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Facility P2 Planning at Bassett Furniture
Summary
Bassett Furniture located in Dublin, Georgia reduced the disposal and generation of hazardous waste by implementing a hazardous waste reduction plan.
Background
Bassett Furniture produces high quality bedroom furniture. The process consists of shaping and assembly of hardwood components. Sealant, stain, and a clearcoat are applied. Some surfaces are inadvertently scratched during handling and processing. Scratches are repaired by removing the scratched finish with acetone. The surface is then refinished. This process generates hazardous waste from stripping the finish.
P2 Planning
Bassett Furniture has implemented a formal hazardous waste reduction plan. The goal of the plan is to reduce the disposal and generation of hazardous waste. Teams of Bassett employees evaluate the causes of hazardous waste generation and look for ways to reduce.
Process Modifications
The employee evaluation process resulted in identification of methods to reduce scratching of the furniture, thus eliminating the need to strip and refinish furniture. Basset teams also found ways to reuse solvent from coating line flushing. Instead of being disposed of as a hazardous waste, the cleaning solvent is directly used to thin coatings of the same color to their required consistency.
Results
Hazardous waste, disposal cost, rework labor, and raw material purchases have all been reduced. To date, hazardous waste has been reduced by 60 percent. Bassett Furniture attributes this success not to the technology used, but to the implementation of a formal waste reduction plan.
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