WASTE

Establishing an efficient waste management system in the company serves both environmental and economic objectives. Thus achieving resource efficiency by carefully planned waste management is not just an environmental initiative; it is also an important business process that could potentially save your organisation money.

Companies often associate waste purely with disposal costs. Hence waste is not seen as a problem. However, the total cost of waste is often much more than disposal costs alone.

A large number of waste streams are produced on a typical furniture manufacturing site during production operations. Both non-hazardous and hazardous waste is generated, the latter needing special attention. The most typical waste streams produced are:

• goods in: packaging, sub-standard raw materials and spillages;
• woodworking: timber and veneer offcuts, sawdust, sanding powder, veneer press washdown water and excess glue;
• coating operations: waste thinners, surplus coatings, empty coating tins, wiping rags, evaporated solvents, over spray, dry back booth filters and water back booth effluent;
• despatch: packaging, returns and damaged goods;
• maintenance: scrap metal, building wastes, used oil, vehicle washdown water, vehicle maintenance wastes, air compressor condensate and boiler blowdown;
• general: paper, food, cardboard, as well as unnecessary electricity, gas, oil and water usage.

Numbers of waste streams are produced on a printing house during production operations. Both non-hazardous and hazardous waste is generated, the latter needing special attention. The most typical waste streams produced are:

• goods in: packaging, sub-standard raw materials and spillages;
• operations: waste inks, empty ink tins, wiping rags, evaporated solvents, paper offcuts;
• despatch: packaging, returns and damaged goods;
• maintenance: vehicle washdown water, machinery maintenance wastes, air compressor condensate;
• general: food, as well as unnecessary electricity, gas, oil and water usage.

Different number of waste streams is produced on a typical metal processing site during production operations. Both non-hazardous and hazardous waste is generated, the latter needing special attention. The most typical waste streams produced are:

• goods in: packaging, sub-standard raw materials and spillages;
• processing: cooling lubricants, metal swarf, sludge, process solutions;
• coating operations: waste thinners, empty coating tins, wiping rags, evaporated solvents;
• despatch: packaging, returns and damaged goods;
• maintenance: used oil, vehicle washdown water, vehicle maintenance wastes;
• general: food, as well as unnecessary electricity, gas, oil and water usage.

The chapter covers overview of waste related legislation, the roles of actors in industry supply chain related to waste management, practical check-lists on waste management as well as hints on waste classification (incl. distinguishing between hazardous and non-hazardous waste).

The efficient waste management is best achieved in cooperation between the supply chain actors. Usually it enables to save costs for both sides.

• Stages of waste minimisation project in the company
• Principles of waste classification
• Identification whether waste is hazardous or non-hazardous

Furniture industry

The following sections list some of the waste minimisation measures that could be introduced in different processes in a typical furniture manufacturing operation.

• Raw Materials
  • Check containers and consignments of goods-in for transit damage.
  • Check the quality of goods-in – especially timber – before buying to avoid excessive waste.
  • Check the exact quantity of goods-in to be able to calculate the exact relation with respective waste output.
  • Communicate to your suppliers on your requirements before buying any raw materials and make these clear in the contract.
  • Follow FIFO (first in first out) stock rotation to help preventing wastage due to "out-of-date" or "no-longer-used" products.
  • Insist on general cleanliness and using good working techniques in storage areas to guarantee careful attitude and prevent spillages / spoilage.
  • Order the right size of the goods! Over-ordering results in tying up capital and space. On the other hand, under-ordering of container size can greatly increase the amount of man-hours required to handle goods. Also, e.g. big drums for wood coatings are usually also taken back by supplier, while small ones are not.
  • Ensure that drivers are properly trained, storage areas suitably designed and proper safety equipment used for using fork-lift trucks to prevent damage to raw material stocks.
  • Store veneer at the correct humidity and temperature to avoid the problems of splitting.
• Packaging on Goods-In
  • Evaluate the potential for segregation, reuse and recovery of all packaging. If it is only suitable for disposal, consult the supplier and try to find an alternative.
  • Consider using packaging as raw material.
  • Be creative – e.g. if cover boards cannot be reused directly, they might be used for setting up machinery, timber spacers may be usable for structural purposes within the furniture etc.
  • Try to take advantage of one trip pallets which seem to be unsuitable for further usage. Discuss with supplier the take-back possibilities, as well as possibilities for changing them to multi-trip pallets. Also, consider utilizing still usable pallets on goods-out.
  • Discuss using returnable containers with your key supplies to reduce their obligation and costs, and and lower the amount of waste packaging arising at your own site.
  • Consider at which point goods-in should be removed from their packaging. Goods removed from their packaging in storage areas will be more prone to damage. However, it will often become more difficult to collect and segregate packaging when the goods are dispersed to various parts of the factory.
• Woodworking

