PARTS CLEANING BACKGROUND AND HISTORICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Parts Cleaning Considerations:

• Cleaning engine parts, tools, small assemblies, and other metal pieces is an integral and necessary component of repairing vehicles and equipment.
• Most manufacturing includes various cleaning steps as a necessary part of the process.
• Effective cleaning promotes reuse, repair, pollution prevention and longevity of vehicles, engines, and components
• Cleaning is a curb against our society’s current “throw-away” mentality.

Parts Cleaning Industry:

• Safety Kleen revolutionized the cleaning industry when they introduced the sink on a drum in the 1960s and provided regular service to remove the old contaminated solvent and brought in new solvent
• In the 1980’s chlorinated solvents were phased out because of concerns about health effects
• In the 1980’s and 1990’s many new solvent alternatives have been introduced to the market e.g. aqueous, citrus, carbon dioxide, ice pellets, blasting and semi-aqueous blends
• Many new cleaning technologies have also been introduced including cabinet washers, automated systems, on-site solvent distillation, etc.
• While Safety Kleen has dominated the market since the beginning of the industry, the market is beginning to fragment as new, diverse and larger players are introduced

Regulatory Background of Parts Cleaning

• Parts cleaning has been a creature of regulation.
• The hazardous waste regulations, introduced by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), were introduced in the early 1980’s and have largely shaped the direction of the industry
• RCRA imposed significant regulatory requirements on the all aspects of the industry – from generator through transportation, recycling and disposal.
• Many cleaning solvents were listed as hazardous wastes because of their chlorinated content
• In the latter half of the 90’s, parts cleaning companies have begun to find ways to relieve the pressures of hazardous waste regulations through:
• On-site distillation and recycling
• Using solvent as a substitute for a commercial product in another application
• Using solvent as an ingredient in the manufacture of another product
• Product stewardship