Scope 4
B1.3 Site Maps 5
B2.1 Process Installation and Activities 5
Overview 5
Plate making 5
Printing 5
Finishing 5
B2.2 Foreseeable Emissions 6
Discharge to air 6
Discharge to water 6
Dust emissions 6
B2.3 Emission reduction 6
B2.4 Unintentional Releases 6
Fugitive emissions 6
Split in containers for blanket wash, etc. 6
B2.5 Monitoring 7
B2.6 Environmental Management System 7
B3.1 Local Environment Effects 8
Air emissions 8
Noise 8
B3.2 SSSIs 8
B3.3 Effect on SSSIs 8
B4.1 Environmental Impact Assessment 8
B5.1 Release to Sewer 9
B5.2 Raw Materials 9
B5.3 Waste Streams 9
Hazardous Wastes 10
Non-hazardous wastes 10
B5.4 Discharges 10
B5.5 Energy Consumption 11
B5.6 Noise and Vibration 11
Noise 11
Vibration 11
B5.7 Cessation of Activities 11
A. Occupation by another printing company 11
B. Occupation by another industrial operation 11
C. Demolition of the site 11
Appendix 12
Location 12
Storage positions 13
Scope
This report supports an application for registration under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regs. 2010 for Vibixa.
The paragraphs below have the same numbers as the relevant sections on the application form.
The figure below shows the installation boundary in red.
B1.2 Reason for application
This is an existing installation where the annual organic solvent use up until 2010 has been below the threshold specified in the Permitting Regulations. However, increased production means that the threshold has been reached in 2010.
B1.3 Site Maps
Refer to appendix A for the site maps.
B2.1 Process Installation and Activities
Overview
The process employed by Vibixa is sheet-fed litho printing. Litho printing makes use of thin aluminium plates which are prepared in the plate making part of the process to have a hydrophobic (water hating) image with the remainder of the plate being hydrophilic (water loving). The plate is fitted to a cylinder in the press. In the printing process, water is applied to the plate by means of rollers and the hydrophilic areas are wetted. Pure water is limited in its effectiveness and it has substances added to it to provide a “fount” solution which is more able to wet the plate. Ink rollers then apply ink which only adheres to the hydrophobic areas. Ink is then transferred (or offset) to the blanket cylinder which has a rubber blanket fitted to it and from there to the substrate being printed.
In sheet-fed printing, the substrate is supplied as individual sheets which are passed through the print units for the individual colour inks. Inks are usually black, cyan, yellow and magenta. Coatings may also be applied.
Because of the speed of sheet-fed printing, the inks dry naturally by absorption and oxidation and do not contain solvents that have to be driven off in order for the ink to dry.
Plate making
The advanced processes now in use at Vibixa make use of computer to plate (CTP) technology. Photosensitised plates pass through what may be thought of as a large laser printer which includes developing and fixing, to produce a finished plate. The CTP process eliminates the additional stage of film manufacture and processing which had environmental concerns in previous processes. Waste developer is disposed of via a licenced waste company.
Printing
The blanket is not changed when jobs are changed, and therefore at the start of a print run it is necessary to clean the ink of the previous job from it. It is normally necessary to repeat this during print runs if picked up material causes print quality problems. Blanket wash is a hydrocarbon solvent which may be applied either by automatic wash-up systems or via hand-held wipes. Used wipes or dirty blanket wash are recycled using licensed companies, though some companies use in-house recycling. The choice is normally financial.
Fount solutions in the litho printing sector commonly use isopropanol (IPA) to improve the wetting ability. Foreseeable emissions to air are quantified under B2.2. These are predominantly emissions of the above isopropanol from the fount systems of the presses. Vibixa have made attempts to reduce the use of isopropanol but these have not been successful.
Finishing
Printed material is cut to size, folded and glued using hot-melt glue to form packets for breakfast cereal or other products. Waste trimmings are removed by an extraction system which uses airflow to transport the trimmings to a compactor outside the buildings. The decrease in the air velocity as it passes into a larger cross section causes the trimmings to drop out. Any airborne dust is collected in a filtration system.
B2.2 Foreseeable Emissions
Actual and potential emissions and discharges are:
Discharge to air
The entire annual usage of propanol listed under B2.7 is due to loss through evaporation. This occurs within the building and there is no loss from the external storage areas (where the containers are lidded).
