United States National Risk Management

Environmental Protection Research Laboratory

Agency Cincinnati, OH 45268

Project Summary

Research and Development EPA/600/SR-96/115 September 1996

As part of its Waste Reduction Evaluation at Federal Sites (WREAFS) Program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) National Risk

Management Research Laboratory

(NRMRL) worked cooperatively with the

U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to integrate

waste prevention and recycling activities into the waste management programs at various postal facilities

through conduct of pollution prevention opportunity assessments (PPOA).

The PPOA summarized here was conducted at a USPS facility in Topeka,

KS.

The PPOA documented and quantified waste generation at the USPS Service Materials Distribution Center,

which consists of the Materials Distribution Center, Central Repair Facility,

and Label Printing Center located in

Topeka, KS. The report makes recommendations concerning the procurement of office supplies, maintenance

supplies and hazardous materials; management of hazardous materials and

wastes; purchase of chemicals on

USEPA’s 33/50 list; improvement of

source separation and recycling of paper and paper products, metals and

plastics; management of unwanted

equipment; and other options for reducing or eliminating pollution.

This Project Summary was developed

by USEPA’s National Risk Management

Research Laboratory (NRMRL), Cincinnati, OH, to announce key findings of

the research project that is fully documented in a separate report of the same

title (see Project Report ordering information at back).

Pollution Prevention Assessment

U.S. Postal Service Materials

Distribution Center Topeka, KS

Introduction

Since 1988, EPA’s National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL)

has managed a technical support effort

known as the Waste Reduction Evaluations at Federal Sites (WREAFS) Program.

WREAFS was established to provide pollution prevention solutions to environmental issues through research, development

and demonstration of pollution prevention

techniques and technologies, and transferring lessons learned within the federal

community and related private sector industries.

 The United States Postal Service

(USPS), in cooperation with NRMRL’s

WREAFS Program is engaged in an effort

to integrate pollution prevention and recycling activities into the waste management

programs at postal facilities. The purpose

of this project was to perform pollution

prevention opportunity assessments

(PPOAs) at Postal Service facilities, recommend implementation strategies, and

develop facility guidance that can be incorporated into a revision of the USPS

Waste Reduction Guide. The project was

funded by the U.S. Postal Service through

an interagency agreement with EPA

NRMRL.

In this report, the findings of the PPOA

conducted for the United States Postal

Service at the facilities associated with

the Materials Distribution Center in Topeka, KS are described. The PPOA was

conducted during the week of March 6,

1995.

Carole O. Bell, Mary Hoel, Henry Huppert, and Steven Rolander
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Facility Description

The Materials Distribution Center (MDC)

is located in Topeka, KS. The USPS operations occupy eight buildings on the site.

Four buildings are owned by the USPS

and four are leased.

The mission of the MDC is the specification, acquisition, storage, distribution and

maintenance of more than 16,000 parts,

supplies, and pieces of equipment for the

USPS automation and computer systems,

nationwide. The MDC encompasses five

distinct operations: Materials Distribution

Center, Inventory Control, Inventory Support, Systems Integration, and the Topeka

Purchasing Center.

The Label Printing Center (LPC) produces variable data bag and tray labels

for 40,000 customers, including USPS nationwide and a variety of bulk mailers.

The mission of the Central Repair Facility

(CRF) is to repair electronic equipment,

including circuit boards, monitors, printers

and motors from USPS facilities nationwide.

Waste Management

Facility-wide, monthly solid waste management fees are estimated at $5,034 for

an annual expense in excess of $60,000.

These charges are divided among the

three organizational groups: the Material

Distribution Center which pays three-fifths

of the total, the Label Printing Center onefifth, and the Central Repair Facility onefifth.

The MDC generates limited quantities

of hazardous waste. In the past year two

drums of waste paint were inadvertently

shipped to the MDC and disposed of as

hazardous waste.

The LPC generates several hazardous

wastes. These include gear oil, hydraulic

oil, and cleaners, degreasers, and chemicals associated with the operation of the

offset lithography presses.

