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Waste
Green Guardian Formerly the Resourceful Waste Management Guide, the business section of GreenGuardian.com includes information on waste reduction, recycling and proper disposal. The guide was produced for the seven Twin Cities metropolitan counties by Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board (SWMCB).

Wastewater
Car Wash and Vehicle Maintenance Facilities There are simple ways to use less water and still maintain quality in your work. Think about and discuss the ways you use water now. Figure out water usage per minute, then figure out how long it takes to do a typical water-use task. Check your utility bill, then brainstorm ways to reduce.

Emulsified Oil and Water Separating Products Aqueous cleaning solutions can be contaminated by the build-up of emulsified waste oil. This oil can decrease the solution's cleaning capability. Separating oil from the water is an effective technique for extending the usefulness of process fluid or in pre-treating the wastewater prior to sewering. MnTAP maintains this list of products for separating emulsified oil and water solely as a service to Minnesota companies.

Environmental Health and Safety Checklist for Minnesota Printers The following list of compliance areas includes federal, state, county and sometimes local requirements. This list is provided as a tool to assist Minnesota companies identify environmental, health and safety requirements.

Floor Cleanup Lower floor wash water volume and contamination at your auto repair shop to minimize the impact of wastewater regulations, reduce liabilities, protect the environment and community, and save your shop time and money.

Floor Drain Systems Basic utilities usually are not thought about until a problem arises. Plumbing systems typically function for many years without needing attention. This fact sheet gives tips on preventing plumbing problems. It covers basic information about floor drain systems and separators and includes simple maintenance ideas.

How a Shallow Disposal System on Your Property Affects You On-site disposal systems can provide a cost-effective means for industries, municipalities, and small businesses to dispose of their wastewater, if these systems are properly sited, constructed, and operated to protect our environment and prevent contamination of our underground drinking water resources.

Lou-Rich, Inc. Saves Over $42,100 by Reducing Water and Chemical Use Water used in cleaning and cooling operations was reduced by 8.9 million gallons per year through design improvements and monitoring.

Managing Floor Drains and Flammable Traps What should we do about cleaning out the floor trench in the shop?

Oil/Water Separators Oil/water separators can be costly to maintain, and if not properly managed can pollute surface and ground water leading to costly violations. Take steps to minimize the effects of your oil/water separator on your shop's budget and the environment.

Phosphorus Management Planning Developing a Phosphorus Management Plan (PMP) will help you understand your wastewater treatment facility's (WWTF) influent and effluent phosphorus levels, and how those levels may be reduced, with potential cost savings. PMP Development Resources have been designed by MnTAP and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to make the phosphorus management planning process easier for all WWTF operators.

Phosphorus: Reducing Releases from Dairy Processing Facilities Dairy operations can be significant sources of phosphorus released to wastewater treatment plants. Cleaning production lines, scraping food preparation vats, cleaning and rinsing equipment, product lost to the drain and floor cleaning chemicals are all ways phosphorus enters the wastewater.

Phosphorus: Reducing Releases from Industrial Cleaning and Sanitizing Operations Many traditional cleaning chemicals use phosphorus components as active ingredients. Alternative low- and non-phosphorus cleaners are available to meet a wide variety of industrial cleaning needs.

Phosphorus: Reducing Releases from Meat Packing Operations Meat packing operations can be significant sources of phosphorus released to wastewater treatment plants. Cleaning and rinsing of equipment, product lost to the drain and floor, and cleaning chemicals are all ways phosphorus enters the wastewater.

Phosphorus: Reducing Releases from Poultry Processing Plants The poultry industry is a large contributor to Minnesota's agricultural economy with sales accounting for about seven percent of Minnesota's farm output. Poultry processing plants contribute large biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) loads, as well as total suspended solids (TSS) and phosphorus to wastewater. This fact sheet outlines a number of steps that can be taken to reduce poultry processing plant waste.

Supermom's Saves $235,000 Yearly by Reducing Waste Supermom’s saves at least $235,000 a year through their waste reduction efforts. Supermom’s has substantially reduced their solid waste, introduced energy and labor efficient technologies and reduced water treatment costs.

Schroeder Milk Saves $400,000 through Product Savings and Water Conservation Using a pollution prevention team, Schroeder Milk Co., identified opportunities for process improvement, saving over $400,000 and 13 million gallons of water every year.

Sparta Foods Saves Nearly $10,000 through Water Conservation Implementing water conservation options has reduced Sparta's water use by nearly 1.9 million gallons a year—saving almost $10,000 annually. They are working toward reducing water use by 25 percent overall.

Water Use Consultants The consultants listed provide service to reduce water use and wastewater volumes. MnTAP maintains the following list as a service to Minnesota companies. This may not be a complete list of available consultants and does not represent an endorsement by MnTAP.

Water
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permitting Program National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits and regulates wastewater discharges to lakes, streams, wetlands and other surface waters. State Disposal System permits regulate the construction and operation of wastewater disposal systems, including land treatment systems. These permits establish specific limits and requirements to protect Minnesota's surface and ground water quality for a variety of uses, including drinking water, fishing and recreation.

Non-contact Cooling Water Facilities may have the opportunity to reduce water use and cost if they have not evaluated their use of non-contact cooling water. This fact sheet outlines ideas for reducing and reusing non-contact cooling water.

Water Conservation Tips Reducing water use can make your operations more efficient and save you money on the volume of water used and treated. A number of steps are outlined in this fact sheet that can help you reduce water use.

Wheel Weights
Managing Scrap Metal, Catalytic Converters & Wheel Weights This fact sheet discusses management of scrap materials commonly found in the automotive repair and salvage industries.

Wipes
Managing Towels, Wipes and Sorbents This fact sheet outlines management options for sorbents, towels and wipes.

Screenprinters and Environmental Questions An introduction to regulatory information and requirements for screenprinters in Minnesota.

Wood
Treated Wood: Use, Disposal and Alternatives for Businesses While treating wood lengthens its useful life and conserves trees, some of the chemicals used in treating wood are toxic. To prevent treated wood from causing adverse health and environmental impacts, it is necessary to select, use and dispose of treated wood products safely and appropriately.

Wood Finish
Suppliers of Low-VOC, Low-HAP and Waterborne Wood Finishes The companies in this reference list supply low volatile organic compound, low hazardous air pollutant and waterborne wood finishes.

Wood Finishing: Reducing Waste and Cost Saving ideas Through the use of alternative coatings, such as waterborne finishes, and by switching to higher transfer efficiency spray equipment, some companies are seeing significant reductions in air emissions and seeing savings on disposal and raw material costs.

Working with Vendors to Change Wood Finishes How to work with a vendor to make appropriate changes in finishing processes.