Reducing Hazardous Material

Arandell strives to recycle 100 percent of the process wastes it creates. The most important area of concern in this endeavor is hazardous materials. All hazardous materials are very closely monitored and stored in specially controlled rooms. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are all scanned and available online for employee quick reference. We continually search for and use chemicals that are the least harmful to the environment but when we cannot identify them to satisfy our manufacturing needs, we work with our partners, who come in to pump chemicals and solvents out of some equipment and haul it away for thermal incineration or recycling. A full 100 percent of the recovered chemicals and solvents are thermally incinerated. In addition, 100 percent of the ink recovered is collected and remanufactured by our suppliers. Nothing is sent to the landfill.

Recycled Oil

We realize that oil is a diminishing, non-renewable energy resource, and oils make up 99% of our non-hazardous wastes. All of the oils are fuel blended. The collection of these is closely managed and controlled, and every effort is made to recycle the waste into other products, such as fuel for the building materials industry.

Recycled Paper

Waste paper from all of our presses is separated, shredded, and baled on site for recycling. White waste is delivered directly to a paper mill and processed back to reusable pulp. The mill converts the pulp into paper towels, napkins, facial tissues, or other recycled papers.

White and mixed recycled paper bins and boxes are located throughout our offices and we encourage all employees to recycle paper. We also use e-mail whenever possible to cut down on paper usage. Waste such as corrugated cartons and roll & skid wraps are collected and sold for recycling into bags, wrapped paper, placemats and chipboard.

Recycled Paper Roll Cores

Arandell does not throw away paper roll cores. We recycle the cores from every roll of paper that we run.

Recycled Pallets

When necessary, Arandell purchases recycled pallets from our suppliers. Arandell has its own skid maintenance group that repairs pallets that are still usable. When a pallet is no longer usable, we return them to the suppliers to re-use the wood in other facets.

Recycled Saddle Wire Cores

We save every core that the saddle stitch wire comes on and return them back to the manufacturer for reuse. None of them end up in the waste stream.

Recycled Bands, Shrink and Stretch Wrap

A program has been developed to sort and bale plastic bands, shrink wrap and stretch wraps. These materials are returned to manufacturers for recycling.

Recycled Aluminum

Bins are located throughout our plant and office to collect aluminum cans for recycling. All aluminum and nickel press plates are collected and recycled as well.

Operating Resources

Arandell has installed thermal incinerating dryers that are the most gas-efficient models available. These incinerators are built into the dryers and use the ink solvent as fuel. Wisconsin Gas has rewarded the company with rebates for using such efficient units. These thermal incinerating dryers have heat recovery systems that provide an additional source of heat that can be used in the manufacturing process, thus reducing consumption and conserving other energy resources. The radiant heat that is generated from the press dryers is also used to warm the pressroom. The dryers are also equipped with energy-efficient motors, which we purchase for all of our equipment whenever it is available.

Arandell recently finished a building re-lighting project that saves 17 million kilowatts of energy – enough power to light a small town.

Air Pollution

Arandell continues to invest in state-of-the-art pollution control equipment: Goss Contiweb and MegTec Thermal Incinerating Dryers. These dryers destroy 99.99 percent of all VOCs from ink vapors generated in the production process to help keep the air clean. The air we send out is actually cleaner than the air brought in.