INTERNATIONAL CLEANER PRODUCTION INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE

CASE STUDY # 151

1. Headline: Kruger Inc. recovers whitewater at their

newsprint mill and reduces wastewater discharge and energy

costs.

2. Background: See below.

3. Cleaner Production Principle: process modification

4. Description of Cleaner Production Application: A series

of modest modifications to a newsprint mill have achieved

recovery of significant amounts of lean and clear

wastewaters that had been discharging to the sewer. Lean

whitewater from the company's three paper machine presses

are collected by gravity flow in a reservoir beneath the

machines. It is then pumped through a Sweco filter, where

90% is used for dilution of stock and 10% is sent to the

clarifier. Clear whitewater is now used instead of heated

freshwater on the paper machine showers.

Material/Energy and Balance and Substitution

FEEDSTOCKS: Whitewater from newsprint mill

WASTES: Wastewater

MEDIUM: Water

5. Economics

COST:

CAPITAL COST: Not reported

OPERATION/MAINTENANCE: Not reported

MONTHS TO RECOVER: Not reported

DISPOSAL & FEEDSTOCK: $580,000/yr

6. Advantages

FEEDSTOCK REDUCTION: 1.8 tons/day fiber recovered, which

represents $80,000/yr. Recovered lean whitewater led to

$500,000/yr savings.

WASTE PRODUCTION: Discharges to sewer significantly

reduced.

IMPACT/PROBLEMS: Efforts to recycle wastewaters,

previously discharged to the sewer, have greatly reduced

the volume of waste generated, and allow for recycling of

fiber feed material.

7. Constraints: No information provided.

8. Contacts and Citations: "Catalogue of Successful Hazardous

Waste Reduction/Recycling Projects", Energy Pathways Inc.

and Pollution Probe Foundation, prepared for Industrial

Programs Branch, Conservation & Protection Environment

Canada, March, 1987, page 64.

9. Keywords: United States, USA, pulp and paper, process

modification, whitewater, fiberfeed material, water

saving.

10. Reviewer's Comments: This case study was originally

abstracted for the US EPA's Pollution Prevention

Information Clearinghouse from the Canadian publication

"Catalogue of Successful Hazardous Waste

Reduction/Recycling Projects." It underwent a UNEP IE

funded technical review in 1994 for quality and

completeness. It was edited for the ICPIC diskette in

July 1995.

( Docno unep05: 450-003-A-362 )