Machining waste

• If machining is unavoidable, use the smallest stock size possible to generate the least waste, as well as reduce processing time and energy consumption, plus decreasing tool wear.
• Consider purchasing pre-cut timber (which only has to be shaped and finished) for certain items such as legs and arms as it may be more cost effective than buying-in standard sizes of timber which must be cut to shape first.
• Use only high quality timber to prevent waste from removing defects, or at least smaller pieces of lower quality timber where possible.
• Optimise cutting patterns via machinery and software, and consider carefully board size specification in the light of forthcoming orders.
• Standardise component size to reduce awkward lengths and optimise the number of components achievable per section of raw material. Where possible, try resizing those components that may suit regular batches of offcuts.
• When possible, use offcuts for setting up machines for new batches rather than using and wasting virgin material. Similarly, off-spec products and poor grade timber can be used in this manner.

Continuous Production

• Guarantee regular maintenance of machinery to minimise wastage from malfunctions, additional set-ups and restarts.
• Stagger lunch breaks with the resultant fewer interruptions to achieve the same effect.

Process Control

• Assess the working styles of individual operators, identifying the best method and making it the standard.

Rejects

• Record and analyse the reasons for rejections. Investigate common causes and make workers aware of the knock-on effect of such problems.
• Where possible, send rejects for re-work and reuse.
• When establishing production bonuses, avoid encouraging speed at the expense of accuracy to prevent unnecessary waste in the form of re-work/rejects.
• Consider establishing penalties for the production of faulty goods.
• Calculate the amount of value added at each stage of production to get to know the true cost of rejects.

• Coating Operations
  • Ensure lids are put on all coating containers. Open pots lead to increased solvent evaporation and the need for additional thinners that means doubling raw materials.

Thinners

• Use solvent only for thinning where essential and not just out of habit or to compensate for poor spraying technique. 

Cleaning Operations

• Clean spray lines with water if possible, otherwise investigate the suitability of less volatile solvents. Coating suppliers should be able to advise on optimum cleaning solutions.
• Reuse the solvent used for cleaning spray guns and lines by capturing it in a container.
• Aim at using relatively dirty cleaning fluids in additional cleaning or as a pre-wash, if possible. Solvent can still effectively clean when it contains up to 15% solids.
• Consider investing into your own solvent recovery to recover waste solvents for reuse.

Spray Efficiency

• Increase transfer efficiency of guns by correcting spraying pressures, advancing spraying technique and avoiding awkward surface shapes, if possible.

• Packaging on goods-out
  • Analyse whether all packaging is really necessary.
  • Analyse the reasons for returns to identify recurring packaging deficiencies.
  • Consider putting penalties in place for careless delivery personnel that cause higher than expected returns.
  • Consider potential for reusing packaging provided by suppliers.
  • Consider the possibility of your vehicles bringing back your packaging for reuse, particularly applicable in case of office and contract suppliers.
  • Discuss packaging requirements with your customers. As with your own goods in, reducing the volume of packaging through reduction or reuse will lower your company obligation and cost, as well as reducing your customer’s disposal costs.
  • Consider using blanket wrapping, as these covers have the advantage of being reusable many times.
  • Consider using waste from other parts of the business for packaging, e.g. timber offcuts.
• Minimising hazardous waste
  • Always ask for the material safety data sheets when looking for or purchasing a product to look at its hazardous content.
  • Substitute feedstock materials with those having less-hazardous materials.
  • Purchase paints with higher solids content, or water-based paints with no solvent, whenever possible.
  • When buying new equipment, look for equipment that will minimise both the amount of toxic materials used and the amount of waste produced.
  • Use high-volume, low-pressure spray guns for painting operations.
  • Segregate hazardous and non-hazardous wastes for recycling.

