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Toxics Use Reduction Case Studies

Cranston Print Works. 1995.

Spurred by a desire to meet the goals of the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act, the managers of Cranston Print Works altered their wastewater pH adjustment process to eliminate the use of sulfuric acid. The company installed a jet aeration system with injected liquid carbon dioxide to replace the two 4,300-gallon sumps in which wastewater neutralization had previously taken place. This $115,000 project eliminated the annual use of 2.66 million pounds of sulfuric acid. Although financial profit was not the main goal of the project, the company saved about $80,000 per year in chemical purchase and maintenance costs. Download PDF file (23.29 kB)

Bio Based Floor Finish Stripping and Hard Surface Cleaning Project
The purpose of this project was to evaluate bio-based replacements at a VA Hospital against products currently in used at that facility. The first phase evaluated a heavy duty floor finish stripper. The second phase evaluated hard surface cleaning products. Both phases were based on the preliminary laboratory testing previously at the facility. Read more...

Electron Beam Curing of Polymers in Coating Processes, Metallized Products Inc. 1996.

TURI Technical Report No. 34. Metallized Products, Inc. (MPI) chose Electron Beam (EB) curing over more traditional coating/curing methods, a choice which has allowed them to develop new, unique products and to have a lower impact on the environment than if they had chosen a solvent-based system. The coatings used in EB curing are solvent free and do not require thermal drying, allowing the process to run at very high speeds. EB curing also allows MPI to avoid the regulatory reporting and permitting requirements associated with solvent- and aqueous-based coating processes. Though capital costs of these systems are high, the production time, space, and energy requirements are low, making EB an economically attractive coating method. Download PDF file (200.40 kB)

Acushnet Rubber Company. 1997.

Located in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Acushnet was the first company in Massachusetts to obtain certification in ISO 14001, an international standard for environmental management. The company was also the first in the world to become certified in ISO 14001, ISO 9001 (a standard for quality programs), and the American automotive industry's QS-9000 quality standards. The company was able to move quickly to achieve ISO 14001 certification by taking advantage of the work previously done in completing a toxics use reduction (TUR) plan. Download PDF file (30.98 kB)

Garment Wet Cleaning, Utopia Cleaners. 1996.

TURI Technical Report No. 35. Perchloroethylene, or PCE, is the cleaning agent used by over 80% of U.S. dry cleaners. More than 30,000 dry cleaning machines nationwide used 270 million pounds of PCE in 1991, two thirds of which was lost to the atmosphere. Though emission control technologies have helped to reduce the volume of PCE that is lost, large amounts of PCE are still used by the dry cleaning industry. In recent years studies have identified ecological and human health hazards associated with PCE usage, prompting users and consumers to seek alternative processes. One garment cleaning alternative that has emerged uses water and biodegradable detergents to remove soils. Utopia Cleaners of Arlington, Massachusetts has purchased a DaeWoo wet cleaning machine which replaced its PCE dry cleaning machine, making Utopia a PCE-free garment cleaning facility. Download PDF file (120.82 kB)

Closed Loop Aqueous Cleaning. 1995.

TURI Technical Report No. 29. This report serves as an introductory guide to closed loop aqueous cleaning for metal parts and electronics components. It includes three short case studies from the metal finishing and manufacturing sectors. Download PDF file (779.94 kB)

Smith and Wesson. 1995.

Smith and Wesson implemented process changes to reduce the use of l,1,1-Trichloroethane (TCA) in its cold degreasing operations. The installation of agitating parts washers and drum top washers which use an aqueous solution has eliminated the use of TCA and saves the firm at least $6,870 annually. Download PDF file (25.02 kB)

Tubed Products, Inc. 1995.

In the early 1970s, Tubed Products, Inc., of Easthampton, Massachusetts, introduced production changes to allow the use of 100 % solids ultraviolet curable inks to decorate plastic squeeze tubes. Approximately five years later the technology to cure epoxy coatings for the tubes became available, enabling the company to convert to ultraviolet curing in all decorating and coating operations. This means that inks and coatings no longer need to be dried by heat-evaporation of solvents, and thus toxic solvents are no longer evaporated off into the surrounding environment. These changes have also resulted in increased line speeds, energy savings and more economical use of floor space. Download PDF file (23.25 kB)

Fit-to-Print. 1996.

Fit To Print Advertising Inc. found many benefits when it converted from conventional printing processes using solvent-based inks to ultraviolet (UV) cured inks. The UV process is now used in 80% of the company's production and, as a result, Fit To Print has increased productivity, opened new markets, reduced labor-intensive cleaning processes, and achieved compliance with wastewater regulations. The company's managers say the switch to mostly UV inks resulted in a 60% reduction in the amount of solvents used in their production processes, and a 20% increase in business. Annual savings to date have amounted to nearly $25,000 and available production time has increased by 33%. Fit To Print managers directly credit the switch to UV curing with their ability to win a large contract with a leading U.S. retailer, creating the need to hire five additional staff. Download PDF file (233.07 kB)

Cranston Print Works. 1995.

Print Works altered their wastewater pH adjustment process to eliminate the use of sulfuric acid. The company installed a jet aeration system with injected liquid carbon dioxide to replace the two 4,300-gallon sumps in which wastewater neutralization had previously taken place. This $115,000 project eliminated the annual use of 2.66 million pounds of sulfuric acid. Although financial profit was not the main goal of the project, the company saved about $80,000 per year in chemical purchase and maintenance costs. Download PDF file (23.29 kB)

Novacor Chemicals. 1995.

The U.S.-based polystyrene division of Novacor Chemicals, Inc. updated the equipment of their monomer storage and handling facility in order to demonstrate the company' s environmental awareness and to reduce overall potential liability. This project eliminated the volatile hydrocarbon emissions that previously emanated from the monomer storage tanks, spelling a 50% reduction in the facility's overall emissions. The change also reduced the risks of fire and groundwater contamination, while eliminating the potential liability associated with collapse of the aged tanks previously in use. Download PDF file (23.83 kB)

Cupric Chloride Etch Regeneration. 1997

TURI Technical Report No. 45. Tri-Star Technologies, located in Methuen, Massachusetts, has one of the world's largest facilities offering in-house printed circuit board design, fabrication and assembly, from prototype through production volumes. Their state-of-the-art, 120,000 square foot facility provides a "one-stop shop" for a full range of on-site services and expertise, providing the customer with the advantage needed in today's competitive marketplace. In its continuous efforts to implement toxics use reduction (TUR) and pollution prevention, Tri-Star Technologies evaluated, adopted and installed an electrolytic regeneration technology to reduce the amount of spent cupric chloride etchant generated. By making electrolytic regeneration an integral part of the process, Tri-Star is able to reuse the etchant and sell the recovered copper. This technology replaces the chemical regeneration system previously used, while reducing costs, worker exposure to hazardous materials, and environmental impact. TriStar has achieved many prior successes with TUR, including an 86%reduction in volatile organic compounds through the addition of a double-sided solder mask screening unit, a reduction in sulfuric acid use on the auto pattern plate line, and the elimination of bath contamination on the copper deposition line. Download PDF file (402.63 kB)