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| Posted on 3/10/08 at 12:26 PM | |
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I'll take a shot a this. It varies depending upon where you are and what the local regs are, and what part fo the whoel green spectrum you are speaking of.. Also what industry you are in. Being "green" is not just about what product you make or what you use for raw materials, its how those materials are handled. For example in offset printing, most printers in many states can no longer use alcohol in the fountain solution water. It is labled as a VOC (volitile organic compound). The release through evaporation is a major component of the smog/ozone cycle. This is HEAVILY regulated, the paperwork is huge and the penalties stiff...depending upon if you are large enough to fall within regulatory guidlines in terms of tonnage used per year. We have some of the same issues in screen printing....its just that few places are regulating screenprinters under a certain size yet. When you use "hot" (fast evaporating) solvents for either reclaim or screen opening (this includes screen glue and curing additives) you release VOC's. Controlling what you release by what you use (its flashpoint and chemical composition is critical).....can be the difference between being "GREEN" or not in the air quality arena. This is just air quality. What do you put in your water stream? Do you have a solids strainer system? In the not far distant future (like California already)...we will ALL be required to have some form of particulate filter. You can make a passable one from scratch for under $500. When they finally come to your door (and I know for a fact they will) asking to see how your water is treated...it will be seen as having done at least some "due diligence" and will buy you time to improve to set guidelines before they crack down (been there...done that). What are your other waste streams? (solids and recycleables to teh landfill, solvents, silver in photo processes etc)? Its not so much what you are using ("are my chemicals green"?)...its how you use it and dispose of it. Ray | ||
 
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