Discharge to water
The only discharge to sewer is the final rinse from the plate making process. The CTP process in use at Vibixa and many other printers removes the environmental issues with water discharges associated with older-style plate making processes. Typically, rinse water has a pH of about 8 and contains some inert suspended solids.
Dust emissions
The compactors include dust collection equipment. Whilst there are foreseeable dust emissions from the compactor area, these are minimal and are very localised.
B2.3 Emission reduction
As stated above, the entire annual usage of propanol listed under B2.4 is due to loss through evaporation. This is minimised by appropriate concentration settings on the presses and keeping the fount solution at a low temperature.
Non-solvent alternatives to IPA are available. However, with the type of press in use at Vibixa, and the required product quality, these have not yet been found to be a reliable alternative. Vibixa will continue to monitor developments in this area with the intention of reducing the IPA content and therefore annual usage.
B2.4 Unintentional Releases
Fugitive emissions
The entire annual usage of propanol is lost through fugitive emissions. As stated in B2.3, steps are taken to minimise this.
There are fugitive emissions from the solvents within the blanket and roller washes. As such compounds are mainly high-boiling point solvents, the fugitive emissions are minimal
Split in containers for blanket wash, etc.
There is a potential concern should there be a split in the containers for either clean or waste blanket wash, IPA or plate developer. The automatic blanket washes produce waste which is a mixture of water and the water miscible blanket wash solution.
Should a spillage of this occur, for whatever reason, then the steps taken would be:
- Prevent run-off to drains, using proprietary spill containment sock.
- Collect spilt solution using absorbent granules or similar substance
- Notify Severn Trent Water if the spill has run to a foul drain or the Environment Agency if it has run to a stormwater drain.
- Place the socks and granules in a dedicated bin for disposal through a licenced waste contractor as hazardous waste.
The flooring material of the Vibixa buildings is concrete and that of the surroundings where containers of the above substances are handled are either concrete or tarmac. The likelihood of a spill running to earth is very low, but as drains are at the low points of the external hard standing, then this is a more likely possibility.
B2.5 Monitoring
As the emissions are entirely fugitive, no monitoring is feasible.
B2.6 Environmental Management System
Vibixa are in the process of becoming certified to ISO 14001:2004, with the audit programme by the certification body scheduled for completion in 2010.
A full copy of this system is available if required, but the following is an index for this system
1. Management1.05 prA / Scope
1.1 prA / Management Review
1.3 prA / Change Management
2. Policy
2.1 polA / Environmental Policy
3. Planning
3.1 prA / Aspects and Impacts
3.3 prA / Environmental Objectives and Targets
3.5 prB / Register of Legislation
4. Implementation
4.1 prA / Roles and Authorities
4.2 prA / Training
5. Operation
5.1 prA / Documentation
5.2 prA / Document Control.
5.3 prA / Communication
5.4.1 prA / Solvent Use
5.4.4 prA / Waste Handling
5.4.5 prA / Hazardous Waste Transfer
5.4.5 prB / Non-Hazardous Waste Transfer
5.4.6 prA / Energy and water use
5.5.4 prA / Non-standard Work
5.5.5 prA / Control of Visitors and Contractors
5.5.5 prB / Contractors Rules
5.7 prB / Spillage and Major Fire Response
6. Feedback
6.1 prA / Monitoring and measurement
6.2 prA / Evaluation
6.3 prA / Non-conformance, corrective and preventive actions / a
6.3 prB / Hazard, incident and accident reporting
6.4 prA / Records
6.5 prA / System Effectiveness Review
B3.1 Local Environment Effects
Air emissions
As stated above, air emissions are those of propanol and to a much lesser extent, solvents within cleaning washes. None of these emissions emit odours to the neighbourhood.
The Vibixa site is not within an air quality management area, nor has there been a history of complaints.
Vibixa have not used the Environment Agency’s H1 model. This model does not appear to cover VOCs in general, petroleum distillates, hydrotreated light or specific chemicals such as Naphtha, hydrotreated light which are in the blanket washes.
However, Strategic Safety Systems Ltd., have used this model at another printing company with similar operations at the request of their local council. The conclusions were that the scores were very low and it is reasonable to assume that the Vibixa operations would yield a similar low score.
