Beneficial Reuse- The new buzzword

What does it really mean?  To some people it can be translated as "One man's garbage is another man's treasure!!!"
Industrial Byproduct, Waste Recycling, Beneficial Reuse, these are all technically the same things. Everyone is turning Green and if there is a way to do it, Beneficial Reuse is a quick easy way.

At Environmental Leverage™ we bring you innovative strategies and operational experience to help you Leverage your Liabilities and turn them into assets!  Innovative environmental solutions resulting in a cleaner environment!
There are numerous government grants, programs, loans and awards for development of a Beneficial Reuse or Recycling program at your plant.

Types or sources  of Beneficial Reuse

Examples of Materials in high demand

• Acids
• Alkali
• Boiler and Fly Ash
• Construction and Demolition
• Electronics
• Glass
• Grease
• Gypsum
• Laboratory Chemicals
• Lime
• Metal and Metal Sludge
• Miscellaneous
• Oil
• Other Inorganic Chemicals
• Other Organic Chemicals
• Paints and Coatings
• Paper
• Plastic
• Rubber
• Solvents
• Textile and Leather
• Wax
• Wood

Examples by Industry

Water or Wastewater:
Water conservation and efficiency- using treated effluent water- reused as Gray water- in closed recycle loops, or used in areas where critically clean water is not necessary is technically a type of Beneficial reuse.  Water can be used for irrigation, washing down non-critical areas, Effluent irrigation of golf courses, parks, and recreation areas. 

Potential Wastewater Reuse Applications, Commercial Car Washes,
Cooling, Dust Control on Roads and Streets, Fire Prevention, Fountains, Groundwater Recharge, Irrigation (agriculture, landscaping, recreation fields, etc.), Mixing Concrete, Snow-making for Commercial/Outdoor Use, Toilet/Urinal Flush, Wetland Restoration

Foundries:
Spent Sand can be utilized in an approved beneficial use application, Green Sand, slag, Bag house dust and wet scrubber residuals are also valuable beneficial reuse products.  Here are just a few of the applications where it can be utilized:
Landfill Daily Cover, Pipe Bedding, Structural Fill can go to processor for single or multiple applications- Asphalt, Cement, Concrete or Soil Blending.

Papermill-
There are numerous areas where beneficial reuse can be found in a papermill. Lime, pulp, ash, sludge, crates, paper scraps, bark, knots are just a few areas that homes can be found for these " alternative" products.  Bottom ash is a good road base and construction material. Papermill biosolids and primary solids are great for use at Mine leachate.

Refinery- Again, an area that has many side streams that are isolated initially in the process area due to the type of equipment used and the process location.  Spent caustic is the first easy one. Oil, Spent Catalysts, oily sludge, and biosolids are just a few more to be mentioned.

Food Plants- Did you know that the biosolids generated from a food plant that has it's own wastewater treatment plant are an excellent source of nutrients for crops?

Food plants have pallets, Process scraps that can be sold to agriculture for compost, silage for animal feed lots, among other things. Bones, tallow, and meat scraps found in slaughter houses are also areas for beneficial reuse.

We worked at one plant that produced high quality frosting. 16% of their product line was "Poor Quality" frosting and was off spec.  Well, just because it cannot be used for cake decorations, it could be used for doughnut filling, or other uses.

Wastewater  Biosolids

Use of biosolids on crops can reduce the cost of nutrient supplementation from $60-$140 per acre and provide most of the N and P needed. The biosolids are a great source of natural nutrients, minerals and can benefit your crop yield by up to 25%.
Coming Soon- Biosolids reuse and Crop Benefits

Electric Utilities
Fly ash and bottom ash- landfill caps, road construction, cement, planters, statues for fill, stabilization of hazardous wastes, Decorative black glass was produced using fly ash as the main component,
Non-Hazardous Coal Power Plant Fly Ash as Flow able Fill
Water reuse

Chemical Plant-
Acid or base Streams, Metals, Air pollution control technology residuals,
Streams high in Nitrogen or Phosphorus
Ferric chloride, High BTU content materials, Chlorine, Spent Catalysts

Wineries

Lees, mach, biosolids, water reuse for irrigation or wash water. Not only are the solids good for land application, but some of the newer technology is drying out some of the solids and turning them into biobricks for fireplaces.

Miscellaneous

Cement Kiln Dust and Fly Ash can be used in Road Rehabilitation
Tire Chips for Highway Embankments
Wood Ash on Agricultural Land
Tire Shreds as Lightweight Fill
Aluminum, Copper and Brass Fabrication, Cement and Concrete, Coal combustion, Iron and Steel, Mini- mill byproducts

As you can see, there are tons of sources of side streams that can be considered for beneficial reuse. The trick is finding a home for your byproduct.
 

Examples of Legislation or Links
Legislation enacted in 1985 [s. 289.05 (4), Wis. Stats.] encourages the beneficial use of industrial byproducts through the DNR.

http://www.p2rx.org/

The Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange (P2Rx) is a consortium of eight regional pollution prevention information centers, funded in part through grants from EPA.

Monthly Newsletter Registration

Sign up to receive our Monthly Email Newsletter and be ahead of the curve!

Some of the content of our monthly newsletters is posted, some of the information can only be obtained from digital or printed copies of our newsletter. Sign up to receive a digital copy each month!

April 2005 Micronutrients and Spring Turnover

August 2006 Operators Tools and Troubleshooting

Back issues from 2004 or add your name to our monthly newsletter list

Biological Wastewater Treatment Products

Lowering your surcharges

International and National Materials Exchanges

http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/recycle/jtr/comm/exchnat.htm

Pollution Prevention Opportunities

Wastewater Training Classes

Wastewater Training CD's