Today, there has been tremendous global demand for industrial solvents. Not only this, it has boosted the market outlook. The usage of solvents is not only limited to a single industry. These solvents can be dangerous to health and the green environment.
It is estimated that in 2017, the Industrial Solvents Market size was over USD 23.5 billion, which will cross about 28 million tons by 2024. With this increasing demand for solvents comes to a significant responsibility on industries to recycle in-house solvents.
The concept of solvent recycling has been in the market since 1976. Then EPA rules were introduced due to the increasing importance of solvents. Over time, there have been many positive changes and improvements in managing industrial waste to reduce its environmental impact which has benefitted the public and business owners.
With technological advancement, recycling has become more accessible and profitable to industries in many ways.
What is solvent recycling?
It refers to the process of separating used other solvents and cleaning them until you get the solvent in its original form and reuse them in the manufacturing process. Industries use solvent recyclers to separate the impurities using different methods based on their chemical properties.
Solvent recycling not only helps to maintain green surroundings but also helps in reducing the additional cost of buying new solvents. Recycling has reduced the need to buy new solvents as they can recycle the existing ones. Some significant contributing industries are- chemical laboratories, auto body shops, paint shops, chemical industries, and paint contractors.
But it does not decrease the demand for solvents but has opened many new opportunities in the solvent market.
- Companies offer recycling technology, services, and customers who buy recycled solvents.
- The other type sells solvent recycling machines.
- The third type offers both services and sells machines.
Before you choose the exemplary service for you, you must understand your business requirement and type. After technological development, the recycling process has become more accessible.
Different methods of solvent recycling
Below are some of the commonly implemented methods to recycle solvents back.
- Distillation- the available used solvent is heated in a vessel up to its boiling point, creating a gas. The contaminated elements having a higher boiling point than the solvent will remain as a liquid at the bottom that can be easily eliminated. Then the vapor is passed through the condensing chamber to liquefy it back to liquid.
It might be possible that you have to accompany the distillation process with any of the following methods to refine the solvent.
- Fractionation- in this process, we use different heating temperatures to treat the solvent and pass it through tiny tubes to separate it from other elements and then recover the solvent to use again.
- Liquid-liquid extraction- industries use this process if the solvent is immiscible with other elements. Once you place the solvent in the separatory funnel, the solvent or contamination element will settle down, and you can recover the required one.
Why is solvent recycling profitable?
If your business is not recycling solvents, you lose many benefits.
- Massive saving on your investment.
Recycling not only helps industries save money and unnecessary costs but also helps build a strong reputation in the market. It is the topmost benefit that any business can leverage. You do not have to buy new solvents every time; you can just recycle the available ones and start production.
Once you start recycling, you will come across several other areas to cut costs. You will save money on solvent transportation, disposal of solvent fees, extra workers to manage and carry the remaining waste, and others. But this comes with a proper recycling program, and if you are struggling to get one, we can help you manage your waste as our priority.
- Earn money.
You can also make extra money by selling the recyclable waste to other companies for alternatives and earn back the money that you have invested in a recycling program.
Today, recyclable materials have become a valuable commodity. With the advancing recycling technology, metals, plastics, glass, and other materials become more valuable as their price increases. All you need is to find out the market value in your region and look for customers who want to buy recyclable goods.
So make sure you have invested well in the proper recycling program so you can help you earn money. It helps to create awareness about the material the company uses and disposes of.
- A healthy working environment for employees.
A green and healthy environment is not the only demand of the modern-day consumers but also the employees working in the industries. They want a sustainable environment where they can breathe and focus.
A company that focuses on recycling its solvents or industrial waste tends to retain employees more than those that do not recycle. As per the study, workplace sustainability and recycling are more critical to employees today than in previous generations.
Not only this, one in 10 millennials are quitting their jobs due to an unsustainable environment. Hiring employees, again and again, will consume your time. It is better to provide what they want. It will be a win-win for everyone.
- Contributing to a healthy community.
Today, many companies are doing the right thing and investing in the proper recycling program, contributing more to the community. The recycling process will positively impact the environment and help people come together for an accountable program.
Adopting recycling as a culture will drive a successful recycling program in any company. It can be done better by communicating the program details, approaches, and results. If your employees actively participate in the recycling program, it will decrease the recycling stream contamination.
- Protecting the environment.
Recycling solvents reduces the environmental impact and keeps it healthy for other beings to live. It helps in saving energy as fewer resources are used to recycle any solvent than to create it from scratch. Recycling will reduce the rate of diversion to landfills. It helps in reducing global warming.
Recycling solvents is a win for every person it involves.
Conclusion
Whether monetary or not, recycling solvents are profitable for every industry. It does not matter how much solvent you recycle at a time, but if you make it a practice, you can improve your market presence and save dollars.
About Solvent Waste Management
Since 1994, Solvent Waste Management, Inc. has assisted many companies in a variety of different industries not only improving their operations but also reducing costs.
Solvent Waste Management Inc. designs and manufactures solvent distillation equipment that cleans contaminated solvents, allowing users to restore and continuously reuse solvents – thereby saving money on the cost of disposal and the cost of new solvents.
Model SW8 Solvent Recovery System
Model SW30 Solvent Cleaning Machine
Model SW55 Solvent Recycler Machine
Model SW70 Solvent Recovery Equipment
Solvent Waste Management designs and manufactures solvent recycling equipment that cleans contaminated solvents in such a way that the customer can reclaim and reuse solvents again and again, thus saving on both the cost of solvent disposal and the cost of new materials.