Nod GJJIO~~NA DE- of EM~RONMENT, H&h, md Nmwd RElsou~c~lr

WMTE REDUCTION

AuqnT19,1997

JAMES B. HUNT, JR. GOMRNOR

JONA~AN B. HONES SECRETARY

TIE GOVERNOR’S Awmds FOR ~!XC&NCE iN WASTE REducTioN

For the past 15 years, the Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Waste Reduction have recognized North Carolina businesses and industries that demonstrate excellence in eliminating, reducing, and managing waste.

The awards program honors large and small businesses, federal facilities, and state agencies that have shown outstanding commitment to protecting the environment and public health through source reduction, reuse, recycling, and resource recovery. This year’s competition has again included a small business category. This category was added to give special recognition to small businesses which frequently do not have the resources of larger companies and are doing an outstanding job of reducing their wastes.

The criteria for judging entries for the awards program include environmental and econom’ic benefits, technological innovation, commitment by management, and leadership in communicating awareness to others.

A panel of six judges representing various interests extensively reviews applications and recommends award recipients to the Governor for approval.

The State of North Carolina appreciates the support and participation of its businesses and industries in helping to make the awards-program a continued success.

\ JONATHAN B. HOWES, SECRETARY DEPARTMENT Of ENViRONMENT, HEARTS, ANd NATURAL RESOURCES

PANEL OF JUDGES

REPRESENTING INDUSTRY

MR. DAVID FRENCH PREsidENT AM$ATE, INC. C~ARIOTTE, NOR& CARoliNn

MR. JAMES GRIFFEE ENViRONMENTAl CoORdiNATOR CROWN Conk & SEAI COMPANY, INC. ARdEN, NORTH CnRofiNA

MR. FRANK BRANTLEY ENViRONMENTAl EN$iNEER ExidE EfEcTRoNics RAfEiqk, NoRTh CARoliNn

MS. LAURA BENNETT RECyCliNq MANAGER TIE GROM PARk INN RESORT Ash&k, NoRTh CARoiiNA

MR. JIMMY SUMMERS CORPORATE ENviRoNMENTAf ANd ENERGY MANAGER Guiffond Mills, INC. GREENsboRo, NoRTh CAROfiNA

MR. MATT CATON ENViRONMENTA! ENC$NEER

LUfkiN/COOpER HANd Tools APEX, NoRTh CARoliN!

REPRESENTING THE GENERAL PUBLIC WITH AN INTEREST IN THE ENVIRONMENT

MS. JANE SHARP VicE PRESidENT CONSERVATiON COUNCil Of NoRTh CAROliNA ChApEf Hill, Nonrh CARobA

REPRESENTING GOVERNMENT

MS. MARTI GROOME LAboRAToRy ANd iNdUsTRiAf WASTE SEcTioN SUpERViSOR Ciry of GREENsboRo GREENSbORO, NORTH CAROliNA

WABTE REDKI'ION

OU~S~~DIN~A~HIEVEME~ Large Business Category

Presented to

EMZKGROUND R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) is the second largest manufacturer of tobacco products and the fourth largest manufacturer of flexible packaging in the U.S. RJR defines a waste as “any material that leaves the plant that is not a quality finished product.” Waste reduction is an integral part of RJR’s operations, and all plant associates are trained in the company’s waste management objectives.

WASTE REDUCTION ACTIVITIES

ClosEd Loop SO~WNT f’~ms WtxskiNq RJR installed a totally enclosed, automated washer system that uses a nonhazardous solvent for washing printing press parts. The solvent is recovered for reuse by distillation. Solvent is also recovered from still bottoms. The dried ink waste is nonhazardous and can be disposed in the landfill. This system also eliminated the use of hazardous solvents and labor-intensive hand washing of press parts. Also, a waste reduction team identified an improved solvent that allows additional parts to be cleaned in this system. The same team developed a drying method so that solvent wipes can be disposed as nonhazardous waste.

