Small Business Enterprise - Spring edition

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Small Business Enterprise

News from the Small Business Environmental Assistance Program

In this issue

  • Reducing chemical exposure from receipts
  • Reduce VOCs with help from MnTAP
  • Survey: Water-related businesses
  • 2015 Industrial stormwater permit updates

Reducing chemical exposure from reciepts

BPA

Employees that handle receipts (waiter, cashier, librarian) are probably being exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) or its chemical cousin, bisphenol S (BPS). New research shows the chemicals can be absorbed through skin by simply handling thermal paper receipts (most receipts are thermal paper).

Human exposure to BPA, an endocrine-disrupting chemical, is widespread. Cashiers have higher levels of BPA in their body than other occupations. Exposure may be of particular concern to pregnant or nursing women or women of childbearing age and adolescents. BPA is hazardous to reproductive systems, linked with obesity and attention disorders and is being studied for any effects on child neurological development. Early studies on BPS suggest that it is endocrine active in very similar ways.  

About 8 billion pounds of BPA are produced each year, making it one of the highest-volume chemicals in production. In a random study, conducted by the MPCA, of thermal paper in Minnesota, all 18 tested were coated with either BPA or BPS.

An increasing number of retailers are offering digital receipts via email or text. A new report details several steps businesses can take and how reduction efforts can benefit business costs. 

Begin taking steps to reduce your, and your employees', exposure to BPA today. Read more on the MPCA's BPA webpage. 

Fortunately, you can take steps to reduce this problem:

  • Is your receipt paper thermal? If it discolors easily when scratched with a coin and is quite thin, with a slick feel or sheen.
  • Educate employees to adopt new receipt handling practices.
  • Ask customers “Do you want your receipt?” If they decline it, don’t print it! This simple step can cut paper use by around 30%.
  • Don’t print merchant copies of receipts if your system already keeps an electronic record. This can cut paper use by 50%.
  • Begin to offer digital or e-receipts. These use no paper at all  (there are currently no clearly safer thermal receipt papers available).

North Branch DQ takes on BPS

DQ Grill & Chill in North Branch test their thermal paper and results showed that it contained BPS.

This DQ took advantage of an MPCA grant opportunity and received $1,000 for an 18 month subscription to Transaction Tree, an electronic transaction service that gives them capability to send an e-receipt.

Owners also reprogrammed their point-of-sale system to prevent automatic receipt printing. Instead, cashiers now ask customers if they would like a receipt; only about 40% request a receipt.


Reduce VOCs with help from MnTAP

FRP

Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed revisions in the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ground level ozone. In Minnesota, new ozone standards could result in new and costly regulations unless proactive, voluntary business strategies are implemented to reduce of air emissions. MnTAP and partners have been working to develop outreach efforts that encourage voluntary reductions. Below are two targeted pilots MnTAP is undertaking to help reduce VOC emissions.

Fiber Reinforced Plastics

MnTAP’s E3 program combines lean tools with energy and waste assessments to maximize efficiency in all areas to help the fiber-reinforced plastics industry be more competitive. Each company  will receive a FREE:

  • P2 assessment
  • Energy efficiency assessment
  • Lean assessment
  • FRP Tips Newsletters
  • Technical assistance from MnTAP
  • Financial and business consulting services from the Minnesota Small Business Development Center

Submit your application: z.umn.edu/E3inFRP or contact Jane Paulson at janep2@umn.edu or 612-624-1826

Solvent Degreasing Project

Another project is helping businesses reduce solvents used for degreasing while still maintaining effectiveness without cost increases. MnTAP is offering:

  • Free product samples to help identify effective degreasing products with lower VOCs
  • Technical support to make sure the new products meet all process needs

For more information, contact Jane Paulson at janep2@umn.edu for industrial maintenance or Mick Jost at jostx003@umn.edu for automotive maintenance. Submit your application: z.umn.edu/Degreasing

Company highlight: Silgan Containers reduces VOCs by 19%

Silgan Containers is the largest provider of metal food packaging in the United States. MnTAP assisted in two changes resulting in solvent and VOC reductions at their facility in Savage, Minnesota.

• Implementation of a hardened steel scraper (or “doctor”) blade in the roll-coating process. Similar to a doctor blade used in lithographic processes, the steel scraper blade removes residual coating on the roll after the transfer of coating to the sheet of metal. This eliminates the need for the coating roller to pass through a solvent-saturated felt wiping pad to remove coating residuals. The elimination of solvent wiping decreased cleaning solvent usage from 20,000 gal in 2003 to 6,000 gal in 2013.

