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Minnesota Governor's Awards for Excellence in Waste and Pollution Prevention |
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 Project Name: |
Installation of a wetcleaning system. |
| Business: | A small dry-cleaning business. |
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This is a story of a small dry-cleaner who initiated a combination of conventional dry-cleaning with a new wetcleaning process with the help of the Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) and the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT).
Colonial Cleaners is a small business located in the Kingfield neighborhood in Minneapolis. The owners, Soo and Whan Chang, bought Colonial in 1990. Prior to their purchase, the Changs had an environmental assessment performed on the site and found no contamination. After purchasing the shop, the Changs expanded it into an unused room at the back, installed a new perchloroethylene machine and a shirt laundry area that recycles 85-90 percent of the waste perchloroethylene and 100 percent of the dry-cleaning machine cooling water for reuse on-site.
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To reduce pollution and enhance competition for wetcleaning — an alternative method of cleaning at the equivalent cost — Colonial Cleaners set a "green" example with a lifelong commitment to the environment and its customers.
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In 1997 they added an Aqua Clean™ wetcleaning system to reduce the use of perchloroethylene and enhance their competitive edge through alternative methods of cleaning at the equivalent cost of perchloroethylene-based dry-cleaning. Perchloroethylene is a highly volatile and hazardous chemical and a possible carcinogen.
Professional wetcleaning is a process that cleans sensitive textiles in water using specially designed equipment, detergents and additives to minimize potential adverse effects. While overall business has increased, the introduction of the wetcleaning process has reduced perchloroethylene use by 40 percent.
The conversion initially cost approximately $100,000 with a return on investment expected in 10 years.
Colonial uses the wetcleaning process to treat as many garments as possible unless a customer clearly indicates a preference. Employees are educated about the process so they can educate customers about what wetcleaning is and how it is better for some garments and the environment.
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Cortec Corporation designs, modifies and manufactures ecological products for distribution locally and internationally. Their products include biodegradable and plant-based cleaners and films for corrosion prevention, and non-propellant aerosol cans.
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Making a serious commitment to the environment, in 1998 Cortec became one of the first companies in Minnesota to receive ISO 14001 Certification. Their products include biodegradable and plant-based cleaners and films for corrosion prevention, and non-propellant aerosol cans. |
Making a serious commitment to the environment, Cortec became one of the first companies in Minnesota to receive ISO 14001 Certification in 1998. Among its impressive accomplishments is the substantial reduction of solvents with its use of updated manufacturing equipment.
Within one manufacturing facility, Cortec purchased new equipment and then re-engineered it to achieve a reduction in ethanol emissions of 78,000 pounds per year — 80 percent less than the previous process emitted.
Cortec's products that have helped advance pollution prevention technologies include:
Another major design accomplishment for Cortec is the development of a non-aerosol propellant spray can for paint application. In addition to eliminating explosive propellants and allowing room for 100 percent product inside, this can was also designed to be recyclable through a "take back" system. Through this process, Cortec provides a closed-loop, recycling option to its customers.
Cortec's three plants also provide "Just-in-time" delivery to all customers and distributors. This saves energy and money by reducing the customer's need for storage.
Through alliances with partners like the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, University of Minnesota, Minnesota Technology Inc. and the Agri-Based Research Council, Cortec has developed, tested and proven its EcoAir and EcoLine products.
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Project Name: |
Phillips Eco-Enterprise Center |
| Business: | A non-profit, community-based environmental and economic development organization |
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| Reused Materials: |
Steel joists, brick, doors and frames, windows, stair treads, decking, wood benches, carpet tiles, cabinetry, bathroom sinks and re-manufactured office furniture. |
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Pre-cast concrete panels with fly ash, bathroom tile, windowsills, countertops and plastic roofing materials. |
| Low-impact Materials: |
Wood (glu-lam structure), linoleum, zero-emissions coatings, low-emission coatings, low-emission adhesives and resilient textile flooring. |
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| Water/sewer Savings: |
Xeriscape landscaping (requires little or no water and maintenance) over a four-acre site and 100 percent stormwater treatment on site through natural percolation. |
| Projected Savings: |
$33,270 annual operational savings. Payback expected in 11.4 years. |
The Philips Eco-Enterprise Center (PEEC) is a comprehensive green commercial facility developed by The Green Institute in Minneapolis. It is one of the nation's first comprehensive green commercial buildings constructed on a speculative basis for multiple tenants. The facility is unrivaled by commercial peers in the same region.
