The Green Solvents Show #004

Most companies using industrial solvents are looking for more environmentally friendly substitutes.  But knowing which solvents are truly friendly to the environment yet can get the job done is a challenge.  With so many products available, it can be difficult knowing which product is the best for you.

To learn more about the switch to environmentally friendly solvents in your workplace, please invest 20 minutes to listen to The Green Solvents Show podcast. Host Erik Reynolds interviews Dave Pasin, co-Founder and President of TBF Environmental, where they discuss the differences between bio-based and alternative solvents.

Listening to this episode will help you make an informed decision on which solvents you will want to use.

According to Dave Pasin, a green solvent is a compound which is more beneficial to the environment than harsher chemical alternatives.

Safety is a primary concern according to Dave.  A truly green solvent won’t damage the occupational health of your workers.

There are some products which are marketed as green but in fact contain benzene, a known carcinogenic substance. Even at low amounts, this chemical is harmful to the environment. Therefore it always wise to ‘check the label’, as Dave advises.

The bio-based solvent market has grown recently and bio-based solvents are becoming more acceptable in industry. The premise of bio-based sounds impressive and has led the government to subsidize crops from which these solvents are made.  But as Dave explains, far from being a plus for the environment, subsidizing has had a negative effect. Previously protected wetlands and grasslands have been plowed under.  Many emissions from bio-based fuels also emit VOCs.

Users need to consider what they are looking to achieve with their solvent, and its environmental impact.  Consider the following concerns for your operations:

• 
  
• Cost
  
• Residue
  
• Streamlining your cleaning routine
  
• Solvent degradation
  
• Ozone emission
  
• Regulatory and other environmental concerns
  

Not all environmentally friendly solvents in the workplace perform the same. You need to understand the impacts of each product.

You need to carefully determine the best solvent for your application. To discover the difference between bio-based and alternative solvents, spend 20 minutes to listen to this podcast. Afterwards share any comments or questions you have in the area below.

The post Differences Between Bio-based and Alternative Solvents appeared first on TBF Environmental Technologies.