CONTAMINATED WIPES GO GREEN

Waste solution specialists CSG has introduced a laundry service for the contaminated wipes – classed as hazardous waste and typically generated by the printing, garage and engineering industries - which until recently could be disposed of at a hazardous landfill site but are now banned as treatment to comply with the Waste Acceptance Criteria is not available.

The Hampshire-based company is offering the new service on a container exchange basis to both its own customers and those of CSG group company
J & G Environmental which specialises in providing waste management services to the printing industry.

“The biggest problem to be overcome was developing the optimum washing conditions which, combined with a suitable test, would determine if the wipes were clean enough to be returned for use or, if in poor condition, to be disposed of in a non-hazardous landfill,” said Neil Richards, CSG’s treatment and disposals director.

To be sent to non-hazardous landfill the wipes have to comply with the less than 0.1% Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) legal limit enforced by the Environment Agency.

To ensure compliance CSG’s processing facility in Manchester puts the wipes through a special multi-wash process using carefully selected detergents and a programmed wash cycle tailored to the level of contamination.

After washing, a sample of the wipes is analysed by a test designed to determine the level of contamination remaining. If below the Hazardous Waste Thresholds they can be returned to customers for further use or, if damaged, sent to non-hazardous landfill. If above the HWT limit they are re-washed and re-tested.

As well as many of the wipes being recycled, the contaminant residue in the wash water – mainly solvents, inks and oils - is recovered for use as low grade fuel.

“We believe that providing this service will help our customers further improve their green credentials to the benefit of the environment,” said Neil Richards.

“Also, by combining the collection of contaminated wipes with the regular pick-up of other waste helps keep transportation carbon emissions to a minimum.”