SolbENT RECOMRy RJR utilizes carbon adsorption and distillation to capture solvent vapors from the printing presses and other packaging manufacturing areas. The collected vapors are condensed and distilled into a reusable product.

RECJC%NC, hhrwJfACNRiNC( WASTE In 1991, the company established a waste recycling program directed by a full time coordinator. The coordinator works with six manufacturing facilities, brokers, and mills to maximize both recycling volume and resale profit from over 30 different categories of paper, plastic, foil, and laminates.

ASH REUSE RJR avoids landfill costs for ash generated in three cogeneration facilities by diverting it for reuse in agricuttural products and concrete. The company also has tested reuse of the ash as landfill cover.

WASlEbkRQ’ In 1996, RJR purchased and modified used equipment to pelletize nonrecyclable waste paper to use as a fuel supplement in its coal-fired boilers.

WASTE REDUCED l Two facilities using the automated parts washing systems recycled 300,000 gallons of solvent in one year.

Diversion of additional parts to the new washer reduced annual hazardous waste generation by 100,000 pounds per year. By reducing air emissions, this equipment enabled RJR to meet EPA’s “33150” voluntary emissions reduction program objectives two years ahead of the 1995 goal.

l More than 650,000 gallons of solvent were recovered in 1995, all of which were reused or sold. l In 1995, the company recycled 14,000 tons of material including 250 tons of office paper. l In 1995, 709 tons of ash (10 percent of the total generated) were diverted from the landfill for reuse. l Based on 7,000 Btu’s of energy value per pound, the company avoids the purchase of one ton of coal for

every two tons of pelletized paper fuel used in the waste-to-energy program. With this system reclaiming 4,000 tons of non-recyclable waste paper annually, RJR avoids the purchase of 2,000 tons of coal for fuel.

ANNUAL SAVINGS l The closed loop parts washing systems result in annual savings of $500,000 from reduced hazardous

waste disposal costs, virgin solvent purchases, and labor costs. l Sales of recovered solvent to vendors generated over $130,000 in revenues. l Total revenues from the recycling program amounted to $2.6 million ($185/tan). l Diversion of the ash for reuse saves RJR approximately $50,000 annually in avoided landfill costs. l Wii installation cost of the pelletizing equipment at $400,000 and annual savings of $100,000 associated

with the pellet use, the waste-to-energy program realized a 4-year payback period.

CONTACT George Lamb, Program Manager, (910) 741-1735

WA#I! REDUCTION

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT * Large Business Category

Presented to

THOMSON CROWN WOOD PRODUCTS

BACKGROUND Thomson Crown Wood Products (TCWP), a subsidiary of Thomson Multimedia. manufactures wood and wood-finished television cabinets and storage units for audio and video products. Leadership and business excellence in environment, health, and safety programs, core values of TCW’s operating practices, are integrated through the Quality Leadership Process (QLP). In the QLP, employees are taught both to improve quality and reduce waste streams through statistical quality control techniques. After training, each five-member team addresses an in-house operational problem. Crown Wood’s QLP employees have played a key role in reducing the facility’s waste and water consumption.

WASTE REDUCTION ACTIVITIES

G(AZE Subsriruriorv A major source of waste from the facility was a glaze containing toluene used in the production of wood cabinets. The previous application method, which involved spraying the glaze and wiping off the excess material, was not only labor intensive; but wiping rags, gloves, protective clothing, and booth cleanup created excess waste material. Also, an even coating was difficult to maintain with the crude wiping technique, and high defect rates were produced. By including the supplier of this glaze on its team, the QLP group identified an alternative penetrating stain. This new stain also eliminated the need to apply a washcoat and a sanding step in the production process. Thus, the substitution reduced waste,generation as well as raw material consumption by eliminating two steps in the production process.

E3mdm D~RTMENT SCRAP The Banding Department at TCWP is responsible for cutting and shaping the individual wood components and adding a veneer band. QLP team analysis showed that 82 percent of all scrap generated and 60 percent of department downtime was directly related to production set up of the series of six machines involved in this operation. The team implemented a standardized set-up procedure with checklists and log books that substantially reduced both scrap generation and downtime.

