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Business Oriented Air Quality News
July/August 1997
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Consider Your Copy Machine
Auto Parts Cleaning Report Available
Put an Office P2 Program to Work
Pollution Prevention Week 1997
IRTA on the Web
Index of Topics in Past Issues
 The total
number of copiers in use in the Untied States is thought to be over
7 million, up from 5.7 million in 1990. These copiers will make over
700 billion copies each year — more than 2,500 copies (5 reams of
paper) for every man, woman, and child in America. Even with the
Internet and electronic mail, the number of copiers in use is
expected to increase. The sheer number of copies made and copiers
in use can affect the environment in many ways.
Energy Consumption
Copiers are one of the most energy-intensive pieces of equipment in an
office. Up to 70% of the total energy consumed by a medium-speed copier is
needed to keep the copiers “warm” during idle periods, particularly for
copiers that are left on at night and on weekends. It also takes a great
deal of energy to manufacture copy paper.
Air Pollution
Energy consumption results air pollution from the burning of fossil
fuels. Also, office copy machines that employ the heat and pressure fusing
process can be a source of ozone, a component of indoor air pollution.
Ozone in sufficient quantities can irritate respiratory systems. Copiers
can also be a source of noise, heat, and dust.
Waste Disposal
The manufacture of office copiers requires a large number of chemicals
and materials, some of which are toxic, hazardous, or deplete the ozone
layer. Discarded used office paper, old copiers, used toner cartridges, and
their packaging also contribute to the solid waste disposal problem.
Recycling of office equipment is difficult due to the many types of
materials that constitute their makeup, and to the lack of facilities and
established methods for recycling.
Improvements
Recent improvements in copy machines have resulted in more
“recycle-friendly” copiers, built in features for ozone and/or dust control,
and increased energy-efficiency. According to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, copiers that “power down” or “sleep” during idle periods
(including nights and weekends) can provide energy savings up to 60% or
more.
Here are some tips for reducing the environmental impact of your copier:
- Choose a correctly sized copier. Using a copier
rated for a higher volume (or faster) than your daily needs can double your
energy use.
- Set your copier to auto duplexing. This ensures
that the duplexing feature is fully utilized.
- Set your copier to power-down or sleep mode when it is
idling. This can save a significant amount of energy. If your
copier does not have a sleep or power-down feature, make sure to turn it off
at night and on weekends.
- Make your copies in batches. This reduces
energy consumption by decreasing the time your copier spends in high-power
and warm-up modes.
- Use recycled paper. Look for paper with a
minimum of 20% post consumer recycled content. Most copiers are engineered
to work with recycled paper. Setup convenient areas for recycling colored
and white office paper.
The information in this article was taken from Green Seal’s Choose
Green Report. For more information on Green Seal and/or how to choose a
“green copier”, contact Green Seal at (202) 331-7337, or visit their
Internet Web Site at
http://www.greenseal.org.
[Contents] [End]
The final report on the auto repair parts cleaning project of the
Institute for Research and Technical Assistance (IRTA) is now available. The
project was funded under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s
Environmental Justice Pollution Prevention program.
The goal of the parts cleaning project was to test and demonstrate
water-based cleaners in auto repair facilities to replace mineral spirits
currently in use. Water-based cleaning systems were tested and optimized in
18 auto repair facilities. The findings indicate that aqueous cleaners are
technically feasible alternatives and that water-based systems are likely to
be less costly than solvent systems. The report includes analysis of the
spent cleaners and filters. Additional studies on disposal issues are
underway.
These conclusions should apply to all repair and maintenance cleaning and
can be extended to other industrial facilities that use mineral spirits for
parts cleaning.
To order a copy of the report, contact Cal-EPA’s Department of Toxic
Substances Control at (916) 322-3570.
[Contents] [End]
Many of our office activities contribute to the generation of pollution
and waste. We consume water, energy, paper and other products; generate a
variety of wastes and pollutants; and deplete our natural resources. The
APCD recently adopted an office pollution prevention (P2) program. Our
program takes a close look at the products we use and identifies greener,
less costly options. Your office also may be benefit from a P2 program.
The first step in developing our program was to create an Office
Pollution Prevention Policy with the following goals:
- Reduce. Use as few products as
possible, and use products and materials that require the fewest resource
inputs and polluting outputs.
- Reuse.
Give products and materials as much use as possible.
- Recycle. Put as many products and materials
back into the production stream as possible. Buy products made from recycled
material.
- Re-think. Before taking an action, ask “Is this
the most efficient way to do this?”
The Office P2 program is divided into seven different resource areas:
education, paper, batteries, electricity, water conservation,
transportation, and reducing, reusing, recycling. Each area of focus
contains one or more goals as well as implementing actions to attain the
goal. For example, the paper area of the program contains the goal to
“reduce the amount of paper used for copying and printing”. An implementing
action for this goal is to remind people to make double sided copies
whenever possible.
If you would like to learn more about the APCD’s Office P2 Program,
or how to develop a P2 program for your business, call the APCD’s Business
Assistance Line at 961-8868.
[Contents] [End]
Mark your calendars for National Pollution Prevention Week, September
15-21, 1997. Government agencies and other organizations throughout the
country have designated the third week in September as a time to promote and
highlight pollution prevention.
The APCD recognizes that pollution prevention is a key component of our
clean air strategy. In celebration of Pollution Prevention Week 1997, the
APCD has several activities planned, including the presentation of the Green
Award, which will be featured in our next newsletter, and distribution of
our P2 related publications.
Our Business Assistance program can help you find information on
pollution prevention through a variety of resources. Please call Frances
Gilliland on the Business Assistance Line, 961-8868.
[Contents] [End]
The Institute for Research and Technical Assistance now has a website at
http://www.irta.us. Visit their site to find out about new
regulations and new solutions. The homepage also features IRTA Case Studies,
their newsletter The Alternative, and information on IRTA staff.
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