NPCA gives pollution prevention awards
The National Paint & Coatings Association (NPCA) recently recognized four paint manufacturers with Pollution Prevention Awards, honoring the companies’ outstanding efforts to protect the environment.
NPCA’s 1994 Pollution Prevention Awards were given to: Benjamin Moore & Co.’s Milford, Mass., facility; Fuller O’Brien Paints of South San Francisco, Calif.; the Glidden Co. of Huron, Ohio; and Passonno Paints of Watervliet, N.Y. The companies received the awards at NPCA’s annual meeting in New Orleans last October.
NPCA created the Pollution Prevention Award program in 1990 to promote environmentally responsible production among NPCA’s manufacturer members. The award recognizes efficient use of raw materials and minimizing waste during the manufacturing process.
The Benjamin Moore facility was praised for its efforts to enlist the aid of employees to help reduce waste at the source. The plant reached a goal of reusing all of the wash water used to rinse paint mixing vats.
These efforts also cut the amount of overall waste generated in the manufacturing process to less than 3 percent and allow Benjamin Moore to conserve water and use fewer raw materials.
Fuller O’Brien was recognized for its innovations in reducing waste at the source by reusing solvents. This process significantly reduces the amount of landfilled waste and cuts manufacturing costs. Additionally, the company began reformulating many solvent-based products to include more non-hazardous substances, reducing potential worker and community exposure.
The Glidden Co. was honored for its patented Latex Paint Recovery Process that separates paint process wash water into a paint concentrate and a water product. The paint concentrate can be converted into a marketable consumer paint, while the water is reused.
This process allows Glidden to reduce the discharge of treated wash water by over 350,000 gallons annually and has cut the number of paint-encrusted filters sent to landfills by 70 percent.
Passonno Paints received its award for protecting the environment through waste reduction and diminishing the amount of toxic substances used in manufacturing. In addition to reusing solvents and wash water, the company also is looking into adding latex paint sludge – left over from the manufacturing process – to concrete mortar to give it strength and chemical resistance.