Ohio Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization Planning Guidance Manual

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Appendix E
Examples of Pollution Prevention Activities

Table E-1. Pollution Prevention Through Good Operating Practices

(adapted from Facility Pollution Prevention Guide, U.S. EPA, 1992)

Good Operating Practice Program Ingredients
Waste segregation Prevent mixing of hazardous wastes with nonhazardous wastes
Store materials in compatible groups
Segregate different solvents
Isolate liquid wastes from solid wastes
Preventive Maintenance Programs Maintain equipment history cards on equipment location, characteristics, and maintenance
Maintain a master preventive maintenance (PM) schedule
Keep vendor maintenance manuals handy
Maintain a manual or computerized repair history file
Training/Awareness-Building Programs Provide training for:
  • Operation of the equipment to minimize energy use and material waste
  • Proper materials handling to reduce waste and spills
  • Emphasize importance of pollution prevention by explaining the economic and environmental ramifications of hazardous waste generation and disposal
  • Detecting and minimizing material loss to air, land, or water
  • Emergency procedures to minimize lost materials during accidents
Effective Supervision Closer supervision may improve production efficiency and reduce inadvertent waste generation
Centralize waste management. Appoint a safety/waste management officer for each department. Educate staff on the benefits of pollution prevention. Establish pollution prevention goals. Perform pollution prevention assessments.
Employee Participation "Quality circles" (free forums between employees and supervisors) can identify ways to reduce waste
Solicit and reward employee suggestions for waste reduction ideas
Production Scheduling/Planning Maximize batch size to reduce clean out waste
Dedicate equipment to a single product
Alter batch sequencing to minimize cleaning frequency (light-to-dark batch sequence, for example)
Cost Accounting/Allocation Charge direct and indirect costs of all air, land, and water discharges to specific processes or products
Allocate waste treatment and disposal costs to the operations that generate the waste
Allocate utility costs to specific processes or products
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