Pollution Prevention 101

Information specific to painting and coating of plastic, metal, and wood.

The Iowa Waste Reduction Center offers in-person and online training to improve efficiency in painting operations.

Series of webinars held in 2015. Episodes include transfer efficiency, paint formulation modification, and powder coating considerations. Features speakers from companies like Graco, ProPaint, Nordicware, Superior Industries, Lou-Rich, and Valley Craft.

This webinar covered EPA’s 6H surface coating regulation and the spray efficiency techniques required. Become more familiar with 6H and learn how simple technique refinements can improve paint quality and maximize transfer efficiency.

The Surface Technology Environmental Resource Center (STERC), previously known as the National Metal Finishing Resource Center (NMFRC), provides a wealth of useful environmental compliance information to the surface finishing and surface treatment industry.

TURI completed a project to identify and evaluate safer alternatives to methylene chloride and other chemicals of high concern used in coating removal products.

Methylene chloride is a widely used component in paint stripping products. The three major categories of use are industrial (e.g., in a permanent stationary technical installation), professional (e.g., by a tradesman), and consumer (e.g., by a homeowner for do it yourself activities). Several commercially available paint stripping products do not contain methylene chloride; however, their performance is significantly below that of methylene chloride. In addition, , some of the replacement chemicals, such as N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone (NMP), introduce other environmental, health, and safety hazards. The Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) at the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell) undertook a research effort to identify and evaluate safer alternatives to methylene chloride in paint stripping products. This report provides the approach TURI took to finding a safer alternative to methylene chloride, the laboratory testing process, and the results and conclusions.

ASTM's paint and related coating standards are instrumental in specifying and evaluating the physical and chemical properties of various paints and coatings that are applied to certain bulk materials to improve their surface properties. Guides are also provided for the proper methods of applying these coatings, which also include enamels, varnishes, electroplatings, pigments, and solvents. These paint and related coating standards help paint manufacturers and end-users in the appropriate testing and application procedures for the coating of their concern.

This report presents the results of work conducted by Capsule Environmental Engineering, Inc. for the Minnesota Office of Waste Management to investigate pollution prevention alternatives to the use of fast-evaporating solvents for cleaning and flushing of painting and coating lines.

Many products require some type of coating, such as paint, lacquer, or varnish. Waste reduction techniques can be integrated into coating application processes, saving your company money and potentially reducing your regulatory burden. Opportunities for reducing waste can include altering product design, selecting alternative equipment and coatings, properly training operators, and using best practices for your manufacturing process. These Web pages offer ideas and resources for preventing pollution within painting and wood finishing operations. They also provide information on the environmental and safety rules in Minnesota.

To achieve long-term, efficient, optimal performance and keep operating costs as low as possible, you need to consider your spray system in its entirety and develop a plan for evaluating, monitoring and maintaining it. If you don’t already have a spray system optimization program in place, you could be wasting significant amounts of chemicals, water, energy and time and risking process and product quality – without even knowing it.

Guide to efficient and effective coating.

Provides regulatory and pollution prevention information for painting and coating businesses.

Many products require some type of coating such as paint, lacquer, or varnish. Because widespread, there is great potential for environmental benefit and for cost savings in pollution prevention techniques that are part of a coating application process. Source reduction and recycling techniques can reduce hazardous and solid waste generation and reduce air emissions, not to mention reduce use of raw materials and conserve water. An assessment of a coating operation may reveal ways to reduce waste generation through pollution prevention.

Provides an overview of the paints and coatings industry, pollution prevention considerations, and case studies.

The focus of this paper will be to examine the paints and coatings industry and those pollution prevention methods that are being applied to meet these environmental pressures. It will review the life cycle of paints and coatings; from its inception in the manufacturing facility to its ultimate application and disposal. It will also review developing low VOC technologies that are being considered worldwide to comply with increasing VOC regulations.

Provides state of the art techniques for air pollution control for surface coating operations. Publication date: 2024.

Compliance guide by the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency. Pollution prevention information is useful for any company.

The PCRC has developed the Emissions Calculator to help you figure your HAP and VOC emissions from paint and coatings.

E-CFR link to the table of contents for Part 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which implements environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act.

This rule establishes standards of performance to limit emissions of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from new, modified, and reconstructed automobile and light duty truck surface coatings operations. These standards implement Section 111 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), and are based on the Administrator’s determination that automobile and light-duty truck surface coating operations within assembly plants contribute significantly to air pollution, which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare.

This action promulgates national volatile organic compound (VOC) emission standards for automobile refinish coatings pursuant to section 183(e) of the Clean Air Act (Act). This final rule is based on the Administrator’s determination that VOC emissions from the use of automobile refinish coatings have the potential to cause or contribute to ozone levels that violate the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone. Ozone is a major component of smog which causes negative health and environmental impacts when present in high concentrations at ground level.

Lists stationary sources of air pollution for the solvent use and surface coating industries, and their corresponding air pollution regulations. To learn more about the regulations and guidelines for each industry, just click on the links.

List of NESHAP (MACT) Standard Source Categories, the corresponding CFR citations, and links to further information for each source.

These standards implement section 111 of the Clean Air Act and are based on the Administrator's determination that emissions from facilities that surface coat plastic business machine parts cause, or contribute significantly to, air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare. The intended effect of these standards is to require all new, modified, and reconstructed facilities that surface coat plastic parts for business machines to control emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) to the level achievable by the best demonstrated system of continuous emission reduction, considering costs, nonair quality health, and environmental and energy impacts.

The Surface Technology Environmental Resource Center (STERC), previously known as the National Metal Finishing Resource Center (NMFRC), provides a wealth of useful environmental compliance information to the surface finishing and surface treatment industry.