Waste Reduction for the Pesticide Formulating Industry
Background
Pesticide formulation involves mixing highly concentrated active chemicals with various diluents and additives to produce convenient, easy-to-use pesticides packaged for the end-user. Product formulations included in this fact sheet are agricultural, industrial, and household pesticide formulations, including insecticides, herbicides, and rodenticides.
There are three types of pesticide formulations: Solvent-based, water-based, and solid. Carrier solvents in solvent-based formulations are Xylene, I.I.I-Trichloroethane, and mineral spirits. Frequently used carrier solids in solid formulations are clays and sands. The common hazardous wastes generated by pesticide-formulation include:
- Wastewater generated by rinsing of mixing equipment.
- Spent solvent generated by decontamination of mixing equipment.
- Floor washwater.
- Wastewater generated by decontamination of reusable pesticide containers.
- Dust and granule diluents used for flushing of blending equipment.
- dust emissions from dust/granule formulating mills.
- Pesticide spillage.
- Empty containers of concentrated pesticides.
- Stormwater runoff from process areas.
Waste Reduction
Waste reduction decreases the amount of hazardous wastes generated at your facility. Waste reduction benefits you by reducing or eliminating:
- Hazardous waste disposal costs
- Regulatory compliance costs (recordkeeping, reporting, tracking, fees, etc.)
- Costs of future liabilities, current operating costs (i.e., raw material costs, etc.), off-site transportation and treatment costs
- Worker safety costs.
In some instances, it may require some initial capital investment to introduce and implement waste reduction practices. However, these "upfront costs" can be quickly recovered in the short term, in most cases, when hazardous waste management and liability costs are reduced. Waste reduction also helps improve corporate image in the community.
The New Jersey state regulations require that generators of hazardous waste file an Annual Generator's Report (N.J.A.C. 7:26- 7.4(g)). Among other requirements, this report must include a description of the efforts undertaken, and achievements accomplished, during the reporting period to reduce the volume and toxicity of waste generated.
The Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest requires fully regulated generators to certify that they "have a program in place to reduce the volume and toxicity of waste generated... determined to be economically practicable" and that they have selected the "practicable method of treatment, storage, or disposal currently available... which minimizes the present and future threat to human health and the environment".
Beginning Your Waste Reduction Program
The first requirement for a successful waste reduction program is management commitment and support. The plant owner or manager must be committed to reducing waste and must pass that commitment on to the employees. Every employee must be charged with the responsibility to identify and carry out waste reduction goals.
Establish training programs for waste reduction along with hazardous material handling and emergency response.
Establish incentive programs to encourage the design and use of new waste reduction ideas.
Assessing Your Waste Reduction Opportunities
Waste assessments are essential in identifying the sources, types and amounts of hazardous waste generated in order to assess waste reduction opportunities. Information gathered during the assessment process should answer the following questions:
- What waste streams are generated? How much waste is generated in each stream?
- From which processes or operations do these waste streams come?
- Which wastes are hazardous and which are not?
- How much of a particular input material enters each waste stream?
- How much of a raw material can be accounted for through fugitive losses?
- Are unnecessary wastes generated by mixing otherwise recyclable hazardous wastes with other process wastes?
- What are the product types?
- What are the relative production rates? Sales volumes?
These and other related questions can help you determine where to focus your waste reduction efforts.
Improve Shop Procedures
- Good housekeeping is the easiest and often the most inexpensive way to reduce waste.
- Inventory control: use a "first in, first out" policy for raw materials to prevent them from becoming too old to be used.
- Designate raw material and hazardous waste storage areas. Provide protection and spill containment. Keep the areas clean and organized and give one person the responsibility for maintaining the areas.
- Return obsolete raw materials to the supplier if possible.
- Test raw materials before you accept them from the supplier. This can help eliminate the production of off-spec products.
- Separate waste streams for recycling and to keep non- hazardous material from becoming contaminated.
- Store packages, etc. properly to prevent damage or contamination. Protect items stored outdoors from temperature extremes, rain and snow, wind, etc.
- Prevent and contain spills and leaks via proper equipment maintenance and increased employee training and supervision.
- Reduce traffic through the raw materials storage area (reduces contamination, dispersal of materials).
Modify Processes
Reduce the volume of waste and solvent used in equipment decontamination and floor washing by using any of the equipment or methods listed below:
- High pressure spray nozzles.
- Water knife spray nozzles.
- Portable steam cleaners.
- Wiper blades to physically wipe down the sides of mixing tanks.
- Mops and squeegees for floor washing.
- Reuse empty containers previously containing concentrated pesticides.
- Maximize equipment dedication.
- Use dedicated vacuum systems to optimize reuse of contaminated dusts.
- Install automatic enclosed cut-in hoppers for bags of concentrated pesticide dust/granules to minimize fugitive dust emissions.
- Use pumps and piping to transfer liquids to minimize potential for accidental spillage.
Recycling and Resource Recovery
- Reuse spent solvent and wastewater from equipment decontamination as makeup in subsequent formulations.
- Collect and utilize floor washwater or storm water runoff from process areas for use/reuse as floor washwater or equipment rinsewater.
- Cleanup reusable concentrated pesticide containers (i.e., 30 and 55 gallon drums). This allows sale of drums to scrap dealers as a non-hazardous waste.
- Return drums to pesticide supplier for refilling with the same pesticide.
- Ship unrinsed drums to an off-site drum reconditioner.
- Improve recyclability. Segregate the various process waste streams. Using specialized treatment systems can be more cost effective than utilizing a large complex treatment system for combined waste streams.
Treatment
Treatment of pesticide-contaminated wastewater can allow reuse of the wastewater in formulating and other associated operations, particularly when high purity water is not required. Frequently used treatment technologies include:
- Chemical precipitation.
- Hydrolysis.
- Biological treatment.
- Chemical oxidation.
- Activated carbon adsorption.
- Resin adsorption.
- Steam or air stripping.
Additional Publications
Some additional publications that may be helpful in the overall management of hazardous waste are available from the Hazardous Waste Advisement Program.
Hazardous Waste Information Series:
- Classification of Hazardous Waste
- Generators
- Hazardous Waste Minimization
- New Jersey's Hazardous Waste Regulatory Program
- Standards for Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities
- Toxics in the Home
- Transporters
- Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest
Newsletters:
- Hazardous Waste Quarterly
- Small Quantity Generator Newsletter (9/88)
Technical Information Publications (TIP):
- Metal Manufacturing
- Vehicle Maintenance
Waste Minimization Publications:
- 8/85 Waste Minimization Seminar Proceeding
- 11/87 Waste Minimization Workshop Proceedings
- 5/89 Waste Minimization Conference Proceedings
- Assessment of Reduction and Recycling Opportunities for Hazardous Waste Manual
- Pollution Prevention Grant Program Summary
Other Publications:
- A Citizen's Guide to the Major Hazardous Waste Facilities Siting Act
- List of Commercial Hazardous Waste Facilities in New Jersey
- New Jersey's Hazardous Waste Management Program
- Hazardous Waste Q&A
Regulations:
- Hazardous Waste Regulations (N.J.A.C. 7:26-1 et al.)
- Unified Hazardous Substance List
Water Resources Publications:
- Field Guide
- Resource Manual
- Clean Water Book
- Non-Point Source Pollution
- Solution to Pollution
Further Information
For information about regulatory requirements contact the Hazardous Waste Advisement Program at (609) 292-8341 or write to:
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Hazardous Waste Management
401 East Street, CN028, 5th Floor
Trenton, New Jersey 08625
Attn: Hazardous Waste Advisement Program
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Last Updated: October 31, 1995