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ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH BRIEF: WASTE REDUCTION ACTIVITIES AND OPTIONS FOR A PRINTING PLATE PREPARATION SECTION OF A NEWSPAPER.
Citation:
Ulbrecht, A. AND D. J. Watts. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH BRIEF: WASTE REDUCTION ACTIVITIES AND OPTIONS FOR A PRINTING PLATE PREPARATION SECTION OF A NEWSPAPER. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/S-92/053 (NTIS 93-126563), 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 printing plate preparation area of a large circulation newspaper printing facility. The areas of concern on the part of the publishing company that lead to the waste minimization opportunities assessment were levels of contaminants in their waste water which were above the limits established by the local sewage authority. The process used for plate preparation is fundamentally a photographic transfer operation involving developing and fixing photographic films. Site visit was made in 1990 during which several opportunities for waste minimization were identified. Options included changes in some of the chemicals used in the process, reduced levels of rinse water, and improved silver recovery technology. 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.