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ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH BRIEF: WASTE MINIMIZATION FOR A MANUFACTURER OF FINISHED METAL AND PLASTIC PARTS
Citation:
Edwards, H., M. Kostrzewa, AND G. Looby. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH BRIEF: WASTE MINIMIZATION FOR A MANUFACTURER OF FINISHED METAL AND PLASTIC PARTS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/S-94/005.
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 waste but who lack the expertise to do so. n an effort to assist these manufacturers Waste Minimization Assessment Centers (WMACs) were established at selected universities and procedures were adapted from the EPA Waste Minimization Opportunity Assessment Manual (EPA/625/7-88/003, July 1988). hat document has been superseded by the Facility Pollution Prevention Guide (EPA/600/R-92/088, May 1992). he WMAC team at Colorado State University performed an assessment at a plant that applies coatings to metal and plastic components supplied by its customers. everal different coating operations are performed, but the ones that generate consistent and significant quantities of waste are anodizing of aluminum parts, chromating of aluminum parts, and painting of plastic and metal parts. he team's report, detailing findings and recommendations, indicated that large quantities of spent rinse water and process solutions, and spent solvent and still bottoms are generated by the plant and that the life of the black dye bath could be extended to yield significant cost savings. his Research Brief was developed by the principal investigators and EPA's Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH, to announce key findings of an ongoing research project that is fully documented in a separate report of the same title available from University City Science Center.