Clean Production

1.0 Introduction to Clean Production

Traditionally, four facets of Clean Production have been recognized:¹

Precaution
Manufacturers carry the burden of showing that their practices are safe for workers, residents or others who might be affected.
Prevention
There is no need to find a cure for a disease that does not exist. Similarly, if we can avoid the production of hazardous waste materials then we have no need to find ways of destroying or storing such wastes.
Democracy
True integration of a clean production model is impossible without input from workers, consumers and communities.
Holism
The environmental and economic impacts of companies like Kodak ripple far beyond the communities they reside in. We must be able to consider all of these impacts when we design and implement manufacturing processes.

1.1 Clean Production Criteria

Clean production systems are:²
Nontoxic;

Energy efficient.

They may be made:

Using renewable materials which are routinely replenished and extracted in a manner that maintains the viability of the ecosystem and community from which they were taken; or

From non-renewable materials previously extracted but able to be reprocessed in an energy-efficient and non-toxic manner.

The products are:

Durable and reusable;

Easy to dismantle, repair and rebuild;

Minimally and appropriately packaged for redistribution using reusable or recycled and recyclable materials; or

Compostable at the end of their life.

Above all, clean production systems:

Non-polluting throughout their entire life cycle;

Preserve diversity in nature and culture;

Support the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

The life cycle includes:

The product/technology design phase;

The raw material selection and production phase;

The product manufacture and assembly phase;

The consumer use of the product phase;

The management of the materials at the end of the useful life of the product.

We are calling on Kodak to develop a comprehensive clean production program at Kodak to address the ongoing production, use, and disposal of hazardous wastes at Kodak Park.

2.0 Learning Not to Burn

On June 17, 2002 CEC and the Chemical Weapons Working Group proudly released “Learning Not to Burn: A Primer for Citizens on Alternatives to Burning Hazardous Waste.” This 36 page report provides citizens the information they need in battling existing and proposed hazardous waste incinerators. It features a section about Kodak that provides recommendations on alternatives to incineration. "Learning Not to Burn" is available for download here.

As an interim step toward clean production, CEC and the Kandid Coalition are presenting Kodak with the option of using safer non-incineration technologies to deal with its current hazardous waste stream. Through collaboration nationally with environmental experts, CEC staff conducted a preliminary review of the waste codes (classifications) of chemicals that Kodak incinerates (NYSDEC Part 373 application, SWIMS data). This shows that according to EPA’s report “Potential Applicability of Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment Technologies to RCRA Waste Streams and Contaminated Media” many of the hazardous wastes - particularly those chlorinated chemicals responsible for dioxins - could be destroyed by one of the ACWA technologies.

We are recommending that Kodak and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation consider the following technologies as an interim solution to address the ongoing production of hazardous waste at Kodak Park, while developing an overall clean production program:

Eco Logic’s Gas Phase Chemical Reduction Technology

This technology has been developed as an alternative to incineration for hazardous wastes. It is a chemical reduction technology that uses hydrogen gas at elevated temperatures (850 to 900 degrees Celsius) to treat wastes. The absence of free oxygen in the reactor minimizes dioxin formation and water acts as a hydrogen donor and heat transfer agent to enhance the reaction. Hydrogen reacts with chlorinated organic compounds, yielding primarily methane and hydrogen chloride. This technology has been reported to have a high destruction efficiency. All emissions and residues can be captured for assay and reprocessing if needed. This technology has been tested at laboratory, demonstration, and full commercial scales on a wide variety of organic wastes. Eco Logic has portable demonstrations systems in Japan and Canada. They have operated one commercial full-scale stationary system in Australia, and completed a full-scale demonstration of the system at a GM facility in St. Catharines, Ontario. Vender info: ELI EcoLogic Int’l / (519) 856-9591 / www.eco-logic-intl.com.

AEA Silver II™ Technology

This technology uses an electrochemical oxidation process, based on the use of reactive silver created by applying an electric current to a solution of nitric acid and silver nitrate. This technology operates at a fairly low temperature and pressure and has a high destruction efficiency. All emissions and residues can be captured for assay and reprocessing. AEA reports that dioxins and dibenzofurans are not produced by the process. This technology has been used to destroy general industrial wastes, chlorinated hydrocarbons, hydrocarbons, mixed PCBs, and oils and hydraulic fluids; nuclear industry wastes; explosives; and fuels. It is still in the pilot-scale phase of development. Vender info: AEA Technologies / (412) 655-1200 / www.aeat-prodsys.com.

CerOx Process

This new technology uses electricity to treat and convert hazardous organic waste streams into carbon dioxide and water. This occurs by the oxidation of the liquid organics that are processed through two liquid and gas phase reactors. This technology can treat chlorinated solvents, dioxins, mixed wastes, metals, etc. There is a demonstration unit at the University of Nevada, and is currently under consideration for destruction of chemical agent neutralent waste. Vender info: CerOx / www.cerox.com

Supercritical Water Oxidation Technology

This technology has been developed by the Foster Wheeler Development Corporation and General Atomic, and is a high temperature and pressure process of hydrothermal oxidation which treats organic wastes, where the wastes become highly soluble. This can be used to treat chlorinated solvents, aqueous waste streams, sludges, and contaminated soils. High destruction efficiencies have been reported for this technology. It has been used in several demonstration testing programs, but has not been implemented at the full scale. Vender info: Commodore Applied Technologies / (212) 308-5800 / www.commodore.com

In June of 2002 the coalition sent letters to Kodak, the Governor, and state agencies detailing the research conducted on alternatives to incineration. You can read our letter we sent here.

Note - please check back because we plan to update this page more in the coming months.

3.0 Citations

¹Thorpe, Beverley. "Citizen's Guide to Clean Production," Clean Production Network, August, 1999. Pages 4-5.

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