Waste management hints related to waste types according to the waste hierarchy

Printing industry

• Inventory:
• Purchase raw material quantities according to needs as buying in bulk can often reduce packaging waste, and is usually cost-effective. Conversely, buying infrequently used materials in small quantities may prevent waste as a result of expiration.
• Test out-of-date materials before disposing of them as expiration dates are just estimates. Often the product is still good long after the labelled date. Also, find out if expired or obsolete materials can be returned to the supplier.
• Training:
• Trained employees on spill prevention and other pollution prevention practices as segregation of wastes, spill prevention and waste minimization can prevent unneeded costs and unnecessary generation of hazardous waste. Moreover, properly trained employees are less likely to misuse costly products, thereby reducing the amount of waste generated by spills and improper handling storage of hazardous materials.
• Materials handling and storage
• Keep waste segregated, as it is critical to store all wastes separately. Mixing hazardous waste with other wastes makes the whole thing hazardous, thereby increasing disposal costs and liability potential. Mixing wastes may also make recycling or reuse impossible.
• Keep containers closed and secured all time, unless adding or removing wastes. The containers must also be in good condition and free of leaks. Covering products can help save money be reducing evaporative losses.
• Use funnels when transferring wastes to storage containers.
• Store materials properly to prevent possible damage or contamination from heat or cold, excessive light, or excessive moisture. Keep paper stored in an environmentally controlled area.
• Minimise the use of isopropyl alcohol:
• Determine if fountain solution is hazardous waste. Some components of fountain solutions, such as ethylene glycol, may make spent fountain solution hazardous.
• Consider metered dampening systems to reduce wastes.
• Substitute inks and/or manage ink effectively to reduce waste:
• Schedule, when possible, similar-colour jobs simultaneously to reduce waste generation between cleanup and start of next run.
• Recycle or reuse old inks for marketing as "house colors" (Note that the quality of inks mixed with a variety of additives may be affected over time).
• Consider computer ink blending programs to minimize waste of special, uncommon inks (This option is more appropriate for larger printers).
• Try to prevent ink from drying or skinning inside the fountain by good operation practices such as keeping ink containers sealed and contents leveled, as well as anti-skinning sprays can help reduce waste ink.
• Finishing
• Collect waste solvent and used as thinner.
• Recycle cleaning solvent.
• Clean with reusable, launderable shop towels instead of disposable paper, as disposable shop towels are wasteful, and may be disposed of in a landfill only if they are determined to be non-hazardous; otherwise they must be managed as hazardous waste. Launder able rags which do bear free liquids are not subject to hazardous and solid waste regulations.
• Separate and segregate waste paper and send to a recycler.
• Consider waste exchanges to find potential users for your off-spec and overstock inks. Local schools, art and theatre departments often have uses for these inks.

