Converter waste disposal study

The importance of waste management and disposal issues to the converting and print industries is demonstrated by the high response rate to a survey of US and Canadian converters and printers. The 30-item questionnaire measured the impact of reuse, recycling, source reduction, incineration, and landfilling on incoming raw-material packaging, process scrap, and waste inks, coatings, and adhesives. The results indicate that significant amounts of incoming packaging materials are reused in-house or through supplier take-back programs. However, there is very little reuse of excess raw materials and process scrap, suggesting the need for greater source reduction within these facilities as the regulatory climate becomes increasingly restrictive.