Whitehall Furniture Wins Governor's Award

Good guys really do finish first--just ask Owensboro's Whitehall Furniture. For 29 years they've been making wooden office chairs, and for most of that time they did things pretty much the same way. But in 1995 necessity prompted a change in their finishing process. And that, in turn, brought Whitehall into the spotlight for their work in pollution prevention.

In 1995, Title V permitting regulations spurred Whitehall to reduce all hazardous waste and emissions by 50 percent. At that time, they were using stains high in Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs). By switching to low-HAP coatings, Whitehall reduced its HAPs emissions from 45.3 tons in 1994 to 15.6 tons in 1997. They also reduced liquid hazardous waste 33 percent, from three drums (165 gallons) a year to two drums (110 gallons). All this waste reduction occurred while their production increased 11 percent.

What Happened?

In the summer of 1994, Whitehall Furniture installed a linear production line for finishing. Instead of waiting for chairs to be carried to a spray booth, operators now receive chairs from a conveyor which carries products from booth to booth for stain, sealant, and a topcoat. From there the product goes to an oven for drying. Sprayer operator cross-training resulted in more efficient spraying techniques, which means less waste of spray material.

According to Mark Devlin, Whitehall's Vice President of Manufacturing, the company wanted to be in compliance with Title V of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1995. At that time, the company's air emissions contained too much formaldehyde, a listed hazardous waste. Whitehall turned to their supplier for a less hazardous sealer and topcoat. While some wood companies went with water-based stains to reduce their hazardous waste, Whitehall chose a more expensive solvent-based low-HAP material. The unexpected result of all these changes has been a better product-- better-looking chairs with a good strong finish--produced in less time.

These days Whitehall enjoys limited quantity generator status. Their only hazardous material is paint thinner used to clean the spray guns. Waste stain is reused by adding pigments and darkening it. Filters and rags, tested annually, are non-hazardous and go to the landfill.

Other P2 Measures

Whitehall's non-hazardous waste is recycled or reused. Scrap cotton is saved and returned to the supplier for credit. All cardboard is saved and sold to a recycler, with proceeds going to the company "donut fund." Scrap wood is burned--in compliance--to heat the plant's steam system. Whitehall's wood scraps also provide half the wood needed for the annual Owensboro Bar-B-Que Festival. Aluminum cans are recycled on a personal basis.

Future pollution prevention measures will include diverting the fabric scraps that now go to the landfill. When a solution to landfilling the scraps is found, Devlin estimates the company will save $2,400 a year.

Governor's Award

In October 1997, Whitehall Furniture received the Governor's Environmental Excellence Award for Pollution Prevention at a ceremony in Lexington. They were nominated by Hitch Environmental in Bowling Green, the consultants who helped design and implement the pollution prevention measures.

Devlin is proud of the recognition for the company's efforts. They have received letters of congratulations from customers and recently impressed a visiting EPA representative when he saw the award in the office. Asked what the award means to Whitehall Furniture, Devlin said, "The award means it does matter what you are doing. It means someone is watching."