WASTE-TDENER~Y

Another team’s “Trash for Cash” program focused on reducing the large quantities of wood waste and sawdust sent to the Davie County landfill. The team recommended the company recover energy by purchasing a grinder and burning the ground waste material in the cogeneration facility.

WASTE REDUCED l The adoption of the penetrating glaze material reduced production line scrap rates from 28 percent to

2 percent and also eliminated the use of 54,000 gallons of washcoat materials used in later production steps.

l The Bander Department’s standardized set-up procedure resulted in a 40-percent reduction in machining of scrap parts and a 23-percent reduction in set-up time. The team has renamed the bander area a “No Scrap Zone.”

l The grinding of the wood waste annually diverted 4.689.000 pounds of wood waste from the landfill.

ANNUAL SAVINGS l The alternative penetrating glaze saved the company $385,800 in purchases and $241,600 in costs

associated with reworking defects. Since TCWP served as a successful trial facility for the new coating, the customer-supplier relationship was also strengthened. Payback was immediate.

l Annual savings in the Bander Department from reduced machining of scrap parts and set-up time yielded $76,000 in annual savings. Payback was immediate. The capital cost of the grinder and ancillary equipment was $138,000; however, in 1996, the company avoided $154,000 in landfill fees, an 80-percent reduction. Excess wood waste material not burned in the company’s cogeneration plant was sold to a company in Virginia. Payback was estimated at 11 months.

CONTACT Ms. Pat Gobble, QLP Coordinator, (704) 634-8693.

FOR E.X??tiLENCE IN WASTE REDUCTION

OlIRIANDINGACHIEVEMENT Federal Facility Category

Presented to

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS MARINE CORPS AIR STATION

PSC BOX 8003 CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA 285334002

EhckqtouNd The Second Marine Aircraft Wing at the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) - Cherry Point operates and maintains 151 aircraft as well as over 1,000 pieces of mobile equipment. In response to increasing costs for waste management, a concern for the environment, and Federal Executive Order 12856 mandating a 50- percent reduction in toxic chemicals by 1999 (1994 baseline), the Environmental Affairs Department implemented a range of sound pollution prevention programs over the past 9 years. These activities have been awarded environmental awards on 21 occasions since 1988.

Wm REdunioN AcrivitiEs

Hmdous f%VERid Corn01 CENRIR

Since 1993, MCAS Cherry Point has significantly improved hazardous material management by maintaining a Hazardous Material Control Center (HMCC). All hazardous materials are consolidated in one central warehouse and then advertised as free-for-reuse to Cherry Point Departments as well as to four other military installations in Virginia and North and South Carolina. This system gives the HMCC control over procurement, issue, delivery, stocking, and reclamation of unused hazardous material. HMCC services include shelf life management, just-in-time procurement, and delivery and pick up of hazardous material. Not only does the HMCC program reduce operating costs to the groups using these materials, it also reduces their waste management and disposal costs.

REQ~~N~ md RESOURCE RECOVERY PROC~MS l The first recycling program was established at MCAS Cherry Point in 1988 with the development of an

infrastructure for an Industrial Qualified Recycling Program (QRP) to recycle commodities on a value priority basis. The air station developed a recycling program for items such as steel, white and yellow metals. fired brass, high temperature alloys, tires, batteries, and hazardous materials.

l Other programs were then added in which both waste oil from maintenance operations and wood waste from shipping and packaging are collected and resold.

. Jet fuel that has been off-loaded from aircraft maintenance operations and recovered from environmental clean-up sites is now recycled in a closed loop system and burned at the facility’s main heating plant.

. In addition to recycling materials from military operations, the air station instituted a mandatory curbside Household Recycling Program for 2,840 units to collect and recycle materials previously landfilled

Sobm Subskwioru During fiscal year 1996, the air station began using nonhazardous cleaning solvent in all parts washers.

wm REducEd

l Hmrtdous MAlERiAi Comol CENTER. During 1995 and 1996, significant reductions in new materials purchases were realized through the collection and reissue of materials processed by the HMCC.

l RE~CL~NG ,wd RESOURCE RECOMB PROC~WIS. During the last two years, over 9,000 tons of solid waste has been diverted from landfills by recycling and resource recovery programs. During this same period, over 240,000 gallons of waste oil and over 100,000 gallons of jet fuel were recycled.

l %\VENT SubsihurioN. The nonhazardous substitution reduced hazardous waste generated by over 236.000 pounds per year. thus saving the air station over $40,000 annually.

hNUd SAViNGS

During 1995-l 996, pollution prevention and recyciing initiatives have produced over $4.6 million through revenues and avoided costs.

CONTACT

Raymond D. Nelson, Environmental Affairs Officer, (919) 4664562

Wh8TE Rl!DUCTION

Ocracoke Is

Business Category Presentedto

and Hammock Company

BACKGROUND Ocracoke Island Hammock Company (OIHC) is a small, family-owned company that manufactures hammocks and confectioneries. The company’s mail order services constitute 30 percent of annual sales. All the solid waste generated on Ocracoke Island must be shipped to the mainland by ferry, a very expensive practice; and shipments require a full day of transportation and labor. As a member of the island community, OIHC became concerned about its contribution to the solid waste stream. These concerns led OIHC to implement systems to reduce the large quantities of packaging materials generated by its operations, particularly the mail order program.

WASTE REDUCTION ACTlVlTlES All raw materials delivered to OIHC are shipped in cardboard containers filled with a variety of packaging materials including cardboard, Styrofoam peanuts. Styrofoam, shredded paper. and rolled newspaper. Previously, these materials were broken down and discarded as solid waste upon receipt at the company. Virgin packaging materials were then used to ship assembled or finished products. In 1995. OIHC implemented a packaging system for the mail order program. After the company’s receiving department removes raw materials from the shipping containers, the boxes are then broken flat and stored according to size. All other incoming packaging materials are also collected and stored’separately in 50- gallon receptacles. When the shipping department receives its daily mail order manifests, the outgoing products are packaged in the materials previously received. To explain to customers the reason for the variety of materials in their packages, OIHC includes a message about the reuse program and the company’s attempt to reduce waste from Ocracoke Island. The program has reduced consumption of virgin packaging materials and landfill disposal costs.

WASTE REDUCED AND ANNUAL SAVINGS Since OIHC did not implement the mail order packaging program primarily to save money, the company has not determined costs avoided from purchasing new packaging materials.

CONTACT Hal Robinson, President, (919) 928-4387

WASTE REDUCTION

SI~NIFI~A~A~HIEVEMEN~ + Large Business Category

Presented to

BACKGROUND Zimmer Patient Care Division (PCD) - Statesville, a subsidiary of Bristol-Myers Squibb, produces,over 2,000 orthopedic and surgical products including skin and skeletal traction frames, post-operative thermal therapy blankets and pads, and orthopedic supports. Waste generated from the production process and from customers using these products consists of packaging materials, excess raw materials, scrap metal, and energy consumption. As part of a proactive approach to these waste streams, Zimmer PCD formed a product life cycle committee to study the environmental, health, and safety impacts of all product lines. As a result, a series of pollution prevention and recycling projects has produced significant reductions in waste and impressive annual savings.

