50    DESIGN OF AN EXPERT SYSTEM FOR EARLY
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF
MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
E. S. Venkataramani, Engineering Associate
G. Bamopoulos, Engineering Associate
A. L. Forman, Engineering Associate
S. Bacher, Engineering Associate
Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories
Chemical Engineering R&D
Rahway, New Jersey 07065-0900
INTRODUCTION
Waste reduction is a very comprehensive and difficult to define subject and arriving at a precise
definition is not a trivial exercise.
Waste reduction refers to in-plant practices that reduce, avoid, or eliminate the generation
of hazardous waste so as to reduce risks to health and environment.1
Waste reduction is an economically sensible and sound response to the perceived hazardous waste
crisis. Several thousand pounds of hazardous waste are generated annually for every person in the
nation.12 Also, the total cost of waste management is escalating at a rate of 20-30%/yr.3 The Office
of Technology Assessment (OTA) finds that reducing waste, by preventing it from being generated at
the source, is now a practical way to complement the costly pollution control regulatory system.1
Many pollution control methods do little more than transfer waste from one phase to another. Thus,
establishing a comprehensive multimedia approach to reduce the level of wastes that enter the air, land
and water is essential. Waste reduction pays for itself relatively quickly, especially when compared to
the time and effort needed to comply with regulations. Though enforcement sometimes provides the
impetus for waste reduction, cost savings are almost always a consequence.
Reducing the generation of waste and improving the overall efficiency and economics of the
manufacturing process are fundamental to all successful chemical enterprises. The production of
waste from a chemical process is a function of the process design and the manner in which it is
operated.3 Thus, reducing waste in an industrial process requires intimate knowledge of the process,
in contrast to waste treatment which essentially is an add-on at the end of the process. Ultimately,
waste minimization has to be carried out at the process level.4 Hence, waste minimization is a "process
related problem" and failure to reduce the generation of waste at the source only increases the
embedded problem.5
There are five distinct approaches that industry can take to reduce the generation of hazardous
waste,1-3 namely: 1) change the raw materials of production; 2) change production technology and
equipment; 3) improve production operations and procedures; 4) recycle waste within the plant; and
5) redesign or reformulate end products.
Among the opportunities that exist for common processes and wastes are: 1) use of mechanical
techniques rather than toxic organic solvents to clean equipment surfaces; 2) use of water based raw
materials instead of organic solvents; and 3) change of plant practices to generate less hazardous
wastewater. Many of these techniques do not require high technology and are inexpensive relative to
their potential long-term economic benefits. Often they can be implemented with minimal disruption
to the production cycle.2
In general, waste reduction has historically yielded to waste management under the press of more
immediate concerns. The predominance of treatment over waste reduction is not new and is difficult
to reverse. Perhaps the most important reason why waste reduction should be the first option consid-
43rd Purdue Industrial Waste Conference Proceedings, © 1989 Lewis Publishers, Inc., Chelsea, Michigan 48118.
Printed in U.S.A.
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