As an extended service of _____________________________________________, you will receive fact sheets to help you learn how to investigate, select and use waste minimization opportunities for your industry. Reducing or eliminating hazardous substances is an important business decision. When you use hazardous chemicals in your processes, you are not just making a one-time purchase of the material, you are also paying for:
These costs add up, and finding alternatives to these substances should be a priority. Alternatives are available and often out-perform old process equipment and chemicals.
Proper storage and disposal Permits Protecting worker health submitting required reports training employees
How can auto body repair shops' pollution prevention efforts help industrial laundries?
Often small amounts of hazardous materials are left in industrial shop towels and wipes after use. The wipes are usually not treated as hazardous waste and are often cleaned by industrial laundries for re-use.
Wipes and towels from auto body repair shops often contain cleaners, oils, solvents and paints composed of hazardous materials. These chemicals are transferred to the industrial laundry's wastewater during washing.
Auto body repair shops' efforts to reduce the amount of hazardous substances they use and discard in wipes will reduce the pollutant load in the laundries' wastewater. Pollution prevention efforts to substitute less hazardous cleaners, oils, solvents and paints will benefit both auto body shops and industrial laundries.
The pollution prevention ideas in this fact sheet may help you lessen the overall impact of your facility on the environment as well as potentially reduce operating costs.
Identify and Use Less Hazardous Paints and CoatingsWHO TO CALL FOR HELP
Less toxic paints and coatings mean less hazardous materials left on shop towels and wipes.
- Consider using paints and coatings with less hazardous ingredients.
Identify and Use Less Hazardous Solvents and Cleaners
Less hazardous cleaners mean less hazardous materials left on shop towels and wipes.
- Consider using cleaners and solvents with a lower volatile organic compound (VOC) content.
- Consider using water-based or citrus-based dillmonine cleaner in place of solvents.
Reduce the Amount of Solvents and Cleaners Used
Employees often have ideas on how to use less solvents. Check with them.
- Use a spray bottle or plunger can to deliver solvents where they're needed.
- Don't dip shop towels or wipes into open solvent containers.
- Reduce the size of the shop towel or wipe. You'll reduce the amount of solvent used at the same time.
- Consider reusing shop towels or wipes for repetitive tasks.
- Keep used wipes and towels in closed containers between uses.
- Limit the amount of solvent available for use each day.
Spray Gun Cleaning Tips
- Consider developing a multiple stage cleaning process with a soak stage using partially spent solvent.
- Keep spray guns in proper working condition. This minimizes cleaning effort and solvent use.
- Immerse only the spray gun tip when cleaning.
Recover Solvents and Cleaners from Towels and Wipes Before They Are Sent to the Laundry. Recovery methods include:
- Gravity Drain
- Hand Wringing
- Automatic wringing
- Centrifuging--explosion proof
- VOC stripping using steam
- Use a liner (mesh type bag) in the used towel/wipe collection container to keep the wipes above any free liquid in the bottom of the container
- Don't put towels or wipes with free liquid into the collection container--wring them out first
- Recovered solvents may be reused
- Share Material Safety Data Sheets for materials used in your shop with your launderer
- Collect, store and transport used shop towels and wipes to the laundry facility in closed containers
- Don't use shop towels or wipes to clean up spills of hazardous materials or to dispose of excess materials
- Sort shop towels or wipes according to the types of materials they may contain
For Free, Non-Regulatory Assistance and Referrals, contact PPRC.
Produced by the Northwest Partnership for Environmental Technology Education for the Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center,
513 First Ave. West, Seattle, WA 98119
phone: 206-352-2050, fax: 206-352-2049, e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org, WWW address: http://www.pprc.org