Metal industry

• Training:
  • Train employees on spill prevention and other pollution prevention practices as segregation of wastes, spill prevention and waste minimization can prevent unneeded costs and unnecessary generation of hazardous waste. Moreover, properly trained employees are less likely to misuse costly products, thereby reducing the amount of waste generated by spills and improper handling storage of hazardous materials.
• Materials handling and storage
  • Keep waste segregated, as it is critical to store all wastes separately. Mixing hazardous waste with other wastes makes the whole thing hazardous, thereby increasing disposal costs and liability potential. Mixing wastes may also make recycling or reuse impossible.
  • Keep containers closed and secured all time, unless adding or removing wastes. The containers must also be in good condition and free of leaks. Covering products can help save money be reducing evaporative losses.
  • Store materials properly to prevent possible damage or contamination from heat or cold, excessive light, or excessive moisture.
• Keep different types of sludge from wastewater processing separate to facilitate the recycling of valuable materials.
• Right processing (techniques and tools to shape the metal) to avoid oily dragged-, honed- and lapping sludge’s:
  • Use of abrasives with longer life expectancies
  • Use of filter and separation techniques that work without auxiliary materials (e.g. magnetic separators, circulation band pass filters and centrifuges)
  • Use of optimised filtration processes for grinding slurries to produce sludges that are as dry as possible (e.g. pressure/vacuum filtration)
  • Sufficient drainage and de-oiling of the grinding slurry (e.g. longer draining times)
  • Segregation of materials, including separation of materials contaminated with cooling lubricants emulsions from those contaminated with cooling lubricants oils.
• Optimise materials use for minimising metal swarf:
  • Choice of the semi-finished product: The dimensions of the initial semi-finished product should be as close as possible to the final measurements of the finished part. The choice may be limited where only standard sizes are available.
  • Choice of the shaping technique: Depending on the form and function there may be alternatives to cutting from the solid, particularly if cutting degrees are very high, for example deep-drawn sheet steels, sheet steel constructions or cast parts. However it may not be possible to directly substitute one for another.
  • Product design and re-design: The product and/or the components should always be formed in such way that the amounts of waste produced are as small as possible. This can be achieved by switching to more similarly sized semi-finished products or by using other techniques (see above). The design/re-design of a product drives the choice of semi-finished products and techniques.

• Good Housekeeping Guide to Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises (by Sustainable Business Associates) includes information on waste management
  http://www.getf.org/file/toolmanager/O16F15343.pdf
• Project EcoSmes – Services for Green Products provides practical hints for product design and waste management
  http://www.ecosmes.net
• Printers’ National Environmental Assistance Centre provides fact sheets and practical hints for printing houses on environmental issues, including waste management http://www.pneac.org/sheets/

A systematic waste minimisation project will typically have a number of stages:

For a successful waste management in company, it is important to know what waste streams are generated . The tool for it is waste classification.

The legislative bases for waste classification are provided by EU Waste List (Commission Decision 2000/532/EC + amendments). The list has been transposed into Member States national legislation. In case of differences in classification between the documents, the company should use national list as a basis for decisions.

The concept of Waste List is providing standardised classification of waste. The list includes both hazardous and non-hazardous waste.

The EU Waste list is divided into 20 chapters based on:

• type of industry;
• type of industrial process;
• type of waste.

The chapters are structured as follows :

• 01-12 – waste types based on industrial activity (e.g., waste from furniture production, mining activities etc);
• 13 – waste oils;
• 14 – solvents;
• 15 – packaging/filters;
• 16 – wastes not otherwise specified;
• 17-20 – construction, health care waste and municipal waste types.

Each waste type listed there is identified by a waste code consisting of 6 digits :

• the first two digits stand for the number of the chapter (from 01 to 20);
• the middle two digits stand for the type of industrial process;
• the last two digits stand for the waste type.

The wastes that are not listed anywhere have “99” as two last digits at the end. Such waste types still have to be reported.

Hazardous waste types are highlighted by asterisk “*”. The concept of absolute and mirror entries is used. Absolute entries are marked with an * but without a specific or general reference to ‘dangerous substances'. These wastes are hazardous regardless of the concentration. Mirror entries are marked with an * but with a specific or general reference to dangerous substances. It is hazardous waste only if the dangerous substances are present above threshold concentrations.

Identification whether waste is hazardous or non-hazardous

1. Do the properties of substances contained in waste determine the hazardousness of waste?
2. What are the concentrations of those substances in the waste?

Criteria for waste hazardousness

Hazardous waste is any waste which displays any of the 6 hazardous properties and the cumulative concentration of components is equal to, or greater than, the threshold stated.

Practical example: The case of waste being carcinogenic – H7.

Follow the same principle to check waste hazardousness according to other H groups of hazardousness!

In case waste gets classified as hazardous at least according one group, then it is hazardous!

 TOP