WASTE REDUCTION ACTMTIES %iNArioN of &r-&k %I md po&srynr%~ dwwq

As part of a perceived market-driven requirement, Zimmer PCD previously shrink wrapped finished product cartons in polyolefin film. After an interdepartmental life cycle analysis of packaging materials, the company converted to a film-free carton. Also, the company annually shipped approximately 265,000 cartons of finished products in virgin cardboard containers printed with the blue and white company logo and filled with polystyrene peanuts. One tractor-trailer load of peanuts per week was required to fill al] shipments. However, results of shipping trials indicated that products could be shipped damage-free without peanuts. Zimmer PCD then sent notices in all shipments to inform customers that peanuts were to be eliminated. In both cases, these environmentally friendly proposals were welcomed by customers, many of whom were also researching their own waste reduction strategies. Not long after the dunnage reduction, the company reduced the board fiber content of the cardboard shipping boxes by 32 percent and switched from the printed virgin cardboard boxes to plain boxes made from recycled cardboard boxes.

WASIE FOAM FROM !SEW~NG OPERATIONS

Foam, which is used in several of the company’s orthopedic support products for cushioning, is cut by an automatic die or manual table-top cutting machines. Offcuts from this process were previously sent to the landfill. The company located a market to recycle this material, and the waste stream is now purchased and used by a local carpet pad manufacturer.

WASTE REDUCED l Over 4.5 million linear feet of non-biodegradable polyolefin film were eliminated from Zimmer products

(and landfills) worldwide. Energy savings were also realized from the elimination of the heat-driven polyolefin shrink wrapping process. The company also eliminated 175,000 cubic feet of peanuts from its shipping containers annually as well as 125,000 pounds of cardboard by reducing the board fiber content. The elimination of polyolefin application in the production process resulted in savings from film costs, machine maintenance, labor, and energy.

l The foam recycling project diverted from the landfill over 30,000 pounds of the foam offcuts per year for reuse in carpet products.

ANNUAL SAVINGS l Atthough the entire polyolefin film project required less than 30 hours to implement and no capital

investment, annual savings are estimated at over $230,000. The cost to implement the dunnage and fiber board reduction projects was less than $3,,000 while annual savings are approximately $112,000.

l Capital costs for the baling machine were $4,500 while annual revenues from the sale of the foam material are $7,346 and avoided landfill and transportation fees are $1,600.

CONTACT Steve Bennett, Environment, Health, and Safety Engineer, (704) 873-1001.

Wh8TE REDUCTION v \\ -Ii

SIGNIFlCANTACHIEVEMtiNT'. Large Business Category

Presented to

Springs Industries, Inc., Aileen Plant

[SPrinssl

fhckatourvd Springs Industries’ Aileen plant produces wide sheeting for sheets, bedspreads, comforters, and other accessory lines. In 1990, Springs instituted programs to reduce the quantity of textile waste sent to landfills to both improve operating efficiency and protect the natural environment. The Aileen plant achieved dramatic success in reducing the quantity of waste generated through the commitment of company personnel, process improvements, comprehensive programs designed to maximize resource usage and conservation, extensive training, and vendor partnerships.

WASTE REducrioN Acrivik

‘TOTE” VERSUS METAL DRUMS

The Aileen plant recruited its vendors and suppliers into the waste reduction effort. The partnerships resulted in reduced usage and handling of hazardous materials and waste products and improved housekeeping. For example, the plant was using approximately 500 metal drums annually for delivery and storage of chemicals and processing materials. The drums were cumbersome to move and costly to store and reuse. By replacing the metal drums with 87 reusable ‘totes’ that are easier and safer to handle by forklift, the plant eliminated extra labor, handling, and shipping costs and improved worker safety.

C+wdbomd/Woodm PA!EIS Previously, the Aileen plant annually received 25,000 cardboard cartons of raw material on wooden pallets. Both the cardboard and the pallets were disposed as solid waste. By replacing the wooden pallets with 10,000 returnable plastic pallets, the plant eliminated the need for all the cardboard cartons and 95 percent of the wooden pallets.

PARIS-CbiNq sob

The Aileen plant replaced a solvent that previously was handled as hazardous waste. The substitute cleaner, which is now used in all parts washers, is non-regulated and has twice the lifespan of the former cleaner.

ClodLoop SiziNq Pftoqbw

The company reclaims a sizing agent from the cloth manufactured at the Aileen facility and reuses the size mixture. As a result of this reclamation, material costs and water usage are reduced; and treatment capacity at the local pretreatment works is freed.

