Business and Environment Series: Babcock - Closing the Loop, Managing Downstream Waste

Environmental Initiative Business & Environment Series

October 25, 2012

Minnesota Technical Assistance Program •  Created in 1984 •  Located at the University of Minnesota •  Provide waste management, pollution

prevention and energy efficiency assistance •  Confidential and Non-regulatory

Industrial Process Assistance •  Pollution prevention •  More efficient use of raw

materials •  Water conservation strategies •  Energy efficiency opportunities •  Cost savings for businesses!!

Why Waste Prevention? Reduce Material Content

Reuse Components

Recycle

Energy Recovery

Dispose

More Preferred

Less Preferred

MnTAP Services

•  On-Site Assistance –  Site assessment visits –  Intern program –  Company team facilitation –  Demonstrations and research projects

•  Minnesota Materials Exchange •  Communications and Outreach

MnTAP Impacts 2011

Activity  Total Waste

(lbs)   Water (gal)  

Energy  

Cost Savings  kWh   therms  

Goal   200,000   11,000,000   4,000,000   330,000   $1,350,000  

Site Visits (calls/emails)   3,581,000   620,000   1,642,000   954,500   $1,373,000  

Interns   14,600   6,150,000   3,828,000   1,165,900   $1,094,700  

Teams   1,544,900   7,100,000   2,320,100   75,600   $677,025  

Materials Exchange   380,000   ---   ---   ---   $11,000  

GRAND TOTAL 5,140,700 13,870,000 7,790,000 2,196,000 $3,146,000

On-Site Assistance: Site Visits Outputs •  121 site visits •  83 team meetings •  71 different facilities

Outcomes •  3.6 million lbs waste •  230 lbs wastewater loading •  1.6 million kWh •  950,000 therms •  $1.36 million

“Having area experts available, like MnTAP, to review a particular issue and then sharing their knowledge and/or recommending appropriate solution(s) is seen as a very positive problem solving approach at the facility.”

Greg Waletzko, VP of Manufacturing at Standard Iron’s Mn facilities

Impact: Standard Iron & Wire Works

•  Referred by Minnesota WasteWise •  Focused on paint booth efficiency •  Arranged a tour for staff to visit another

successful company

•  Made changes to facility to save –  3,900 lbs powder paint ($10,000) –  Less staff time spent handling paint

–  3,600 therms ($2,500) –  Better work environment

Sauk Centre, Minnesota

On-Site Assistance: Teams Outputs •  11 active teams •  3 teams started in 2011

Outcomes •  735,000 lbs waste •  810,000 lbs wastewater loading •  7.1 million gal water •  2.3 million kWh & 75,600 therms •  $677,000

“MnTAP provided a structure to develop our team and gave us an understanding of how ingredients going down the drain affects loading. After this demonstration, the team realized anything that could be captured in process would greatly impact our BOD loadings.”

Mike Hinrichsen, Operations Manager at Kemps Ice Cream

Impact: Kemps Ice Cream

•  New team started in 2011 •  Goal: address unexplained high BOD •  Discovered a unused by-product

collection system and rebuilt it •  Realized savings after only 7 meetings

•  Collection system is saving $72,000 annually in lost product

Rochester, Minnesota

On-Site Assistance: Interns Outputs •  9 interns •  20 inquiries

Recommendations •  95,000 lbs waste •  24 million gal water •  1.2 million kWh & 123,000 therms •  $900,000

“The beauty of it is (the intern) is focused on one thing.” Jim Trudeau,Facilities and Maintenance Manager at CPP

Impact: Consolidated Precision Prod.

•  Two interns since 2008 •  Goals: reduce/eliminate SF6 and reduce

energy use •  Second intern now full-time employee •  Rolled out SF6 alternative to other

facilities in U.S.

•  Results of implementation include: –  Reduced SF6 by 36,500 lbs ($250,000) –  Reduced energy use by 1 million kWh and

93,000 therms ($120,000)

Bloomington, Minnesota

Project: Solid Waste in Surgical Centers U.S. EPA Region V

•  Project Partnership with Mayo Clinic to evaluate impact of surgical sterilization containers

2011 Outputs

•  Life Cycle Comparison of Disposable vs Reusable •  GHG impact disposable 2X greater than reusable •  Solid waste impact disposable 8X greater than reusable

Results

Project: Event Center Food Waste

Waste December 2011 August 2012 Lbs/day % Lbs/day %

Trash 90 - 40 25 Recycling Unknown - 49 30 Compost 0 0 74 45

Results •  Decreased average daily waste to trash by 55% •  Increased capture of recyclable material by 54% •  Diverted 75% of waste to recycle/reuse streams

2011 Outputs •  2 waste sorts •  Staff and vendor training •  Demonstration trial

U.S. EPA Region V

Minnesota Materials Exchange Outputs •  41 calls / emails •  1,200 self-referrals •  79 exchanges

Outcomes •  380,000 lbs waste exchanged

“Our school responded to a posting that mentioned various office furniture items. We got four fire proof file cabinets for free. Now our student records are more safe than ever.”

Materials Exchange user

Comm. 28%

Educ. 7%

Gvt 5%

Mfg. 10%

Non-Profit 34%

Other 16%

Our Reach Site Visits

Teams

Interns

Minnesota Technical Assistance Program

Helping Minnesota businesses implement industry-tailored solutions that maximize

resource efficiency, increase energy efficiency, reduce costs, and prevent

pollution

Thank You Laura Babcock

[email protected]