The offset presses generate three waste

streams which are hazardous when spent.

These include: Blanket wash (Blankrola)

which contains tetrachloroethylene (F002

when spent); Electrostatic solution containing potassium hexacyanoferrate (potentially D003); and liquid developer containing isoparaffinic hydrocarbons (D001

if spent). The LPC generates approximately one gallon of each per week.

Facility-Wide

Recommendations

Pollution prevention recommendations

applicable to the entire facility include options in several categories as discussed

below.

General Rnvironmental

Management

• Appoint environmental coordinators to

monitor the environmental issues at

the facilities and identify opportunities

to either reduce or recycle the wastes

generated at the facility.

• Reallocate waste disposal costs based

on waste volume to provide incentives to reduce waste.

• Determine the cost/benefit of replacing single-use corrugated boxes and

jiffy bags in certain USPS shipping

operations with distribution packaging that can be reused hundreds of

times.

• Use software to store information on

all items purchased in a database

that includes fields for tracking monthly

use, quantity on-hand, price, vendor,

and storage location.

• Establish preference programs and

adopt specifications for the purchase

of products made with the percentages of recovered materials specified

in EPA Guidelines.

Cardboard

For the cardboard that cannot be reduced at the source, recycling is recommended as discussed below. Exhibit 1

presents a summary of facility-wide corrugated cardboard recycling options.

Exhibit 1. Corrugated Cardboard Recycling

Maximize corrugated Option 1: Option 2:

 cardboard recycling Continue current arrangement with Negotiate a contract with

Topeka Waste and Republic Paper another paper recycler

Total additional pulls of 50 50

dedicated 40 cu yds

compacted corrugated per year

Annual weight of corrugated 300 tons 300 tons

Annual collection costs $15,250 ($305/pull) 0

Annual avoided disposal $15,650 $30,900

Revenues from sale of corrugated $6,250 ($125/pull) $22,500 - $30,000

($75-100/ton)

Total Savings $21,900 $53,400 - 60,900
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• Establish a corrugated cardboard

source separation policy, designate

containers for cardboard only and train

all employees to maintain separation

of OCC for recycling. Continue current collection arrangement with Topeka Waste and Republic Paper.

• Establish a corrugated cardboard

source separation policy, designate

containers for cardboard only and train

all employees to maintain separation

of OCC for recycling. Establish a market with a local recycler willing to enter into a contract based on a fixed

price plus a fixed percentage of current market price.

Mixed Office Paper

• Reduce computer paper usage by establishing duplex-printing policy, using electronic mail, and limiting distribution lists.

• Establish a paper recycling program

and enter into a long-term paper recycling contract indexed to the paper

market. If the office paper is recycled

as mixed paper, recyclers generally

pay between $50 and $150 per ton.

However, if the computer paper is

separated from the mixed paper, the

computer paper may receive up to

$200 per ton. Mixed-paper recycling

can often maximize the amount of

paper recycled, but it can lower the

revenues derived. Exhibit 2 presents a summary of different

mixed-paper recycling options

available to the facility.

• Train employees on the kinds of

paper that should be recycled.

Materials Distribution Center

The MDC pays approximately

$36,000 in annual waste disposal

costs. Exhibit 3 presents a summary

of the MDC’s wastes, the current management practices for each, and recommended pollution prevention opExhibit 2. Office Paper Recycling

Option 2:

Commodity/Price Option 1: Computer Paper Recycling/Mixed

Mixed Paper Recycling Paper Recycling

Annual Paper Waste Generation 18.75 tons 18.75 tons

White Paper (estimated 25% of waste stream) - 4.75 tons

Mixed Paper (estimated 75% of waste stream) - 14 tons

Price per ton $100* per ton $200* per ton (computer paper)

$100* per ton (mixed paper)

Total $1,875 $2,350

*

 May 1995 paper recycling figures.