PROCESS WASTE

In 1996, the plant set stringent goals for reducing process waste materials. Associate teams reviewed and refined standard operating procedures on each process and tracked progress. The plant reduced process waste by 150 tons, an amount 21 percent below 1995 levels. The facility’s goal is to reduce this waste another 90 tons, or by 12.5 percent of the 1997 total.

k+iNq PROqRAfVl

Each month the facility’s recycling program collects 20,000 pounds of paper tubes, cardboard, white office paper, newsprint, aerosol cans, yard waste, plastic cones, and strapping as well as 250 fluorescent tubes, 70 gallons of oil, and 1,700 pounds of metal.

WASE kduad md hNUA( SAViNGS

Springs’ Aileen plant has achieved significant results from its program. In 1990, the facility was sending over 373 tons of waste annually to the landfill. By 1996, the waste stream was reduced to 40.3 tons - a go-percent reduction. The company estimated annual savings of more than $200,000 from reductions in landfill costs, process waste, and raw material purchases and revenues from recycled waste streams. This estimate did not include sizing purchases avoided.

OVER Acriviks The plant’s waste reduction accomplishments are a source of considerable pride to the entire Springs organization. The plant’s success is attributable in large part to involvement by its associates, many of whom have applied their waste reduction skills to community waste reduction programs.

CONTACT

A. Henry Surratt, Plant Manager, (910) 428-3600.

FOR EX~iUNCE IN WM'II REDUCTION

Small Business Category Presented to

FURST-McNESS COMPANY 114 MOREHEAD ROAD STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA 28677 (704)873-1103

f3ACKGROUND Furst-McNess company manufactures vitamin and mineral premixes for livestock feeds. Six years ago, the company began implementing waste reduction projects that focused on elimination and recycling of waste streams. Several successful projects have resulted from these efforts.

WASlE REDUCTION ACTIVITIES Before 1992, Furst-McNess sent to the landfill any excess materials remaining at the end of a production run and any dust that collected in the rear section of the bagger. The company modified a small hopper, and now this dust is collected and combined with the product run residuals. These materials are stored and recycled back into the same product the next time it is manufactured. On custom mixes, the material is provided free to the customer rather than sent to the landfill; thus, disposal costs are reduced and customer relations are improved. Salt is a standard ingredient in most of the company’s formulations. In 1991, Furst-McNess converted from paper bags to bulk storage for this material. This change required installation of a fiberglass storage tank, bin vent, and stainless steel, drag-in feed conveyor. The conversion enabled the tank to be filled pneumaticalfy via a direct connection to the delivery truck, thus eliminating the use and waste management costs associated with the paper bags. Elimination of the bags has virtually eliminated spills and labor costs associated with them. The success of this project has led the company to convert a similar bulk handling system for yeast culture.

WASTE REDUCED The net result of these projects is that almost 50,000 pounds of material are diverted from the landfill annually.

l Collection and reuse of leftover material have diverted 20,000 pounds of material from the landfill per year. l Conversion from bags to bulk storage of salt eliminated the use and disposal of 32,500 paper bags or

16,250 pounds of solid waste per year. l The yeast culture bulk handling system eliminated consumption of 19,200 paper bags or 9,600 pounds of

solid waste each year.

ANNUAL SAVINGS At an average cost of $0.39 per pound, collection and reuse of the leftover material saves the company approximately $7,800 in raw material costs and $400 in landfill disposal fees each year. The total capital cost of the bulk storage equipment was $53,200. This cost was recouped in 3 years through cheaper salt prices, elimination of spills, reduced labor costs, and the elimination of landfill fees associated with bag disposal.

OTHER ACTMllES In 1995, Furst-McNess was able to discontinue use of a mineral-based liquid flavoring by replacing it with a dry flavoring. The liquid flavoring had a low flashpoint and required special handling. The substitution eliminates evaporative losses of the flavoring and improves worker safety and air qualii in the plant.

