INTERNATIONAL CLEANER PRODUCTION INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE

CASE STUDY # 221

1. Headline: Cleaner production in the furniture industry.

2. Background: The company has 60-70 employees, and produces
hard and soft polyurethane foam.

3. Cleaner Production Principle: Process modification, material
substitution, product redesign

4. Description of Cleaner Production Application

a) Reduction of product loss: the following changes in routine
will reduce loss:
- Reduce the number of different products.
- Larger order series.
- Co-ordinate the production of the same type of foam block.

b) Heat economy: The following changes will affect the heat
economy
- Fans in the ceiling to move the warm air down from the
ceiling. - More airtight gates and doors
- Airtight gates for the trucks to load and unload.
- Infrared heat on the glue room.

The following outlines the original process including treatment
methods for waste and pollution:

- Small amounts of TDI, C2 and amines are emitted during the
casting of the foam blocks. The gases are emitted into the air.
- Casting channels are covered with paper to avoid sticking to
the casting mold. Some reminders are left on the paper. Paper
is put in a waste container and dumped at the municipal waste
dump. - The foam blocks are cut clean, but the details measure
do not always fit the foam blocks measure. There are a lot of
cut offs. - The mattress foam blocks are cut clean. Some of the
cut offs are cut into pieces and used as carpet support.

Waste and pollution after the options have been carried through

- Emission of TDI, CO2 and amines. There was no change.
- Casting paper polluted with PUR-remainders from the casting
process.
- The cut offs from the foam blocks are recycled internally,
and made into new products.

5. Economics:
Investments in heat reduction ran about 100,000 NOK. Estimated
savings from heat economizing are about 22,000 NOK per year. A
two percent reduction of loss represents a 360,000 NOK per year
savings in reduced raw material costs.

Heat energy savings:
Investments    100,000 NOK
Yearly savings   22,000 NOK
Payback time 4.5 years

6. Advantages: See Description o
7. Constraints: No information provided.
f Cleaner Production Application

8. Contacts:

State Pollution Authority,
Att: Uno Abrahamsen
Postboks 8100 Dep.,
0032 OSLO, Norway
TEL: + 47 22 57 34 OO

Oestfold Research Foundation,
Att: Jorunn B Larsen
Postboks 276,
1601 FREDRIKSTAD, Norway
TEL:+ 47 69 34 19 00

Porolon A.S,
Att: Per Slinning
6012 ALESUND, Norway
TEL: + 47 70 14 14 00

9. Keywords: ISIC Code: 332, production of furniture, organic
gases, solid waste, PUR, polyurethane, Polyurethane foam
production, detail cutting

10. Reviewer's Comment's: This case study was translated from
Norwegian and submitted to UNEP IE on behalf of the Norwegian
State Pollution Control Authority by Stiftelsen
Ostfoldforskning in February 1994. They were reviewed and
edited by UNEP IE in July 1995. They have not undergone a
formal quality review.