Alternative Technology Section Toxic Substances Control Division California Department of Health Services

This report presents the results of PRCs waste audit study for the metal finishing industry. The study was conducted to identify opportunities for waste reduction available to the metal finishing industry and to develop a generic audit protocol that can be used by metal finishers to assess their own waste reduction opportunities. The study emphasized technologies available to smalland medium-sized metal finishing plants. Typically, these shops operate a variety of physical. chemical, and electrochemical processes. Chemical processes include degreasing. cleaning, pickling. etching, coating, and electroless plating. Electrochemical processes include plating and anodizing. The tasks included in the study were: (1) selecting metal finishing plants to include in the study, (2) performing a waste audit at each selected plant, (3) developing recommendations for implementing waste reduction technologies at each audited plant. (4) discussing with facility representatives the feasibility of implementing the waste reduction recommendations. and ( 5 ) developing this waste audit study report and audit protocol. This study identified three categories of waste reduction technologies that are available to metal finishers: ( I ) source reduction, (2) recycling and resource recovery, and (3) alternative treatment. The costs associated with implementing these technologies range from a few hundred dollars for making simple improvements in housekeeping and minor process modifications to tens of thousands of dollars for installing recovery or treatment units. The benefits realized from implementing such improvements include reductions in material purchase and waste disposal costs, as well as reduction in the liability associated with generating. handling. and disposing of hazardous wastes. A generic audit protocol has been developed as part of the study for distribution to the metal finishing industry to help individual facilities realize these benefits.