CONTACT D. Wally Riddle, Plant Manager, (704) 873-l 103

.+

SIGNIFICANTACHIEVEMENT . . State Government Category

Presented to

Coastal Carolina Community College

BACKGROUND Coastal Carolina Community College (CCCC) provides a range of educational opportunities to students in the Jacksonville area. The college began its recycling program in 1993 in response to student suggestions that campus operating practices be more environmentally friendly and in keeping with Governor Hunt’s mandatory solid waste reduction goals. The college established a Solid Waste Reduction Committee with a recycling coordinator as leader, and an extensive range of recycling programs has been adopted at the campus.

WASTE REDUCTION ACTIVITIES The recycling program began in 1993 when students requested that the cafeteria switch from polystyrene food containers to paper. After a market for recycling polystyrene waste was found, a committee of students, administrators, and cafeteria management voted to continue to use polystyrene as long as the containers were recycled and kept out of the waste stream. The college then established separate collection receptacles throughout eating areas to collect the containers, and the vendor supplied a baler that compacts and packages the material for recycling. CCCC became the first state inst$ution : and one of only a few in the nation - to recycle polystyrene. Wii its purchase of outdoor furniture made from the recycled plastic material it collects, the college has “closed the loop”; that is, in addition to collection and processing of recyclables, the recycling loop requires purchase of recycled-content products. To date, the college has established over 22 Reduce-Reuse-Recycle programs that include (1) recycling of paper, metals, and plastics as well as of motor oil and tires from the auto body shop training areas and (2) composting organic material and yard waste.

WASTE REDUCED The net result of all the programs has been a 70-percent reduction in the college’s solid waste stream. In fact, the college now diverts more material for recycling than it sends to the landfill. In 1996, the college diverted over 60 tons of material from the landfill through recycling or composting programs.

ANNUAL SAVlNGS The college estimates that recycling activities to date have resulted in savings of over $150,000 in income, avoided landfill fees, and reduced consumption and that by the year 2000, these savings will reach $500,000 since the program began. .

CONTACT John Sharp, Recycling Coordinator

Other entries in the 1996 awards program also demonstrated significant contributions to North Carolina’s waste reduction efforts. Several of the entrants were selected for special recognition as facility case studies. Most of these companies have achieved success through active employee involvement programs, These case studies are summarized from the 1996 entries and demonstrate cost-effective waste reduction strategies and techniques.

NORTH CAROUNA CORRECTlON ENlERPRISES-PAINT PLANT, SMlTHFIELD . . . produces traffic marking paint and architectural coatings for state agencies in North Carolina. Approximately 1.2 million gallons of traffic marking paint and 40,000 gallons of miscellaneous architectural coatings are produced annually at the facility. The plant implemented a source reduction project to reduce the quantity of 30-gallon steel drums that previously had to be recycled. Standard practice was to pour the paint directly into the steel drum and deliver it to the traffic services division of the Department of Transportation. Empty drums were picked up, sent to a recycler, and cleaned through an incineration process for reuse at the paint plant. The average life span of a drum was five uses, at which time the drum was cleaned, crushed, and sold as scrap metal. To increase the lifespan of the drums and reduce the reclamation and recycling costs, the facility adopted the use of plastic drum liners. Wii a plastic liner. each drum may be used up to 10 times between each cleaning. Because the drum cleaning process is now far less aggressive, most drums can be reused five times after cleanings. As a result, drum usage is increased up to 50 times, a 1 O-fold extension in drum life. Since the drums spend less time in the cleaning process, the plant has dramatically reduced its on-hand inventory from 20.000 to 5.000 drums. The previous reconditioning and reuse of the drums generated 256,000 pounds of steel for recycling each year. Under the new system, the amount that must be recycled has been reduced to 16,000 pounds, a 94- percent reduction. Through reductions in reconditioning and recycling costs, the plant has reduced drum processing costs by $326,500 or 67 percent.

