FAQs
What government agency is responsible for the cleaning or disposal of these wipers?
What does the proposed new rule require?
What are industrial wipers?
Industrial wipers are used for maintenance and clean up by many manufacturing plants, machine shops and other operations. Industrial wipers are either disposable, or are washed and reused (known as rental or shop towels).
In routine maintenance and clean up operations, these wipers and towels are soiled with cleaning agents (known as solvents). Although most solvents are not hazardous, they are still possible causes of pollution and therefore come under various regulations.
What government agency is responsible for the cleaning or disposal of these wipers?
Currently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for implementing the regulations covering the disposal of wipers. This oversight responsibility includes implementing the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). RCRA is the federal law governing treatment, handling and disposal of hazardous wastes.
Processing (washing) of rental shop towels is currently under a widely diverse group of state and local governments. This has caused a problem with confusing and conflicting regulations about how the laundering of rental towel should be handled. Some areas are very strict and others are not.
What is this new rule?
The EPA Office of Solid Waste will provide oversight for both the disposal wipers and washing of rental towels. Both wipers and towels will be subject to EPA guidelines, and both will be subject to specific guidelines with regard to preparation of wipers and towels before washing or disposal.
Why Is this Necessary?
- The purpose of this new EPA rule is to make it easier for companies to comply with proper environmental standards in the laundering and disposal of industrial towels, and to reduce red tape associated with this area.
- Currently, rental towels can be sent to industrial laundries for washing, regardless of the substances on the towel. This new rule will ensure that hazardous waste is not discharged into local sewer systems, and ensure that both rental towels and disposable wipers are treated in the proper manner.
- Encourage the recycling of industrial solvents by requiring both wipers and towels to be hand wrung.
What does the proposed new rule require?
DISPOSABLES
Wipers that have less than 5 grams of solvent at the time of disposal can be disposed of in a municipal solid waste landfill or burned as regular trash in municipal solid waste incinerator. No special handling is required. This is true as long as the wiper does not have the 13 prohibited substances (see sidebar). If disposal wipers have more than 5 grams, then they may be burned in municipal solid waste incinerator, but may not go to a standard landfill. This is permitted because municipals solid waste incinerators are carefully licensed and have the proper equipment to allow wipers to be burned without creating any pollution. In order to allow the wipers to be burned, the following conditions must be met:
- These wipers must not contain any 2-Nitropropane or Pyridine
- They must be stored and transported in a closed container
- The container must be marked solvent-contaminated wipers
- Must be no free liquids when wrung
- Precautions taken to ensure no liquid is released during transport
- If wipers not dry when reach municipal solid waste incinerator, they the incinerator operator must notify state authorities that they are handling solvent wipers and keep a record of shipment.
SHOP (RENTAL LAUNDERED) TOWELS:
Towels with less than 5 grams are considered dry and may be sent to an industrial laundry without any special requirements. If they contain more than 5 grams of solvent, they still can be sent to an industrial laundry or dry cleaner. However, they must meet these new requirements:
- These wipers must not contain any 2-Nitropropane or Pyridine.
- They must be stored and transported in a closed container
- The container must be marked solvent-contaminated wipers
- Must be no free liquids when wrung
- Precautions taken to ensure no liquid is released during transport
If a laundry receives towels that are not dry (i.e. more than 5 grams of solvents), then the launderer must notify state authorities that they are handling solvent wipers and keep a record of shipments.
No free liquids can be met by:
- Hand wringing
- Professional means such as screen-bottom drums, mechanical wringers, centrifuge or any other combination that can reasonably remove and recover the excess liquid.
What if requirements not met?
Municipal solid waste incinerator (for disposables) or industrial laundry (for shop rental towels) can either
- send the wipers or towels back to the industrial waste generator.
- remove the solvents prior to burning or laundering. The free liquids must be treated as a hazardous waste and the facility will be subject to RCRA rules governing the treatment of hazardous waste.