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The following are examples of facilities that have successfully used technical assistance from the Department of Ecology in their pollution-prevention programs.
Pierce, Clark and Skamania counties (media contact: Hugh O’Neill, toxics-reduction unit supervisor, 360-407-6354)
Dynea Overlays in Tacoma manufactures resin-impregnated papers for industrial and decorative applications. The paper is used in laminate flooring, kitchen cabinets, etc. During the last four years, Dynea’s hazardous-waste generation dropped by approximately 95 percent. In 1997, Dynea generated 445,988 pounds of hazardous waste, and in 2000 generated only 23,755 pounds. This reduction resulted from a production process change that uses water-based-resin technology, thus reducing hazardous solvent resins.
Precision Machine Works in Tacoma has had great success reducing its hazardous waste. In 1996, the company generated 20,554 pounds of hazardous waste; in 2001, that number had dropped to 2,763 pounds. The company achieved this reduction by substituting lower-hazard products wherever possible. Through trial and error, most chlorinated solvents were eliminated. Through innovation, employees eliminated the use of chlorinated-paraffin cutting oils, so spent cutting oil is no longer a dangerous waste. Since 1996, the company has reduced its annual hazardous-waste generation by 87 percent.
In 2001, American Reinforced Plastics (ARP), a manufacturer of tubs, showers and spas in Pierce County, switched to a different manufacturing process for applying fiberglass putty to its products. This change has reduced air emissions by 1,155 pounds per year and its use of hazardous substances by 600 pounds per year, and will save the company $4,000 per year. ARP's waste-reduction program allowed the company to become a conditionally exempt small-quantity generator in 2001, significantly reducing its regulatory and reporting requirements.
The WaferTech circuit foundry in Camas implemented a water-recycling program that has significantly reduced its water use. The company recycles, reclaims and re-uses more than 51 percent of its water to meet daily production needs. During 2000, production at the facility increased by 100 percent over 1999. However, due to its water recycling program, WaferTech increased its actual water use by only 35 percent. For the year 2000, WaferTech’s water recycling program saved $853,828 in water and sewer costs.
SEH America Inc. manufactures silicon wafers in Vancouver. It has established programs such as environmental-awareness training for new employees and a comprehensive environmental-management system to identify goals and strive for continuous improvement. The company continues to reduce water use annually and has a solid-waste recycling program that has saved them more than $500,000 in disposal costs.
Molded Fiberglass Northwest in Stevenson produces truck cabs. In 2001, it reduced its use of hazardous substances by 28,422 pounds by specifying strict limits on the amount of material used to produce each cab and by reducing paint waste. These reductions saved $94,332 per year.
Northwest Washington (media contact: Dennis Johnson, toxics-reduction unit supervisor, 425-649-7040)
ELDEC Corporation, in Bothell and Martha Lake, manufactures aerospace electronics. Ecology Department engineers helped ELDEC find a cost-effective alternative for a hazardous-machine coolant. ELDEC also installed a conductivity flow-control meter in its irridite plating line. This relatively small capital investment helped the company achieve a 25 percent reduction in water use. ELDEC will save $46,000 on compliance, equipment and containment systems the first year, and $7,000 annually on recurring hazardous-waste management and hazardous-waste disposal costs.
Production Plating Inc., a metal finishing company in Mukilteo, was able to reduce water use from 22,000 to 12,000 gallons per day by implementing water-conservation techniques suggested by Ecology. By changing wastewater-treatment chemistry, the company was able to decrease the amount of rinse water dumped and the amount of pH adjustment chemicals used. This helped reduce sludge generation by approximately 25 percent.
The aircraft-maintenance department at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station previously generated 180,000 pounds of waste using a solvent for stripping paint and cleaning parts. By using alternative and appropriate products and revising employee procedures for treating waste, Ecology’s toxics-reduction engineers helped the facility eliminate disposal of the solvent as a hazardous waste.
Dunkin & Bush in Redmond is a commercial painting contractor that applies industrial coatings and linings to structural equipment. Cleanup at each job site produces waste paint and dirty paint thinners. The company now recaptures and re-uses clean solvent. It returns unused product to vendors, rather than disposing it as a hazardous material. As a result, Dunkin & Bush has returned more than 100,000 pounds of unused products and saved more than $270,000 in disposal costs.
Burke Gibson Inc. in Auburn manufactures advertising displays. The company has implemented numerous pollution-prevention opportunities, including offering unused stains and topcoats to other companies or the public. It has provided incentives or required manufacturers to take back unused stain or paints. In 2001, the company stopped using arsenic-treated wood, which reduced its hazardous wastes by approximately 10,000 pounds. It purchased an oil-water separator and further reduced hazardous waste by more than 700 pounds. Burke Gibson also educates other companies and the public about using and/or recycling unused products and wastes to reduce the risks to company personnel, the surrounding community and the environment.
Genie Industries in Redmond, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Terex Corp, with nearly 1 million square feet of manufacturing plants. In 2001, one plant implemented water-saving rinse methods that reduced the amount of fresh water used and waste water produced by 1.4 million gallons over the previous six months. Genie also recycles its scrap metal, wood waste and cardboard. Approximately 20,700,000 pounds of scrap metal were recycled in 2002, generating more than $400,000 in revenue, and about 600,000 pounds of paper were recycled in 2002, saving more than $8,000. In addition, Genie began using the Genie Environmental Management System at all facilities in 2002 to track energy and the flow of materials and wastes throughout the company. In addition to tracking waste better, the system will help the company continuously improve efficiency, conservation and other environmental matters.
Tyee Aircraft Inc. in Everett manufactures structural parts for the aerospace industry. In 1992, chip-centrifuge machines were installed to separate waste oil and coolants from metal-chip cuttings. The metal chips were recycled and sold instead of disposed at a landfill. In 1993, the company invested in an aqueous cleaning process and eliminated 1,1,1-trichloroethane from its cleaning process (1,1,1-trichloroethane is no longer manufactured in the U.S. due to its effects on the ozone layer). The previous cleaning processes generated 26,000 pounds of solvent waste per year. The company eliminated this waste stream by substituting a non-dangerous waste solvent, and eliminated its chlorinated-coolant waste stream by substituting a chlorine-free coolant. Pollution-prevention efforts have reduced Tyee’s hazardous wastes from 36,000 to 1,600 pounds per year.
Canyon Creek Cabinets in Monroe manufactures wooden cabinets for the
home building and remodeling industry. The company uses innovative techniques to
reduce air emissions, waste generation, and water and energy use. In 2001, the
company substituted water-based coatings in several finishing operations. This
change reduced volatile organic compounds by 10,000 pounds and allowed them to
treat more than 60,000 pounds of wastewater onsite instead of disposing it as
hazardous waste. Canyon Creek participates in a voluntary program sponsored by
EPA and Department of Energy to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. The company
also installed a variable-drive system on the dust collector, which reduced
energy costs by 38 percent.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