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The Phillips Eco-Enterprise Center, a $6-million state-of-the-art green business center,
opened its doors in the fall of 1999. The 64,000-square-foot facility is winning high praise for its sustainable design features and special attention to occupant health, and energy and material efficiency. |
Many features of the building have been attempted elsewhere on a piece-meal basis, but not in the same all-encompassing approach offered by the PEEC. A multidisciplinary partnership of community activists, environmentalists, real estate and business development professionals, architects, engineers, construction managers, tenant companies and university students provided the expertise and creative energy to develop this facility, which opened its doors in September 1999.
The team researched advanced building techniques, and benchmarked best-in-class developments. The team focused on three primary objectives in the development of the PEEC: 1) minimize the energy and material resources necessary to construct the facility; 2) minimize operational energy consumption; and 3) deliver a healthy work environment to building occupants. Environmental benefits are realized in both the construction and operation of the facility and include significant reductions in energy and raw material usage, air and water pollutants, greenhouse gases, and waste generation. The economic benefits include reduced operating expenses, increased rents, accelerated lease-up and employee productivity improvements.
The facility was designed to encourage building tours and on-going monitoring in order to demonstrate the merits of such building strategies to others. While the PEEC takes a bold step forward as a comprehensive green building, The Green Institute realizes that it is never a complete project and the improvements must be continuous. The Green Institute is committed to upgrading and improving the building to ensure that it minimizes its impact on the environment and sets a valuable example for future green commercial construction.
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Project Name: |
Pollution Prevention for Thin Metal Surface Cleaning. |
| Business: | Manufacturer of computer suspension assembly units. |
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Annual cost savings for project are $436,120/year.
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Hutchinson Technology Incorporated (HTI) is the world's leading manufacturer of computer suspension assembly units, which hold the read/write head of the unit at a microscopic distance (one to two millionths of an inch) from the fast-spinning hard disk. The main environmental objectives of the Pollution Prevention for Thin Metal Surface Cleaning project were to reduce the use of glycol ether, phosphoric acid, caustic cleaner and water in surface cleaning operations.
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HTI's Pollution Prevention for Thin Metal Surface Cleaning project, combined with their other environmental policy commitments, provide a model for other companies to appreciate how a solution can be planned and solved by combining operational, environmental and economic perspectives. |
The project involved redesigning operations that cleaned the metal surfaces of thin sheets of stainless steel or stainless steel/polyimide/copper clad material. These metal sheets are manufactured into computer suspension assembly units. Before this project was implemented, surface cleaning operations were inconsistent.
Redesign features included a new central spiking system, a new rinse transfer system, and in the instance of one cleanline, fluid jet technology. The spike system added chemicals at the correct time and concentration via "spikes" which in turn, reduced bath changes. The rinse transfer system introduced a method for removing the aqueous rinse solution from each rinse tank so that more efficient rinsing occurred. Fluid jet technology introduced a different technique (a fluid jet stream) for washing the metal surface with cleaning solution instead of the spray atomization method used on the other cleanlines.
Environmental policy plays a large role in the corporate vision and values of HTI. The environmental vision and policy goals commit HTI to conduct its activities through Operating Excellence, a continuous improvement program of many corporate and environmental objectives. In 1995, the program invented the "zero factor," which established the corporate goal of zero environmental discharge. Although this goal is not time-bound, it sets the direction for all operations initiatives.
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Minnesota E85 Project. |
| Business: | Public-private partnership. |
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Estimates indicate that ethanol production reduces our annual cost of imported oil by over $100 million and provides over $350 million net annual economic
benefit to Minnesota's economy. |
In 1998, the United States Department of Energy selected the Twin Cities region as one of the three national pilot markets for E85 motor fuel and flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs). E85 is a cleaner-burning blend of 85 percent renewable ethanol and just 15 percent gasoline. FFVs can fill their tanks with E85 or gasoline, making them truly "flexible."
