Presses must be cleaned every time the ink is changed. The bulk of the ink contained in the bins and on other parts of the press is poured back into the ink container. Before implementation of the waste reduction program the company generated 10 drums of hazardous waste a week, now it generates one to two drums a week of nonhazardous waste. Waste Reduction Activities F.C. Meyer decided that reduction of the volume of water used in cleaning process could be achieved by training workers to use the least amount of water possible. The new washing procedures include draining as much ink as possible back into the containers and thorough scraping of excess ink off the press parts before any water is added, and then using as little water as possible.
Wastewater is added to the black ink with no apparent effect on the color quality of the ink.
The wastewater can also be added to other colors, such as grey, in smaller amounts than when added to black ink. The volume of water used also has decreased by 35 percent. Approximately one pint of water is now used each time a press is washed. By reusing most of the washwater, the amount of waste which had to be disposed has decreased from ten to one to two 55 gallon drums per week. Mention of any particular equipment or proprietary technology does not represent an endorsement of these products by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.