International Paper

Year Submitted: 2003

Process: Parts Cleaning

Industry: Paper Production

Wastes Reduced: Solvent

Equipment: Safety Klean, low flash

Location: Texarkana TX

No. of employees: 1050

Contact: Ken Howorth

Phone: (903) 796-1412

Description:

International Paper formed a partnership with paint manufacturers to replace hazardous paint thinners with nonhazardous thinners and installed a paint waste recycler to recover paint thinners on-site. The unit cooks the waste, creating a vapor, while recirculating the vapor through water cooled coils to condense the vapor into clean thinner. The mill reviewed numerous paint products and thinners until suitable nonhazardous substitutes were found. Devoe and Ameron were able to provide a suitable substitute for the hazardous paints and thinners. The Dixie Petroleum Company, after approximately five attempts, was able to formulate a cutting thinner that would meet the needs of the mill. The formula was found to be ignitable but once recycled the thinner would lose its ignitable characteristic and would not be hazardous. The name of the thinner is DPC-52.

P2 Application:

The project is innovative because it is one component of International Paper's Environmental Impact Reduction and Prevention Program. The goal of International Paper was not to reduce or eliminate just one waste stream but many. International Paper identified hazardous paint thinners as a potential project for recycling and elimination. International Paper installed a paint waste recycler to recover paint thinners on site. The partnership with paint manufactures led to a suitable product substitution which allowed the use of a nonhazardous paint thinner for a hazardous paint thinner.

Environmental Benefits:

The environmental benefit of installing a paint waste recycler on site is the reduced amount of hazardous waste being released into the environment. International Paper has reduced or eliminated VOC emissions and worker exposure to a hazardous waste by paint waste recycling or product substitution.

Details of Reductions

Additional Information :

In 1995, we placed 4,200 gallons of paint waste, roughly 34,000 lbs. Into the distiller. The unit recovered 3,300 gallons of clean thinner to be used in cleaning. The savings are from not purchasing new thinner ($12,000 for 1995) and savings from not disposing of hazardous waste ($23,000 for 1995). Operating the distiller costs $5,300, so the net yearly savings of the project is $29,700.

Source: TCEQ