How To Dispose Of Flammable Liquids Sustainably

Though flammable liquids may not scream 'environmentally friendly,' they're often indispensable in industry. However, your business can still prioritize sustainability by making conscious choices about the disposal of these substances once they're no longer needed.

Solvent distillation offers an opportunity for manufacturers and other businesses where flammable liquids are present to meet their sustainability goals while safely disposing of their waste. 

But how does solvent distillation work, and is it right for your business? 

Solvent Distillation: Managing Your Waste Sustainably

Choosing how to dispose of flammable liquids can be challenging, considering these substances may be toxic themselves. 

Solvent distillation allows for the recovery and reuse of solvents - a significant step in boosting your company’s sustainability when it comes to how it manages waste. 

What is solvent distillation? Solvent distillation is a process that recovers and purifies used solvents, allowing them to be reused, thus reducing waste and environmental impact. After spent solvents are transported to a solvent distillation facility for disposal, the process involves a series of four steps.

Step 1: Heating

During the heating process, the liquid mixture of the solvent and other components is heated to increase the temperature of the solvent. Heat is important to drive the separation process by providing the energy needed to vaporize the solvent. The specific temperatures and conditions present during solvent distillation can vary based on the solvents' properties and the separated substances.

Step 2: Vaporization

During the vaporization process, the solvent undergoes a phase change from liquid to vapor due to the rising temperatures. This leaves behind any non-volatile components.

Step 3: Condensation

During the condensation process, the solvent vapor is cooled and condensed back into a liquid form. This causes the solvent to separate from the original mixture.

Step 4: Collection

During the collection process, the condensed solvent is retrieved. The remaining substances, or residues, are left behind.

Which flammable spent solvents can be recycled? At Samex Environmental, a wide range of halogenated and non-halogenated solvents can go through the solvent distillation process, including acetone, methanol, toluene, xylene and dichloromethane.

When solvents are recovered, they can be reused in industry, offering several benefits in the process - including waste reduction. But what makes solvent distillation more sustainable when it comes to managing your flammable liquids?

How To Achieve The Highest Levels Of Sustainability

Solvent distillation itself is a sustainable option for managing flammable liquids because it reduces waste by allowing solvents to be reused, conserving natural resources and minimizing environmental impact. Compared to other disposal methods like incineration, it offers companies the opportunity to take their sustainability initiatives to new heights.

However, to achieve the highest level of sustainability, disposing of your flammable spent solvents should end with nothing being wasted. 

Here are a few ways we achieve this at Samex:

• Any still bottoms that are generated during the solvent distillation process are transferred to our fuel blending area, where they are blended with other flammable liquids to meet the specifications of cement kilns, which will use the blend as an alternative fuel source. 
• Our water treatment plant takes commercially clean, nonhazardous water and repurposes it to brick manufacturing. 
• Solid byproducts from the treatment process are sent to the fuel blending area where they become part of the repurposed waste destined to the cement kiln to be used as an alternative fuel. 

Some additional tips that will help you achieve the highest levels of sustainability when sending your flammable liquid waste to solvent distillation facilities include:

• Documentation: Maintain accurate records of solvent usage and disposal to track sustainability efforts and compliance.
• Collaborate with Facilities: Work closely with solvent distillation facilities to implement best practices and innovations in solvent recovery.
• Employee Training: Educate employees on proper solvent handling and disposal procedures to minimize waste and contamination.
• Periodic Audits: Conduct periodic sustainability audits to identify areas for improvement in solvent management practices.

In addition to promoting resource conservation, solvent distillation offers additional benefits, from cost savings to enhanced safety.

By reclaiming and purifying solvents for reuse, your facility can reduce costs since recovered solvents can be reintegrated into the manufacturing process. Solvent recovery can also improve workplace safety by reducing the need for you to store flammable liquids no longer needed and the extensive handling of hazardous waste. Minimizing the amount of flammable solvents you keep on-site reduces the risk of accidents. 

What A Solvent Distillation Facility Should Offer

In addition to disposal, a solvent distillation facility should:

• Provide comprehensive services, from initial collection and transportation to final disposal or reuse, ensuring a seamless process.
• Offer customized solutions to meet the specific needs of your business, industry and solvent types.
• Ensure compliance to ensure all relevant environmental regulations and safety standards are met.
• Utilize advanced, state-of-the-art technology to maximize recovery and minimize waste.
• Support your sustainability goals through effective waste management solutions.

By partnering with a reliable solvent distillation facility, your business can significantly reduce its environmental footprint while ensuring safe and efficient management of flammable liquids.