Exhibit 3. MDC Waste Generation

Waste Current Management Opportunities

Obsolete, damaged or USPS logo removed/defaced; auctioned or sold as Reduce generation

defective equipment scrap Improve economics of scrap sales

Corrugated cardboard Some hauled to Republic Recycling by Topeka Reduce incoming boxes

Waste Management for net cost of $180 per Improve diversion for recycling

compactor load Improve economics of recycling

Computer printout Some collected for recycling by Hunter; some Reduce generation

discarded as waste Improve diversion for recycling

White paper Some collected for recycling; most discarded as waste Reduce generation, divert for recycling

Mixed paper Some collected for recycling; some discarded as waste Reduce generation, divert for recycling

Magazines Discarded as waste Reduce generation divert for recycling

Toner cartridges Refurbished and reused Combine into single program

Pallets Reused then discarded as waste Reduce variety, establish recycling

options

Plastic stretch wrap Discarded as waste Reduce generation, divert for recycling

Strapping Discarded as waste Divert for recycling

Dunnage Discarded as waste Reuse, divert for recycling
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tions. Several options are discussed in

more detail in Exhibit 3.

Packaging

• Reduce multiple layers of packaging,

whereever product integrity will not

be threatened.

• Utilize reusable mail transport equipment rather than single-use corrugated cardboard boxes and/or jiffy

bags whenever possible.

Paper

• Minimize the number of printed items

that become obsolete.

Label Printing Center

Exhibit 4 presents a summary of the

wastes generated by the Label Printing

Center, the current management practices

for each, and recommended pollution prevention opportunities.

Other pollution prevention opportunities

for the Label Printing Center include

• Seek an alternative mechanism, such

as bar code system, to label mail

bags, boxes and reusable mail distribution equipment.

• Specify tag paper with recovered content in new procurement.

• Modify the label printing process to

reduce reject rate.

• Replace degreasers and cleaners

containing ODCs and EPA 33/50

chemicals.

• Replace chemicals in pressure sensitive printing with nontoxic alternatives.

• Replace petroleum-based inks with

soy or aqueous-based inks.

Central Repair Facility (CRF)

A summary of the wastestreams, the

current waste management practices for

each, and a description of recommended

pollution prevention opportunities for the

CRF is presented in Exhibit 5.

Exhibit 4. LPC Solid Waste

Waste Current Management Opportunities

Corrugated cardboard Hauled to Republic Recycling by Topeka Reduce incoming boxes

Waste Management for net cost of $180 Improve diversion for recycling

per compactor load Improve economics of recycling

Computer paper Some collected for recycling by Hunter; Reduce generation

some discarded as waste Improve diversion for recycling

Mixed office paper Discarded as waste Reduce generation

Divert for recycling

Test runs and defective Recycled Reduce generation

printed label stock

Banded label stock Recycled Reduce generation

Cores and ends Discarded as waste Divert for reuse or recycling

HDPE bottles Recycled Reuse

Exhibit 5. CRF Waste Sources

Waste Current Management Opportunities

Cardboard Discarded as solid waste Replace with durables, reuse, recycle

Foam Discarded as solid waste Replace with durable, reuse

Plastic film Discarded as solid waste Reduce, recycle

Tape Discarded as solid waste Eliminate

Strapping Discarded as solid waste Reduce, recycle

Metal Collected for recycling Improve source separation for

Discarded as solid waste recycling

Batteries Accumulated for recycling through MDC Source separate

Discarded as solid waste Recycle

Paper Discarded as solid waste Reduce paper use, recycle

Oil Collected for recycling Dike drums to prevent runoff

Computer parts Sold as scrap Sell to computer recycler

Discarded as solid waste

Lead Solder Discarded as solid waste Less toxic substitute
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Other pollution prevention opportunities

for the CRF are highlighted below.

• Use the procurement system to track

hazardous materials throughout the

facility.

• Change purchasing specifications to

stop purchasing materials containing

chemicals on EPA 33/50 list.

