Benchmarking solvent use

Introduction

Past work by BFM Ltd identified solvent consumption and waste from wood coating operations as significant from both economic and environmental perspectives. This project sought to quantify performance in three sub-sectors: reproduction, solid timber users and board material users.

The project was funded by a £55,722 grant from Biffaward, a multi-million pound environment fund which utilises landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services. A free report has been produced which includes benchmarks to show the level of solvent reduction that can be achieved within each sub-sector. The Executive summary is reproduced below.

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Executive summary

This report highlights a number of important issues with regard to UK wood coating operations. It estimates that the sector emitted 10,500 tonnes of solvent in the year 2000 – a lower figure than that suggested by some other sources. A further 983 tonnes of solvent were sent off-site for reuse and recovery.

The majority of the study concentrated upon 41 participating companies. These had achieved a significant amount of solvent reduction. Between 1998 and 2000, solvent consumption fell from 1,475 to 870 tonnes a saving of 41% or 605 tonnes p.a.

Significant expenditure was required to achieve this progress – totalling £7.63 million over five years. However, much of this sum was recouped by the £7.30 million of savings that accrued over the five year period. There was a large variation in the degree of solvent reduction achieved by different wood coating users. For example, solvent to solids ratios ranged from 0.65:1 to 5:1. Part of this variance can be explained by the nature of the relevant sub-sectors. The project concentrated upon three sub-sectors: reproduction, solid timber users and board material users. 

Reproduction manufacturers made least progress at the highest cost. Between 1998 and 2000, the average solvent to solids ratio improved by 15% despite a solvent reduction spend of £231,000 per company from 1995 to 2000. None of the companies had been able to achieve compliance, having achieved a solvent to solids ratio of between two and five times the mass balance allowance. By contrast, the board sub-sector had improved its ratio by 48% between 1998 and 2000, whilst making an average saving of £87,000 between 1995 and 2000. Consequently, 50% of large sites had achieved compliance.

Participating companies generated 173,000 litres of solvent waste p.a. 79% of this waste was sent off-site for recovery at a cost which varied from 10p to 67p per litre. Some 36,600 litres were recycled on-site using solvent recovery machines. Savings of around £58,000 p.a. were generated by this means, due to the reduction in waste disposal costs and virgin thinner purchase.