Tackling hazardous waste in the chemical industry
February 1st 2007 Environmental legislation has had a significant impact on the chemical and pharmaceutical industry over the last couple of years. Since the implementation of the Hazardous Waste Regulations in July 2005, for example, around 180 additional materials have been classified as hazardous.Yet the availability of UK landfill for hazardous waste is limited as are incineration sites meaning a transport premium is often paid by companies using these methods of disposal, in addition to the increasing cost of landfill.
This is why we at Envirowise are keen for companies in the sector to take action now by identifying the best techniques to reduce hazardous waste at source and open themselves up to longer term financial rewards.
Many larger sites will already be following environmental improvement programmes as part of the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) regulation; however there are still significant benefits available to smaller companies that take action to reduce hazardous waste at source.
Manufacturers looking to address hazardous waste should follow the concept of the waste hierarchy, which prioritises prevention, elimination and reduction, over recycling and recovery as the most effective ways of making savings.
While all manufacturing sites are different, there are a number of key process areas where companies could see results.
Vessel design is one such area.
Larger volume chemical manufacturing processes frequently use vessels for mixing, reaction and product separation.When replacing existing vessels, consider any 'blind spots' during mixing or poor drainage and ensure new vessel designs facilitate cleaning in place and automated charging / emptying.
For both batch and continuous manufacturing processes, it is important to optimise the yield achieved.Mass balances help to identify where the greatest losses are occurring and highlight opportunities to reduce or recycle solvents.Also, spillages can often be reduced by arranging to add whole containers of material to a batch, or using automated filling.And, setting monthly or annual benchmarks for product yield can provide a valuable guide to overall efficiency.
Organic solvents are used extensively throughout the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, as both reaction solvents and as cleaning agents. By monitoring for losses, faulty equipment or poor operator practice, companies can help combat unnecessary solvent consumption at the outset. Solvent waste can also be tackled via a Solvent Management Plan which identifies a systematic approach to eliminating or reducing solvent use and optimising re-use or recovery.
Notably, a large proportion of hazardous waste leaving a manufacturing site may be in solution, meaning the management of water and its role as solvent, reagent, dilutent or washing medium is crucial.Careful metering and measurement, as well as improved cleaning practices, production scheduling and efficient vessel design can all help reduce waste in solution.
As targets for discharges become ever more stringent, improved resource utilisation will be of increased interest to all companies in the sector. Businesses will need to consider the wider environmental impacts associated with the full lifecycle of chemicals.The REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) Regulation takes many of these principles into a new regulatory regime which will be a major future influence on the sector.
Essentially, REACH will set a framework for assessing the environmental and health risks of chemicals. Under this regulation, the onus will be on each and every business to demonstrate that their products are safe, which could involve the substitution of hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives.
Envirowise will be working closely with chemical and pharmaceutical companies during the next twelve months to provide free support and guidance on reducing hazardous waste.We will also be directing them to expert advice regarding REACH, which becomes law on 1 June this year More articles from Water Technology List: | 
