreasers and cleaners
containing ODCs and EPA 33/50
chemicals.
• Replace chemicals in pressure sensi-
tive printing with nontoxic alternatives.
• Replace petroleum-based inks with
soy or aqueous-based inks.
Central Repair Facility (CRF)
A summary of the wastestreams, the
current waste management practices for
each, and a description of recommended
pollution prevention opportunities for the
CRF is presented in Exhibit 5.
Opportunities
Corrugated cardboard
Computer paper
Mixed office paper
Test runs and defective
printed label stock
Banded label stock
Cores and ends
HOPE bottles
Hauled to Republic Recycling by Topeka
Waste Management for net cost of $180
per compactor load
Some collected for recycling by Hunter;
some discarded as waste
Discarded as waste
Recycled
Recycled
Discarded as waste
Recycled
Reduce incoming boxes
Improve diversion for recycling
Improve economics of recycling
Reduce generation
Improve diversion for recycling
Reduce generation
Divert for recycling
Reduce generation
Reduce generation
Divert for reuse or recycling
Reuse
Exhibit 5. CRF Waste Sources
Waste
Current Management
Opportunities
Cardboard
Foam
Plastic film
Tape
Strapping
Metal
Batteries
Paper
Oil
Computer parts
Discarded as solid waste
Discarded as solid waste
Discarded as solid waste
Discarded as solid waste
Discarded as solid waste
Collected for recycling
Discarded as solid waste
Accumulated for recycling through MDC
Discarded as solid waste
Discarded as solid waste
Collected for recycling
Sold as scrap
Discarded as solid waste
Replace with durables, reuse, recycle
Replace with durable, reuse
Reduce, recycle
Eliminate
Reduce, recycle
Improve source separation for
recycling
Source separate
Recycle
Reduce paper use, recycle
Dike drums to prevent runoff
Sell to computer recycler
Lead Solder
Discarded as solid waste
Less toxic substitute
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Other pollution prevention opportunities
for the CRF are highlighted below.
• Use the procurement system to track
hazardous materials throughout the
facility.
• Change purchasing specifications to
stop purchasing materials containing
chemicals on EPA 33/50 list.
• Purchase reusable foam templates to
replace the Instafoam packaging ma-
terial.
Exhibit 6 presents the pollution preven-
tion opportunities that offer the USPS sig-
nificant economic benefit in addition to
reducing pollution.
Recommendations and
Conclusions
The USPS has encouraged reduction
and recycling activities in its facilities. By
implementing many of the source reduc-
tion and recycling options identified in the
assessment, the Topeka Materials Distri-
bution Center may be able to improve
facility-wide environmental management,
improve record keeping, reduce waste
disposal costs and generate additional
revenues from the sale of paper, paper
products and other recyclables. On a fa-
cility-wide basis, the Topeka facility should
focus on appointing a single environmen-
tal coordinator and purchasing software
to coordinate purchasing and waste man-
agement throughout the facility. Addition-
ally, the MDC should focus on methods to
reduce the disposal of obsolete forms and
other printed material and the CRF should
make it a priority to eliminate the use of
Instafoam and replace this with reusable
foam templates.
The full report was submitted in partial
fulfillment of Contract No. 68-C2-0148,
Work Assignment No. 3-10 by Science
Applications International Corporation un-
der the sponsorship of the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency.
Exhibits. Cost-Saving Pollution Prevention Opportunities
Item(s) of Concern Facility
Current Practice
Pollution Prevention Opportunity
Estimated Potential Savings/Revenues
Old Corrugated
Cardboard (OCC)
MDC Warehouses
LPC
CRF
Obsolete forms, MDC Supply
publications, catalogs Warehouse
Mixed office paper MDC, LPC, CRF
Banded labels
LPC
Disposable shipping MDC, LPC, CRF
containers
Instafoam
CRF
Some OCC is recycled at a
net cost of $180 per
compactor load every other
month
Recycled through local
recycler
Most disposed in trash; small
amount of computer paper is
recycled
4,000 pounds of excess
banded label stock is
recycled through local
recycler monthly; no revenue
Purchase thousands of single-
use corrugated boxes and
jiffy bags to ship printed
labels, supplies and
equipment to other USPS
facilities.
Sprayed into shipping
containers to protect contents
from shifting and breakage
Establish and enforce a corrugated
cardboard source separation policy
Continue with same recycler or
contract with another firm
Seek a long-term contract for paper
recycling with a per-ton payment
indexed to the paper market
Establish paper recycling program
and seek long-term contract for
paper recycling with a per-ton
payment indexed to the paper market
Stop banding test runs
Identify a substitute for the plastic
bands
Total potential savings from avoided
disposal costs and increased
recycling revenues are estimated
between $21,900 and $60,900.
Estimated revenue increase of
$6,000 to $10,000 per year
depending on market fluctuations.
Total estimated revenues range from
$1,875 - $2,350
Maximize use of existing Mail
Transport Equipment Inventory
Purchase additional reusable
shipping containers
Establish equipment tracking
system
Reusable foam templates
Modify process to preserve boxes
for reuse and recycling
Reduction in contaminated label
stock will reduce waste and
potentially increase recycling
revenues.
Additional investment in capital
equipment will yield long-term
savings in reduced purchasing, labor
and disposal expenses.
Reduced liability and improved
worker safety. Investment in capital
equipment will yield long-term
savings in reduced purchasing, labor
and disposal expenses
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Carole O. Bell, Mary Hoe/, Henry Huppert, and Steven Rolander are with Science Applications
International Corporation, Newport, Rl 02840
James S. Bridges and Theresa T. Hoagland are the EPA Project Officers (see below).
The complete report, entitled "Pollution Prevention Assessment U. S. Postal Service Materials
Distribution Center Topeka, KS"(OrderNo. PB97-100069; Cost: $38.00, subject to change)
will be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officers can be contacted at:
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, OH 45268
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Center for Environmental Research Information (G-72)
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
BULK RATE
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
EPA
PERMIT No. G-35
EPA/600/SR-96/115
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