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ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH BRIEF: WASTE REDUCTION ACTIVITIES AND OPTIONS FOR A MANUFACTURER OF FINISHED LEATHER.
Citation:
Eyraud, P. AND D. J. Watts. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH BRIEF: WASTE REDUCTION ACTIVITIES AND OPTIONS FOR A MANUFACTURER OF FINISHED LEATHER. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/S-92/039 (NTIS 93-123115), 1992.
Impact/Purpose:
Information.
Description:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded a project with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy (NJDEPE) to assist in conducting waste minimization assessments at thirty small- to medium-sized businesses in the state of New Jersey. One of the sites selected was a manufacturer of finished leather. Site visit was made in 1990 during which several opportunities for waste minimization were identified. Recommendations included: 1) change-over to water-based coatings; 2) installation of a solvent recovery/reuse capability; 3) use of a hand pump to reduce spill age during transfer and physical layout considerations to reduce the distances materials must be moved; 4) reducing the volume of the container for test mixes; 5) improvements to the computer-controlled spray-coating operation to reduce over-spray; and 6) the use of covers over formulated coating mixtures to reduce air emissions. Implementation of the identified waste minimization opportunities was not part of the program. Percent waste reduction, net annual savings, implementation costs and payback periods were estimated.