• Adoption of water based coatings. Silgan worked together with their suppliers to develop water-based coatings which met both production and customer requirements.

Company highlight: Lou-Rich sees 85% VOC reduction from powder coating

Lou-Rich, headquartered in Albert Lea, uses a paint line to coat the parts they produce. In 2009, the company upgraded their painting system, installing a line that can use both powder and liquid paint. They wanted to replace old equipment, improve efficiency, increase capacity and reduce pollution. Powder coating lines have high transfer efficiencies because the coatings are applied electrostatically, and excess powder can be reclaimed and reused. The solid powder coating process also produces few emissions with negligible VOC content. Results of the new paint system have been a huge success. The new system has:

  • A throughput potential of 48,000 pounds of product per hour, compared to the 21,000 pounds of product per hour capacity of the old line
  • Fewer defects and less rework of the powder coated parts with the increased efficiency of the more advanced liquid paint booth has resulted in VOC reductions of 85% since 2008
  • Decreased total toluene waste to a level that makes Toxic Release Inventory reporting of toluene unnecessary.

Reprinted from MnTAP’s Source newsletter


State agencies want to hear from Minnesota water industries

Big Fork River Watershed

The Environmental Quality Board and the Department of Employment and Economic Development are working on a water report including results of a survey of water-related organizations in Minnesota. The survey results will help develop an economic profile that quantifies the current employment and wages in water-related organizations. The survey will go to public and private sector entities involved in (but not limited to) the research, development, treatment, manufacture, assembly, management, sales, or distribution of water-related products or services. Link to survey.

The goal is to understand their present employment, revenue, and products in the sector. This will be combined with administrative datasets to build a profile of water employment and wages in the state. It follows a method laid out by MN Clean Energy Economy Profile. For more information, contact Anna Sherman, anna.sherman@state.mn.us., 651-259-7468, Dept.  of Employment and Economic Development.


2015 Industrial stormwater permit updates

ISW

The 2015 industrial stormwater permit and its requirements began April 5, 2015.  The permit is valid for 5 years, until April 5, 2020. 

Good to know

  • Everything related to the 2010-2015 permit ended April 5.
  • Coverage cards were emailed April 5, 2015 to facility "site contacts." If you didn't receive the email, you can go to the Industrial Stormwater Permit Information Access page, search by facility name, and print out the coverage card from there. Also, coverage cards will be mailed to facilities without an email address for the facility "site contact" over the next couple of weeks.
  • Sampling requirements start for all permittees on July 1, 2015.  New permittees applying after July 1 start sampling the next full calendar quarter. There are no sampling requirements between now and July 1, 2015. 
  • Updated Stormwater Monitoring Report (SWMR) forms are being created. They will likely be available around July 1, 2015. 
  • Guidance materials are being updated. Over half of 35 existing documents and all of the industrial stormwater webpages now reflect the 2015 permit requirements and are available on the MPCA website at http://www.pca.state.mn.us/industrialstormwater. 
  • # 1 question since April 5:  How do I make changes to my 2015 application, particularly contact changes? Answer:  Fill out and submit the Change Form.

No Exposure Certifiers

  • Keep making sure 100% of industrial activities and materials are protected from rain, snow, snowmelt, and runoff 100% of the time.  Apply for permit coverage if that changes. 
  • Note: Vehicle fueling activities rarely qualify for No Exposure.  To learn more about other common sources of exposure at No Exposure facilities, visit http://www.pca.state.mn.us/noexposure.
  • You can contact the MPCA’s Small Business Environmental Assistance Program for help qualifying, applying, and keeping your No Exposure certification at 651-282-6143 or 800-657-3938. 

Program Contact Information

Website: www.pca.state.mn.us/industrialstormwater

Twitter: @melissawmpca

Monitoring Forms/Permit Information Access: http://cf.pca.state.mn.us/water/stormwater/isw/search.cfm

Email: iswprogram.pca@state.mn.us 

Call the Stormwater Hotline: Call 651-757-2119 or 800-657-3804 (non-metro only) 

Permit Compliance/No Exposure:

Engineering Questions: Brian Schweiss, 651-757-2709