Noise
Because of the low level of noise, there is no escape of noise from within the buildings that can be perceived at the nearest housing. However, it has been possible in the past for noise to escape from an external compressor house.
There has been one complaint of noise from the compressor house and steps were taken to address this.
There is the potential for noise from vehicle movement and this is addressed by preventing vehicle movement during “unsocial hours.”
B3.2 SSSIs
There are no Sites of Special Scientific Interest within 2 km of the Vibixa site.
B3.3 Effect on SSSIs
As there are no sites within 2 km, this is not applicable.
B4.1 Environmental Impact Assessment
As this is an existing installation, no environmental impact assessments are required under The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessments)(England and Wales) Regulations 1999, Directive 85/337/EEC or any other regulations.
B5.1 Release to Sewer
There is discharge of water to sewer from the final rinse of the plate making process. Severn Trent Water are aware of this but require no licence.
B5.2 Raw Materials
The principal raw materials for the first 10 months of 2010 are as follows:
Material / Usage over 10 monthsPropanol (IPA) / 12.89 tonnes / 24.48 tonnes
VOC content of cleaning solvents and other chemicals / 11.59 tonnes
Non-volatile content of cleaning solvents / 3.5 tonnes
Table 1
B5.3 Waste Streams
The waste streams within the site are as follows:
Waste / Storage method / Hazardous?Location
Carton board / Severnside carton board container / External
Plastic wrapping material on incoming material, and other plastic sheeting / Compact and bale / Internal, then External
Trimmings / Extract via paper conveyor into compactor / External
Corrugated cardboard / Tipper skip, then Severnside corrugated/paper container / Internal, then External
Paper
Used plates / Waste plates skip / Internal
Empty IPA containers / Plastic drums skip / External / Yes
Empty ink tubs / Waste ink tub skip (converted IBC)
Stack tubs where possible to minimize volume occupied / External / Yes
Fluorescent light tubes / Waste light tube container / Internal / Yes
Waste dampening (fount) solution / 25L container on bunded pallet in external compound / External / Yes
Waste CTP chemistry / 25L container on bunded pallet in external compound / External / Yes
Waste blanket wash / 25L container on bunded pallet in external compound / External / Yes
Continued
Waste / Storage method / Hazardous?Location
General hazardous waste
eg gloves, blankets / Hazardous waste skip / Internal / Yes
General waste (kitchen, etc.) / Mixed waste skip / External
Waste paper from offices / Severnside paper container / External
Toner, inkjet cartridges / Charity container box in offices / Internal
Hazardous Wastes
Waste is sent off site for treatment or disposal.
The substances sent off site are those listed below
Empty IPA, etc. containers / Collected by J&G Environmental
Processing or disposal: Recycled under category R4.
Empty ink tubs
Waste ink / Collected by J&G Environmental
Processing or disposal: Recovered and refined under category R2. Cleaned water is sent to sewer. Remaining solid wastes are stored in specially treated landfill under category D5.
Waste dampening solution
CTP Waste
Blanket wash waste
Fluorescent light tubes / Collected by J&G Environmental
Processing or disposal: Recycled under category R4.
Rewashable rags / Collected by wipe processing company.
Processing or disposal: Recycled under category R4.
Non-hazardous wastes
Wastes which are not hazardous are disposed of as follows:
Waste / TreatmentBoard / Processing or disposal: Recycled under category R4.
General waste / Processing or disposal: Standard landfill under category D1
Plates / Processing or disposal: Recycled under category R4.
B5.4 Discharges
There is unlikely to be a discharge affecting the requirements of the Groundwater Regulations 1999. The only foreseeable occurrence would be that caused by a split container. This, and the steps taken to limit the spread of the spill are covered in B2.4 Unintentional Releases.
B5.5 Energy Consumption
Annual energy consumption for printing and finishing operations can be supplied if requested.
B5.6 Noise and Vibration
Noise
Noise comprises the following:
A Press and Finishing Equipment Noise
This is of a level which means that it is contained within the building.
B External equipment noise
Equipment such as compressors and trimming extraction equipment is external or is housed in buildings external to the main building. Steps have been taken to contain noise from such equipment.