Metal Finishing & Pollution Prevention
Best Practices
The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) understands that pollution prevention (P2) improvements must make practical business sense. Past experience in working with the metal finishing industry has shown that businesses can save money by implementing straightforward, simple, minimal P2 techniques.
What are the benefits of P2?
- Reduced environmental impacts to water, air, land, and people
- Reduced costs through:
- Efficient resource utilization
- Reduction or elimination of waste generation
- Reduction in disposal and/or regulatory fees
- Competitive positioning as an environmentally conscious business
What does P2 mean for the Metal Finishing Industry?
Typically, there is a trickle-down effect where reduced chemical use in the plating or cleaning process results in reduced chemical use in the waste treatment process. Similarly, optimized rinsing will reduce wastewater treatment costs, sludge disposal costs, water purchase costs, and water sewer costs.
NYSP2I has conducted direct client assistance projects (link to case studies) with several companies in the Metal Finishing industry. Based on this experience and additional research, NYSP2I has compiled general best practices for the following processes. Click on a link below for more information.
- Metal Finishing Processes:
- Wastewater Re-use
- Ventilation Efficiency
Resources
- National Metal Finishing Resource Center
- The Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) is an industrial outreach program at the University of Minnesota that provides information for various industrial sectors on best energy and environmental practices.
- Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association (NEWMOA) has on-line information to assist with pollution prevention and sustainability in metal finishing.
- Pollution Prevention and Control Technologies for Plating Operations, Second Edition, March 2009, George C. Cushnie Jr., CAI Resources, Inc.
NYSP2I can assist NYS manufacturing companies with determining the best practices that fit an existing process and the estimated return on investment.
For more information, contact Dave Fister at (585)475-5398 or nysp2i@rit.edu.