Technical Assistance
 |
Each year billions of pounds of waste are generated in the United States. It makes good business sense to improve the processes and practices that contribute to wastefulness. WMRC can provide environmentally responsible cost containment and quality improvement ideas, and assist with implementation.
WMRC technical assistance engineers possess a unique mix of experience and training that enables them to investigate and solve a variety of business problems. Our experts can help businesses and organizations reduce all types of solid waste as well as toxic releases into the air or water. Benefits to WMRC's customers include:
-
Cost Containment
- Reduce waste monitoring, treatment and disposal costs
- Reduce manufacturing costs and raw material usage
- Reduce regulatory compliance costs
- Reduce insurance costs and potential liability associated with industrial wastes
- Enhance corporate image for customers and the public
- Improve employee morale by reducing exposure to hazardous chemicals
- Promote a healthier, safer workplace
- Improve product quality and purity
Quality Improvement
WMRC engineers work as change agents to help customers identify and implement practices that improve efficiency. Services typically begin with a free assessment to develop strategies and set priorities for addressing issues. WMRC staff assists companies to develop and implement processes that are more environmentally friendly and less wasteful.
Services offered by the technical assistance experts at WMRC include:
- Pollution Prevention - WMRC staff work closely with customers to help them identify opportunities to improve efficiency by reducing raw material utilization and waste
- Energy efficiency
- Water purification and conservation methods
- Environmental Management Systems
- Testing of alternative technologies
No matter the size of the project, WMRC can provide a sustainable solution!
City of Chicago Industrial Rebuild Program, Chemical Initiative
Commonwealth Edison, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and WMRC are working with the City of Chicago's Department of Environment Energy Management Group to perform comprehensive audits at chemical facilities. The team members have provided facility audits to 19 Chicago Chemical Manufacturers to identify energy efficiency, process, and waste minimization improvement opportunities. The team's recommendations provide technical solutions to reduce energy, manufacturing, and waste disposal costs.
City of Chicago Industrial Rebuild Program, Confectionary Initiative
The latest in the rebuild programs involve working with the numerous candy companies located in Chicago. Team engineers have completed in-depth assessments on nine of these confectionary businesses and are currently working on technical reports to the companies.
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC)
WMRC continues its partnership with MWRDGC in many different venues. Two of these in the last year included participation in a workshop for industries that have silver as a discharge component, and participation in MWRD internal workshops focusing on pollution prevention.
Strategic Goals Program (SGP)
The Strategic Goals Program is designed to help metal finishing companies achieve environmental and economic goals. Various groups - including metal finishers and federal, state and local agencies - work with one another to share resources and best practices to make good environmental decisions without sacrificing the company's bottom-line. WMRC has continued to play an integral role to the SGP's in the Rockford and Addison areas this past year.
Department of Military Affairs
WMRC has been working with the Illinois Department of Military Affairs (DMA) performing Environmental Baseline Studies on facilities that have maintenance facilities. WMRC also has been involved with the design and construction of automatic weapons cleaning equipment for the military. And WMRC has developed a Pest Management program for DMA. WMRC also is involved in a project to establish an Environmental Management System (EMS) for all DMA facilities.
Green Chemistry
Green Chemistry is the utilization of principles that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture, and application of chemical products. WMRC staff has experience helping companies and schools develop and implement processes that are more environmentally friendly and less wasteful. Dr. William Nelson of WMRC recently edited a new book exploring how environmentally friendly chemistry can be applied to agriculture. "Agricultural Applications in Green Chemistry" is published by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and distributed by Oxford University Press. The book is written primarily for researchers and educators in chemical and agricultural sciences. Requests for the book can be made at university and local bookstores.
Contents
