Contacts for the Printing Industries Association
Contacts
| Trade Associations |
|---|
| Printing Industries Association | (213) 728-9500 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| State Department of Health Services | (916) 324-1807 |
| Hazardous Waste Reduction Loan Program | (213) 382-4300 or
(213) 739-2999 |
Hazardous Waste Reduction Facts
Photographic Processors
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 major hazardous waste generated by the photofinishing industry is silver. The waste reduction potential depends on the type of process and the amount of chemicals used. In lead linotype printing processes, lead type and dross can be recycled. In all cases, silver can be reclaimed to offset, or even pay for, operating costs.
- Train employees on proper hazardous materials management and waste reduction.
- Keep your shop clean and orderly to eliminate spills and leaks.
- Segregate wastes by type for recovery. For example, direct only fixer lines to the silver recovery unit, not developer lines.
- Eliminate sources of leaks and spills.
- Optimize processes and raw material use. For example, reducing the product replenishing rate will reduce the rate and volume of waste generation while increasing the silver concentration for recovery.
- Recycle photographic film and negatives for their silver content by using an off-site recycling contractor.
More Difficult
- Install waterless paper and film developing units to reduce volume of fixer waste and segregate fixer from developer waste.
- Regenerate fixer, bleach, bleach-fix, and developer.
- Install electrolytic units to remove silver on-site followed by off-site treatment to remove silver.
- Use close cycle system to enhance silver recovery and recycle wastewater.
- Recycle all liquid waste off site using a licensed hazardous waste management firm to reclaim silver if waste generation rate is low (less than 55 gallons per month).
- Use floating lids on bleach and developer containers to retard oxidation.
- Substitute ferricyanide bleach to eliminate costs for treatment and disposal of cyanide waste.
- Work with other similar businesses to form a cooperative to reduce disposal costs or support development of transportable treatment technologies.
- Install a silver recovery unit on-site which includes electrolysis followed by two chemical recovery cartridges in series to maximize silver recovery.
Waste containing silver is categorized as a hazardous waste. Reduced silver levels must be achieved at the discharge line from the fixer bath, not from the combined flow of the entire unit. Achieving this level from most systems requires either on-line electrolytic silver removal followed by an efficient tailing system, or off-site treatment by a licensed hazardous waste treatment facility.
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Last Updated: November 22, 1995