Design approach for operational waste at flagship industrial sites
When setting up a flagship advanced manufacturing facility, it's important to consider the site operational waste management strategy early on in the concept development phase.
One aspect of this is the design, procurement and installation of a variety of waste receptacles across the site - designed to maximise segregation & recycling rates, plus enable the efficient movement of waste from source to the onsite recycling centre. There should also be commonality with the existing corporate standard and building decor.
Biyat Energy & Environment Ltd are specialists in developing such systems and have successfully implemented a variety of customised waste solutions for operational, staff support and amenity areas on behalf of 'best in class' industrial facilities. We take pride in our ability to custom engineer solutions for our clients.
Staff Support Areas & Amenities
For offices, restaurants, changing rooms and other amenity areas - Biyat have had much success with various sized units complete with colour coding to differentiate between mixed recyclables (green) and general waste (blue). Clear and attractive graphics help to ensure waste segregation is maintained.
Factors to consider when developing the strategy include available CAPEX / footprint for the receptacles themselves, plus compactor and baling capabilities on site (i.e. the ability to process general waste, cardboard, soft / hard plastics respectively).
It's also important to develop a strategy for off-site processing methods I.e. Collection of baled cardboard/paper/hazardous/sanitary waste via 3rd party recyclers and compacted general waste transport to off-site MRFs (materials recovery facilities) to enhance recycling rates further.
Operations
Operationally, a variety of waste receptacles are required including large waste receptacles for high volume production waste streams (I.e. logistics & assembly operations), hazardous waste plus process specific receptacles that align to the 5S philosophy.
There are a number of operational considerations required when specifying large i.e. 1100L 'street style' receptacles. Biyat typically customise them so they are suited to a production engineering environment - complete with a galvanised finish to prevent rusting, bin-2-bin / bin-2-tug tow links for easy transportation via tow trucks, FLT pockets / comb bar front / DIN trunnion sides to facilitate movement by operatives via the on-site recycling centre, plus a stencilled numbering system, green lid (designated for recyclable waste streams as opposed to general) and drop back sides for ergonomic purposes. Finally, heavy duty wheels with brakes and fixed / swivel castors are critical to prevent snaking (loss of control) during transit.
Scrap stillages are also crucial components of any operational strategy - they can be custom sized and combined with 'red' tow trolleys marked for scrap use as opposed to carriage of new product. Typically, they are fully welded, leakproof, with the words 'SCRAP ONLY' stencilled on the long edges. They also feature Internal fork pockets with reinforced channels, and a robust sheet metal specification taking into account shifting loads when rotating them into skips. This is a fundamental design feature, in addition to a high-quality specification (no sharp edges or burrs) to protect operatives.
Process specific receptacles i.e. for assembly operations that include small disposable caps, tags and the like are designed for minimal footprint, with an adjustable head that can be tilted for the operator's convenience. Clear bags also assist with validating the contents and if material contamination has taken place.
Hazardous waste streams such as oily rags require their own fire-retardant receptacles, which are typically earthed. To reduce installation costs, fire-retardant liners can be fitted with a non-conductive body. It is important that waste aerosol canisters have their own dedicated receptacles - it is quite common for ISO 14001 auditors to validate waste segregation during audits, and this is a particular favourite.
Innovation
For sites that manufacture sensitive products - intellectual property protection is a priority in the case they make their way off-market - therefore, a range of onsite mutilation solutions are available, which are typically upgraded to meet the stringent health and safety requirements of flagship advanced industrial sites.
To enable waste re-use, innovations such as recycled plastic fencing is a particular solution we have installed in collaboration with our supply chain - with great success.
We hope you found this article useful!
If you are looking for professional waste management and facility engineering support relating to your next industrial mega-facility design & build project...please reach out to us!
Contact — Biyat Energy & Environment Ltd (biyatenergyenvironment.com)
This article was written by Luay Zayed, Founder' of Biyat Energy & Environment Ltd. A global energy and environmental consultancy specializing in turnkey engineering solutions that protect the environment and improve energy efficiency in the manufacturing & industrial sectors.
