Contacts for the Los Angeles County Society for Coating Technology
Contacts
| Trade Associations |
|---|
| Los Angeles Society for Coating Technology | (213) 942-1833 |
| Department of Health Services |
|---|
| Main Number | (213) 620-2380 |
| Alternate Technology | (916) 324-1807 |
| Hazardous Waste Haulers | (916) 324-2428 |
| Agencies with Waste Reduction Programs |
|---|
| County of Los Angeles - Health | (213) 744-3223 |
| County of Los Angeles - Public Works | (818) 458-3561 |
| City of Santa Monica | (213) 458-8228 |
| California Waste Exchange | (916) 324-1867 |
| Used Oil Recycling Program | (800) 553-2962 |
| Small Quantity Hazardous Waste Generator Information
and Technical Assistance Clearinghouse | (800) 458-5886 |
| South Coast Air Quality Management District |
(818) 571-5196 |
| Small Business Assistance Loans |
|---|
| U.S. Small Business Administration | (213) 894-6852 |
| Hazardous Waste Reduction Loan Program | (213) 382-4300 or
(213) 739-2999 |
Hazardous Waste Reduction Facts
Paint Formulating Industry
City of Santa Monica
Department of General Services
(213) 458-8228
It's a proven fact you will save money by reducing the amount of hazardous waste your business produces. Cost savings result from:
- Reduced waste disposal expense and liability
- More efficient use of process materials
And, the less hazardous waste your business generates, the less complex regulatory compliance becomes.
When you reduce hazardous waste, you help protect the public's health and the environment.
The typical wastes generated by the paint formulating industry are from container and equipment cleaning, drum residue, customer returns, off-specification batches, spills, and obsolete products. These paint wastes may contain hazardous components ranging from toxic metals, flammable or toxic solvents, formaldehyde, bactericides, and other toxic ingredients. In some cases, paint and solvent wastes can be completely recovered and reused so that no hazardous waste are sent off-site by the plant. In other cases, waste solvents and solids may be sent out for distillation and incineration so that no wastes end up in landfills.
- Train employees on proper hazardous materials management and waste reduction.
- Keep your shop clean and orderly to eliminate spills and leaks.
- Label all containers with contents and use information.
- Earthquake-proof chemical storage areas.
- Obtain and regularly update material safety data sheets to monitor hazardous chemical components of product ingredients.
- Closely monitor chemicals used and wastes produced.
- Substitute non-hazardous chemicals for hazardous chemicals whenever possible.
- Factor in waste management costs when buying raw materials, equipments, or instituting process changes.
- Conduct regular hazardous waste reduction audits.
- Recycle wastes back into new product formulation.
- Rework obsolete stock, customer returns and off-specification products into new products, darker products, or primer points.
- Rework equipment and container cleaning wastes into the next batch or into a basic black.
- Manually scoop up all spills and reuse in appropriate batches.
- Tip large containers to one side to assure maximum product recovery.
Rinse off paint resins inside of 55-gallon drums by rolling the drums after introducing a quart of solvent for maximum product recovery and clean non-hazardous drums.
Eliminate toxic and heavy metal pigments (including mercury and tributyl tin) in favor of less toxic or synthetic pigments available from suppliers.
Use three metal 55 gallon drums to triple rinse smaller containers to accomplish maximum product recovery and the disposal of clean containers. This can be done for both solvent-based and water-based paints.
- Use high pressure sprayers to clean process equipment thus reducing the cleanup of wasted volume.
- Schedule batches in order of light to dark point in order to eliminate the need for intermediate clean-up steps.
State and Federal laws designate flammable and toxic paints as hazardous wastes. Liquid paint wastes are banned from landfills. Pain wastes are also banned from sewer disposal due to the very strict EPA standards for solvent and toxic metal discharge. By May 8, 1990, all untreated
hazardous waste will be banned from landfills. In addition, with today's regulatory frame work of never-ending liability, it makes good sense not to send wastes to landfills.
Return to the top of this document.
Last Updated: November 22, 1995