Biodegradable Parts Washers: The Case for Biodegradable Solvents

Since enclosed parts washing systems became a common solution for cleaning parts on an industrial scale, a large percentage of solvents used in the machines have been downright dangerous for the environment. Death and mutation of aquatic life, urban smog that makes you cough, and a polluted atmosphere that produces acid rain are just a few of the problems.

As time has gone on, though, eco friendly solvent producers have developed biodegradable parts washers that are better for the environment — and, by extension, better for the company or organization that uses them. If you’re in the market for new parts washers for your parts washing system, below are four benefits of using biodegradable parts washers.

  1. Reduced Chemical Landfill Use

Most conventional landfills won’t knowingly accept barrels or canisters of hazardous waste solvent, but chemical landfills specialize in this practice. These landfills keep chemicals in sturdy, tightly sealed containers. However, over the course of decades, time takes its toll, and causes the containers to weaken, and release toxic liquids or hazardous gasses.

  1. Fewer Hazardous Air Pollutants

Some biodegradable parts washers contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are harmful to human health but are nonetheless biodegradable due to their organic origin. However, fully biodegradable parts washers lack manmade hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) that reduce air quality and damage ozone, just as they reduce human quality of life by damaging health.

Emission of HAPs that are included in the EPA’s List of Lists can draw heavy fines that increase based on the emissions level. In this respect, using biodegradable parts washers does more than protect the environment; it also helps protect your company’s finances.

  1. Spares Weakened Ecosystems

From a standpoint of thriving versus languishing, some of the weakest ecosystems in the world are located near large facilities that pump out non-biodegradable waste solvent through pipes that lead directly to streams, which flow into rivers that reach oceans.

Laws that result in heavy fines from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have largely curbed this practice in the U.S., but it still exists in other countries whose business practices haven’t caught up with environmental awareness of nations that are trying to preserve the environment through legislation.

  1. Potential to Cut Waste Disposal

Some companies and organizations that use a line of biodegradable parts washers implement a process for biologically degrading the solvents on-site. As one would expect, in terms of upfront investment and lifetime maintenance, implementing such a system is typically the most profitable for entities that use a large volume of biodegradable parts washers, and pay a higher than normal annual waste disposal bill.

Need Biodegradable Parts Washers?

If so, we’d like to present you with a range of options, and help you decide which one(s) best meet your parts washing requirements. In addition to providing highly effective stock solutions, we also produce custom solvents when a compatible stock solution simply isn’t available.

To get started on selecting eco friendly parts washers, call us today at (800) 563-1305, or use the contact form on our website. We look forward to hearing from you!