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ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH BRIEF: WASTE MINIMIZATION ASSESSMENT FOR A BUMPER REFINISHING PLANT
Citation:
Kirsch, F. W. AND G. P. Looby. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH BRIEF: WASTE MINIMIZATION ASSESSMENT FOR A BUMPER REFINISHING PLANT. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/M-91/020 (NTIS 91-234526), 1991.
Impact/Purpose:
information
Description:
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 hazardous waste but lack the expertise to do so. Waste Minimization Assessment Centers (WMACs) were established at selected universities and procedures were adapted from the EPA Waste Minimization Opportunity Assessment Manual(EP A/625/7-88/003, July 1988). The WMACteam at Colorado State University inspected a plant refinishing steel, aluminum, and plastic bumpers. The plant is new and already incorporates many hazardous waste management features. After the bumpers are straightened, the processes to remove old plating and coating, the rinsing, the caustic cleaning for steel bumpers and de-smutting for aluminum ones, followed by more rinsing generate significant quantities of waste. Aluminum bumpers are then reanodized at another location; the steel bumpers are soaked in cleaning solutions and rinsed (and soaked and rinsed), creating still more waste, before being electrolytically replated with nickel and chromium. The team's report, detailing findings and recommendations, indicated that the greatest waste reduction could occur with the use of additional filtration along with the existing deionization systems. Their use would reduce chromium and nickel levels in rinse waters and other liquid streams to levels acceptable for recycle to the plant. The collected solids would go to a landfill for disposal. Because steel and aluminum bumpers generate the most waste, plastic bumpers were not considered for the purpose of this assessment.