• Purchase reusable foam templates to

replace the Instafoam packaging material.

Exhibit 6 presents the pollution prevention opportunities that offer the USPS significant economic benefit in addition to

reducing pollution.

Recommendations and

Conclusions

The USPS has encouraged reduction

and recycling activities in its facilities. By

implementing many of the source reduction and recycling options identified in the

assessment, the Topeka Materials Distribution Center may be able to improve

facility-wide environmental management,

improve record keeping, reduce waste

disposal costs and generate additional

revenues from the sale of paper, paper

products and other recyclables. On a facility-wide basis, the Topeka facility should

focus on appointing a single environmental coordinator and purchasing software

to coordinate purchasing and waste management throughout the facility. Additionally, the MDC should focus on methods to

reduce the disposal of obsolete forms and

other printed material and the CRF should

make it a priority to eliminate the use of

Instafoam and replace this with reusable

foam templates.

The full report was submitted in partial

fulfillment of Contract No. 68-C2-0148,

Work Assignment No. 3-10 by Science

Applications International Corporation under the sponsorship of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

 Exhibit 6. Cost-Saving Pollution Prevention Opportunities

Item(s) of Concern Facility Current Practice Pollution Prevention Opportunity Estimated Potential Savings/Revenues

Old Corrugated MDC Warehouses Some OCC is recycled at a Establish and enforce a corrugated Total potential savings from avoided

Cardboard (OCC) LPC net cost of $180 per cardboard source separation policy disposal costs and increased

CRF compactor load every other Continue with same recycler or recycling revenues are estimated

month contract with another firm between $21,900 and $60,900.

Obsolete forms, MDC Supply Recycled through local Seek a long-term contract for paper Estimated revenue increase of

publications, catalogs Warehouse recycler recycling with a per-ton payment $6,000 to $10,000 per year

indexed to the paper market depending on market fluctuations.

Mixed office paper MDC, LPC, CRF Most disposed in trash; small Establish paper recycling program Total estimated revenues range from

amount of computer paper is and seek long-term contract for $1,875 - $2,350

recycled paper recycling with a per-ton

payment indexed to the paper market

Banded labels LPC 4,000 pounds of excess Stop banding test runs Reduction in contaminated label

banded label stock is Identify a substitute for the plastic stock will reduce waste and

 recycled through local bands potentially increase recycling

recycler monthly; no revenue revenues.

Disposable shipping MDC, LPC, CRF Purchase thousands of single- Maximize use of existing Mail Additional investment in capital

containers use corrugated boxes and Transport Equipment Inventory equipment will yield long-term

jiffy bags to ship printed Purchase additional reusable savings in reduced purchasing, labor

labels, supplies and shipping containers and disposal expenses.

equipment to other USPS Establish equipment tracking

facilities. system

Instafoam CRF Sprayed into shipping Reusable foam templates Reduced liability and improved

containers to protect contents Modify process to preserve boxes worker safety. Investment in capital

from shifting and breakage for reuse and recycling equipment will yield long-term

savings in reduced purchasing, labor

and disposal expenses
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Carole O. Bell, Mary Hoel, Henry Huppert, and Steven Rolander are with Science Applications

International Corporation, Newport, RI 02840

James S. Bridges and Theresa T. Hoagland are the EPA Project Officers (see below).

The complete report, entitled “Pollution Prevention Assessment U.S. Postal Service Materials

Distribution Center Topeka, KS” (Order No. PB97-100069; Cost: $38.00, subject to change)

will be available only from:

National Technical Information Service

5285 Port Royal Road

Springfield, VA 22161

Telephone: 703-487-4650

The EPA Project Officers can be contacted at:

National Risk Management Research Laboratory

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Cincinnati, OH 45268

United States

Environmental Protection Agency

Center for Environmental Research Information (G-72)

Cincinnati, OH 45268

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use $300

EPA/600/SR-96/115

BULK RATE

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

EPA

PERMIT No. G-35