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. In 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 (PB92-216985, July 1988). The WMAC team at the University of Tennessee performed an assessment at a plant manufacturing pasteurized milk, cream, buttermilk, chocolate milk, ice cream mix, fruit drinks, and plastic jugs - approximately 23,300,000 gallons of liquid product per year and 4,160,000 half gallon and 15,600,000 gallon plastic jugs per year. The team's report, detailing findings and recommendations, indicated that the majority of waste is waste water generated from all processes in the plant and that the greatest savings could be obtained by instituting a waste water management plan to reduce uncontained milk waste (38%) and waste water (90%).

"June 1992." "EPA/600-S-92-005." Shipping list no.: 92-0455-P.