Question

Categorize the following solvent recovery operation in terms of the waste management hierarchy. Discuss the pollution prevention features of this process. Determine whether this process is pollution prevention or not. Use both the federal definition and also the expanded definition adopted in this text. Process Description: The automotive industry uses robots to paint automobile bodies before attaching them to the chassis, and installing other components such as the drive train, lights, trim, and upholstery. In order to accommodate different colors, the paint lines must be flushed with a solvent and then re-charged with the new color paint. In the past, this solvent and paint residue was disposed of as hazardous waste or incinerated. The current process of spray painting automobiles uses a closed-loop solvent recovery process as outlined in the diagram below.

Answer 1