Solvents may not be disposed of to land. Discharge of solvents to the industrial sewer is, in general, not allowed. Rags become contaminated with ink and solvent. Contaminated rags to be disposed of are considered hazardous waste. The disposable rags must be stored separately from municipal trash and transported according to hazardous waste regulations.
Solvent Alternatives Use soap or detergent solutions wherever possible.
Use solvents only for cleaning inks and oils. Specially made blanket washes that do not contain hazardous materials are now available. Small solvent recovery systems are currently on the market and work well. Many acetic acid based solvents are on the market and are less toxic than other solvents. Waste Lubricating Oils Lubricating oils should be managed as hazardous wastes when they have no further use.