MOEN INCORPORATED, SANFORD.. . produces components for kitchen and bath plumbing products. The company has used a team approach to implement several innovative waste reduction projects. The initial production step involves the machining of leaded brass rod into fittings, which then must be degreased before further processing. Moen converted from vapor degreasing with methylene chloride to a five-stage aqueous cleaning line in response to pending air quality regulations and concerns about potential liabilities associated with methylene chloride still bottoms. The aqueous cleaning line reduced reportable toxic air emissions from 50,000 to 0 pounds per year and enabled the plant to avoid designation as a Title V facility. A negative result of the project was that hazardous waste generation increased by approximately 700,000 pounds annually because of the lead content of the spent aqueous solutions. To decrease the quantity of spent solution, Moen’s waste reduction team installed an ultrafiltration membrane system for in-process removal of oil from the aqueous cleaner. Although the membrane system experienced problems from the elevated temperature of the cleaner, it successfully extended the life of the cleaner and reduced the generation of spent aqueous solution by approximately 45 percent during 1995. However, the waste stream was still large (approximately 400,000 pounds per year); and the team continued to pursue other reduction strategies. In 1996, a chemical called “Oil Split” was found that worked well: not only could it be added to the cleaner at elevated temperature, it also could separate the oil from the cleaner. The Oil Split replaced the membrane system, although a portion of the aqueous waste stream still remained. The team then worked with the air and hazardous waste regulators to set up an evaporator system that successfully evaporated the water from the spent aqueous solution and left only used oil for disposal. The combination of the Oil Split and an evaporator reduced hazardous waste generation from 728,000 to 0 pounds per year and saved the company $350,000 per year.

OUTBOARD MARINE CORPORATION, ANDREWS . . . manufactures gear case assemblies for outboard motors. The company has a long-standing commitment to environmental protection, environmental compliance, and pollution prevention. This commitment has resulted in nine major pollution prevention initiatives over the past several years. The two successful projects involved membrane separation. The company generates spent, water-soluble coolant from machining operations, compressor blowdown water, mop water, and parts cleaning. Although thii material is nonhazardous, it had to be transported off site for waste management. In 1996, after determining that this waste stream was 80-percent water, OMC Andrews installed a nanofilter to separate the water from the oily waste stream. As a result, water consumption at the facilii dropped markedly since the recovered water is now reused to mix coolant and mop water. Before installation of the filter system, OMC shipped 85,000 gallons of wastewater off site annually; this amount is now reduced to approtimately 29,000 gallons, a 66-percent reduction. Annual savings in waste disposal costs amount to more than $24,000. Another successful project at OMC Andrews involves a parts washer in the furnace area used to wash steel parts before and after heat treating. Because of the high levels of oil in the cleaner, the plant had to dispose 700 gallons of spent cleaner every month. In 1994, the facility installed an oil skimmer and an ultrafilter to continuously remove oil from the cleaner. With the oil removal process, the company has not needed to replace the cleaner in over two years. The company has also realized annual savings of more than $24,000 from reduced disposal costs and virgin cleaner purchases .

DPPEA

D’kioN of PohTioN PREwNTioN ANd hViRONMENr~ kSiSTANcE

GARY HUNT, Dinmon DEPARTMENT of ENviRoNwwvT, Ht-hh, md NATURAL &SOURCES

POBox2956’?,R~kiqk,NC 27626-9569

TIE DivisioN of PohJTioN hEw3TioN ANd hvinoNMENTA~ &kTANCE pRovidEs TREE, NON-REC&TO~ TEckNid

AssisTANcE ANd TRAiNiNq ON Methods TO EhIiNATE, REducE, OR ~~cyck WAST~!S

bEfow Tk~y bEcoME pohwrs OR REQuiw dispo4.

700 copits of rhis public docuhmr WRE pnifwrd ON wzyckd PAPER AI A COST of $48 3.00 OR $0.6 9s FR copy.

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