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| Posted on 4/3/08 at 06:35 AM | |
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Why do you need a solvent tank? So where do you think that the paper towels with that ink and ink degradent (which is a solvent) that you wiped the squeegees off with is going? It goes into the landfill. That solvent even broken down a bit from water leaching in...is not great for teh water table. Some citrus-sol ink degradents (not all) do break down with water, but they are still industrial solvents. A hydrocarbon is a hydrocarbon. If you are rinsing the squeegees off in the sink...thats great for the solvent cause it helps break it down (as designed)...but you are still sending ink sludge down the drain into the sewer. Thats not good. Its PVC. The object is to quit putting the sludge into the environment. Not just get it out of your sight via the cheapest method. The nifty thing about Safety Kleen (and others) taking away your sludge is (a) they totally extract any leftover solvents (b) the types of sludges left over from printing processes are usually then cast/sintered into blocks of slag that make them inert. Thats one method. The other method used is to keep them insolution form with solvents that cannot be recycled or cleaned....then feed them into a cogeneration boiler plant as fuel to make steam....and filter the exhaust. Only a few waste disposal plants use a clean ending for things that cant be filtered or landfilled. Others go to places like cement kilns...that usually are not required to filter their steam exhaust because of grandfathering clauses in the clean air rules. You should properly dispose of your sludge...not just throw it in the trash. I also agree...rag services are generally a screen eating waste of money. Legally of course...you don't have to worry about any of this immediately.....but not far off you will. Just remmember that once upon a time someone told you this. The only CURRENT reason you are not required by law to control the VOC emmissions of your shop by using rag services who collect your wet rags and distill the solvents....or control your landfill/sludge waste streams of non-organic products....is ONLY because your total usage of these products has placed you BELOW the volume threshhold of current laws. That is in the process of changing as we speak. Most screen printers do not know this....but larger graphic screen printers and all sizes of Offset, flexo and gravure printers over the last decade have already come under major legal controls...with heavy fines....for not controlling the usage and disposal of some of the very same chemicals and waste products WE ALREADY USE. Some of the regulations these shops must comply with are a little overly stringent...and stupid...but not most are not. My point is....start doing the correct thing....or at least start learning how....because this is coming to screen printing and these people are unforgiving. Been there....done that! Ray | ||
 
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