Solvents are indispensable in many manufacturing operations, such as cleaning and painting.
Some examples of undesirable solvents are included in the EPA's 33-50 list of 17 toxic materials. Industry has been asked by EPA to voluntarily cut the use of these materials. In addition, the RCRA law and regulations drastically increased the cost of hazardous waste disposal, and the Superfund law made the generator responsible for any problem resulting from his waste. For example, if a transporter dumps waste rather than delivering it to the proper destination, the generators are legally responsible for cleanup even if they were unaware of the transporter's action. These new laws and regulations are forcing manufacturers to change processes or find solvent substitutes.