Waste reduction cleaner technologies

Waste minimization Cleaner production Waste reduction Clean technology Source reduction... 

Environmental Industries Office (2011) Environmental policy division, industrial science and technology policy and environment bureau, ministry of economy, trade and industry, Japan. Guide for material flow cost accounting. Retrieved from http //www.meti.go.jp Kasemset C, Chemsupomchai J, Pala-ud W (2014) Application of MECA in waste reduction case study on a small textile factory in Thailand. J Cleaner Prod. doi 10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.09.071 (in press)... 

It should be noted that catalysis features very highly on any list of preferred/ relevant technologies to help achieve a reduction in waste from chemical processes through the use of cleaner synthetic methods. 

The solution to this waste problem is evident the widespread substitution of antiquated stoichiometric technologies with cleaner catalytic alternatives. But if the solution is so obvious why has it not been widely applied in the past We suggest several reasons. Firstly, because of the smaller quantities compared with bulk chemicals, the need for a reduction in waste in fine chemicals production was not fully appreciated in the past. 

The membrane process minimizes the quantity of waste requiring extensive treatment by concentrating the contaminants into a reduced volume while producing a cleaner permeate for discharge. Since the contaminants are not destroyed by the process it is necessary to consider disposal options for the reduced volume concentrate stream. If the treatment options for the concentrate steam do not reduce overall treatment costs or provide a reduction in risk to human health and the environment, then the membrane system is not a feasible remedial technology. Optimally, a disposal option that can permanently destroy or immobilize the contaminants in the concentrate stream on-site is preferable to off-site transportation and disposal. 

The best course, as already indicated, is not to generate the waste in the first place. Koei have patented a reductive alkylation process using acetone and ethylamine as starting materials [9]. Clearly this is a much cleaner process not producing the wastes of the AT-alkylation process. However, the technology is not straightforward and requires investment in suitable plant with its own environment-threatening hazards. 

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