Waste assessment and waste minimization in small printing shops

Conference · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:124544

Baria, D N; Dorland, D; Mortensen, J M; Welsh, L M ^[1]

---

1. Univ. of Minnesota, Duluth, MN (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

A waste assessment was performed on two small sheet-fed off-set printing companies, Davidson Printing Company and Stewart-Taylor Company, both of Duluth, Minnesota. Methods were suggested for minimizing generation of waste paper, waste ink, and various other hazardous and nonhazardous wastes. Both printing companies are classified as very small quantity generators (VSQG) by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). In 1992, the hazardous wastes produced by Davidson Printing Company, which were sent to a hazardous waste disposal company, included ink containing copper, barium, and zinc, Blend Andilite (a blanket wash) containing toluene, methanol, aliphatic and aromatic solvents, organic acid, and acetone and terpenes in rags. Hazardous wastes discharged into the sewer included developer and replenisher containing hydroquinone, potassium hydroxide, and sodium hydroxide. Suggestions are made for reducing the amount of waste paper by recycling and reuse. At the Stewart-Taylor Company, waste ink and blanket wash were sent to a hazardous waste disposal company. The waste developer was disposed of in the sewer. Silver was recovered from the used fixer before the fixer was discarded into the sewer. Methods are suggested for decreasing the large amounts of unused mixed ink that are at present washed.

• OSTI ID: 124544
• Report Number(s): CONF-940499--; ISBN 1-56590-014-6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
MATERIALS RECOVERY
PAPER
PRINTING AND PUBLISHING INDUSTRY
RECYCLING
SILVER
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT