The Governor's Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Pollution Prevention have been presented since 1986. PMI Food Equipment Group was one of five recipients to receive the Award in 1993.

The Governor's Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Pollution Prevention have been presented since 1986. PMI Food Equipment Group was one of five recipients to receive the Award in 1993. Governor George V. Voinovich presented the seventh annual awards on December 9, 1993. These awards recognize outstanding commitment to improve Ohio's environment through pollution prevention. Evaluation criteria for the awards included: the overall effort to reduce waste at the source, recycle or recover materials, or conserve energy; soundness of approach; cost- effectiveness; ability of the program to serve as a model for others; and effectiveness in promoting prevention as the preferred long-term approach.

What is Pollution Prevention?

Pollution prevention is the use of source reduction techniques to reduce risk to public health, safety, welfare and the environment and, as a second preference, the use of environmentally sound recycling to achieve these same goals. Pollution prevention avoids cross-media transfers of wastes and/or pollutants and is multi-media in scope, addressing all waste and environmental releases to the air, water and land.

PMI Food Equipment Group

PMI Food Equipment Group was recognized for its creative and inexpensive methods to reduce solid and hazardous waste generation.

PMI is a manufacturer of weighing and wrapping, warewash and food equipment.

PMI's Hillsboro, Ohio facility is a single floor manufacturing facility consisting of 149,000 square feet. PMI employs approximately 175 employees.

Pollution Prevention Activities

PMI has demonstrated its commitment to pollution prevention in many ways.

Without the benefit of specially purchased recycling bins and a steady flow of capital investment for recycling activities, the plant recycles a variety of items including over six different metal waste streams. The success of each activity has encouraged the employees to suggest new recycling and source reduction activities. PMI has reduced the amount of waste landfilled by over 76% since 1990. This reduction saves the company over $5,000 annually in tipping fees as compared to 1990.

PMI began scrap metal recycling in 1970. In 1992, the company recycled 456,212 pounds of scrap metal through a recycling processor. In addition to its raw material scrap, PMI recycles all metal banding collected in the receiving department. These two recycling efforts generate over $36,000 a year.

PMI has also implemented a skid recycling program. The company has an agreement with its sheetmetal vendor that the vendor will reuse all of the metal skids used to deliver sheetmetal to PMI. Upon delivery of sheetmetal to PMI, the vendor picks up the remaining skids to be reused. As a result of this effort, PMI has eliminated approximately 15,000 pounds of solid waste annually. The company also recycles wood skids by using the skids received in the receiving department in the shipping department. The balance of the used skids are recycled through R & L Trucking Company in Wilmington, Ohio.

PMI's cardboard recycling program has reduced landfill costs from $1,200 per month to $300 per month and reduced landfill tonnage from 32 tons per month to 8 tons per month. Employee teams met to create and implement a cardboard recycling program. The company purchased a cardboard baler and installed it next to the trash compactor. Each department is responsible for separating their cardboard from general waste, and placing the cardboard in the baler. Ultimately, this project is successful because of employee commitment and involvement.

The company employees also participate in an aluminum can recycling and office paper recycling program. In 1991, collection points were set-up throughout the facility. Cans and paper are collected on a regular basis and are sold to a recycler. These simple recycling activities not only saved PMI hundreds of dollars, but also increased employees' environmental awareness.

Additional recycling activities include recycling empty drums, cutting oil, and oil filters which are recycled through a city of Hillsboro program.

In 1990, PMI reduced the use of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) by 75% through a process change. The company, which previously used this solvent to clean metal production parts, has switched to a water based stainless steel cleaner. This process change has generated a savings of over $1000 per year for the company.

PMI developed a creative approach to coolant recycling. The maintenance department at PMI, Hillsboro, constructed a coolant-recycling system from two previously used, 500 gallon tanks. This system, designed and built by the maintenance department, works well and was significantly less expensive than the purchase of a new recycling system. Spent coolant is transferred to the recycling system where it is recycled, tested, and freshened with new coolant before being reused.

Looking Ahead

PMI is currently working with its suppliers to recycle the materials used at their cold wash stations.

PMI has installed recycling systems to reuse the cold wash material. These systems are in an interim state for evaluation. If this recycling process is successful, the amount of cold wash material disposed will be reduced by approximately 50%.

For More Information

Terry Britton, Maintenance Manager
PMI Food Equipment Group
Plant #31
1495 North High St.
Route 62 North
Hillsboro, OH 45133
(513) 393-4271

This document is one of a series of information circulars Ohio EPA has prepared on pollution prevention. For more information, call the Office of Pollution Prevention at (614) 644-3469.