| Waste Minimization through Cleaner Production Methods | Australia | 1992 | Full scale |
SALE, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF MOTOR VEHICLES # 7
Background:
Oxford Panels is a family-owned panel beating and spray painting business established twenty-five years ago. The company is located in Oakleigh, Victoria, Australia. It has eight staff members. The business occupies a total floor space of 5,000 square feet. The company's annual turnover averages A$400,000.
Cleaner Production Principle:
Housekeeping; Recovery, reuse and recycling; Process modification.
Cleaner Production Application:
In January 1992, management started to look at ways of improving the way the business was being run to identify ways to contain costs and operate in a more environmentally friendly manner.
It was widely acknowledged within the company that waste disposal was a problem and it was noted that a considerable amount of potentially recyclable or reusable waste was being taken to landfill. It was also noted that careless work practices were responsible for some wastage of materials and resources.
Oxford Panels decided to identify the specifics of their waste management inefficiencies and put into place procedures to minimise these problems. Company management wanted a program that should not prove more time consuming than existing practices.
Oxford Panels' staff was actively encouraged to become part of the cleaner production program and goals were set to reduce and avoid some types of waste. With staff help, the following four areas were identified as areas for improvement:
| Onsite recycling; |
| Offsite recycling; |
| Reduction of waste volumes; and |
| Waste treatment. |
Minor adjustments were made by staff to avoid spillage of liquids, and to avoid over-ordering by being more careful when products are required for each job. Specifically, work practices were altered to encourage recycling and reuse of materials wherever possible.
Oxford Panels' onsite recycling measures include:
| Using thinners required in the painting process more than once. When no longer usable the thinners are stored in a drum and are recycled by a Victorian EPA approved company at a cost of $25 per drum; |
| Old rags are reused for other tasks such as cleaning applicators or mopping up spills; |
| Sandpaper which cannot be used in equipment after a certain amount of wear is now recycled for sanding by hand; and |
| Bins for rags and sandpaper are located next to each waste bin. |
Measures in offsite recycling, facilitated by waste separation in the workshop, include:
| Scrap metal, batteries and radiators are sold to a scrap yard instead of being dumped; |
| The chrome from bumper bars is sold to a bumper bar repairer; and |
| A local centre for the intellectually disabled removes the waste cardboard and sells it for recycling. |
Oxford Panels have also introduced cleaner production into the painting process. Each vehicle to be painted is masked with recycled paper to protect areas from airborne paint particles. Previously, a 205 liter drum of this paper had to be disposed of every week. Now, the contaminated paper is compressed with wastewater from other processes into a 60 liter bucket. Once sufficiently packed, it is placed into the dumpmaster. This greatly reduces the quantity and volume of waste and the need for disposal once every six weeks.
The company has also instituted cleaner production processes in treatment of their wastes. These include:
| The installation of a triple interceptor in the washbay. Vehicles have to be rubbed down and washed at various stages during the painting process to remove chemical residues from the surface. The triple interceptor collects and filters the water to remove the chemicals before it is discharged to the sewer, as outlined by a Trade Waste Agreement with Melbourne Water. |
| Oxford Panels put vehicles through a natural gas baking oven to ensure a better paint finish. Air containing overspray is forced through filters before it is discharged into the atmosphere, and running water beneath the oven grating collects overspray. Sludge is formed and removed regularly by Premier Thinners. Through an approved process, Premier Thinners recycle this waste into modified paint and thinners that can be used as domestic cleaning agents. |
Environmental and Economic Benefits:
Oxford Panels' cleaner production program has not only resulted in cost savings and better staff morale, but has also brought benefits for the environment.
Major operational benefits
| Reduced cost of purchasing and removal of thinners because it is being reused; |
| Additional income from recycling various materials - $40.00 per ton of scrap metal; $1.00 per battery; $1.15 per kilo for radiators; $1.00 per bag for chrome from bumper bars - the main benefit being the reduction of expenditure on regular removal of the dumpmaster; |
| Reusing some materials onsite has meant a reduction in purchasing costs; |
| Paper and cardboard are now treated onsite; and |
| Less waste being sent to landfill has saved the business approximately $1040 per annum in fees. |
Benefits to staff
| Staff morale has increased as a result of the program, and employees have a sense of pride in actively helping to protect the environment. |
| Changes in work practices have improved conditions in the factory, as employees are exposed to fewer pollutants and chemicals during their working day. |
| Cleaner production initiatives require three hours to maintain per week, and the savings have allowed the recruitment of a new staff member to look after the program. |
Benefits to the environment
The environment has benefited through a reduction in material sent to landfill as a result of recycling and reuse, and the interception and collection of pollutants produced during the baking and washing stages of operation.
Costs of implementing cleaner production
|
|
| Research | $1,600 |
| Labor costs | $780 (8 per annum) |
| Triple interceptor | $2,500 |
| Overspray filters | $50,000 |
Income from recycling (per annum)
|
|
| Scrap metal | $30 |
| Batteries | $45 |
| Radiators | $95 |
| Chrome | $10 |
| Paper & cardboard | Donated |
Savings (per annum)
|
|
| Raw materials | 30% reduction |
| Waste transport | 87% reduction |
Constraints:
None mentioned.
Contacts:
Review Status:
This case study was taken from The Cleaner Production Case Studies Directory EnviroNET Australia (see address above). It was edited for the ICPIC diskette in November 1998. It has not undergone a formal technical review by UNEP IE.
Subsequently, in March 1999 the case study underwent a technical review by Dr. Prasad Modak, Environmental Management Centre, Mumbai, India.