Generation prevention is reducing the amount of waste produced during any production cycle or activity. A new method of packaging is being used to ship supplies around one DOE site. To decrease the amount of cardboard used, items are packed in lightweight, reusable boxes, which are then wrapped in a thin polyethylene plastic sheeting to make the package watertight. In the past, stripper solvents were used for metal surface cleaning, creating additional waste in the process. The pellets penetrate the surface, become a gas, and cause contaminated particles to fall off the metal where they can be safely collected and disposed.
All work is done in a completely enclosed area to protect workers and the environment.
Using hydraulic shears, concrete breakers, and concrete pulverizers, demolition activities can be made safer and materials from old structures can be recycled. At the Fernald Environmental Management Project in Ohio, a novel application of robotics technology saved money and caused less material to be used to cap the silos shown here. The silos contain uranium ore residues and must be capped to prevent radon from escaping. Because the capping material was placed only where it was needed, less waste will be produced in the long run. The technology was developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.