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“E85 and flexible fuel vehicles give Minnesotans a clean air choice. Today in Minnesota, motorists can significantly reduce emissions by carefully selecting their vehicles and the fuels that power them.” Gerald Orr CEO, American Lung Association of Minnesota |
The Minnesota E85 Project was formed as a public-private partnership. It is directed on behalf of the E85 Team members by the American Lung Association of Minnesota as part of its Clean Air Fuels Education Alliance. The Program Team includes:
In just over a year, the E85 Team has collaborated with Minnesota fuel retailers to build more than 30 new E85 fueling sites. Minnesota will lead the nation with 45 E85 fueling sites by early fall 2000. FFVs are produced as standard equipment (same price as gasoline-only vehicles) by Ford, General Motors, Mazda and Daimler Chrysler; at present, there are more than 30,000 FFVs registered in Minnesota.
The overall program goal is to bring E85 to consumers by constructing commercial fueling stations and raising consumer awareness of the environmental and economic benefits of E85. The program has successfully surpassed its original objective of constructing 30 new fueling sites. The focus of the program will now shift to developing a marketing effort to educate Minnesota motorists while continuing to encourage expansion of the E85 fueling network. The Minnesota E85 Team believes it is possible to create significant and sustained use of a renewable, cleaner-burning fuel in the Twin Cities region.
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Pollution Prevention. |
| Business: | Designer, producer and distributor of screen-printed signs and displays for retail markets. |
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With the installation of three new processes in the last year — a newly designed screen printing press, an automatic screen coating machine, and a screen exposure table — Rainbow Signs has prevented pollution by eliminating hazardous air pollutants and volatile organic compounds in their production process while at the same time working to minimize energy consumption.
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Rainbow Signs is an environmental leader in the screen printing industry and the community. The changes and improvements to Rainbow's operations and programs display an environmental ethic that proves to be efficient and profitable. |
In partnership with the manufacturer, Rainbow designed the nation's first in-line, six-color, carousel-style screen printing press with ultraviolet curing for the inks. A carousel press consists of a separate screen-printing head for each color. One motor drives all six screens, instead of one motor per screen as in the straight-line process. In addition, the press uses ultraviolet ink, which contains no hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) or volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Due to the success of Rainbow's prototype press design, there are ten presses now operating around the country.
The automatic screen coater places a consistently even photosensitive emulsion on the screen as part of preparing a screen to go on-press. This was installed to eliminate the manual coating operation and remove human error and inconsistencies in creating the uniform coating required for the printing process. Re-coats were almost eliminated, saving water that is necessary for re-cleaning the screen before the screen is coated again. Emulsion usage, down-time on press lines waiting for new screens, and power consumption from re-shooting the images multiple times were significantly reduced.
Rainbow also replaced its old light table that ran on 50 fluorescent light bulbs. Its new screen exposure table uses two mercury vapor lamps to do the same job, cutting exposure time for each screen from 14 minutes to 90 seconds.
In addition to the redevelopment of their processes, Rainbow also made steady improvements to their in-house recycling and waste reduction programs. Rainbow's self-sufficient recycling department generates income from the sale of recyclable scraps, and serves as a model for other manufacturers while helping the environment and the community. An ongoing "Donation Day" program serves local schools, daycare centers, religious organizations, etc., by offering unrecyclable but useable materials every Tuesday. Over the last two years, Rainbow has donated over 150,000 pounds of art scraps.
Rainbow Signs is an environmental leader in the screen printing industry and the community. The changes and improvements to Rainbow's operations and programs display an environmental ethic that proves to be efficient and profitable.
Call for EntriesThank you to those who submitted applications for the 2009-10 Governor's Award. Projects are currently under review; winners will be announced in 2010. |
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 Alphabetical
list |
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Profiles
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2000
Award Winners