The most cost-effective and environmentally acceptable method of addressing the hazards of acetone is source reduction avoiding use and generation from the outset. Source reduction techniques should be investigated before examining the feasibility of recycling spent acetone. As a second choice, recycling acetone can reduce disposal and air emission fees, reduce the amount of purchased virgin acetone, and save money. Ohio EPA encourages those interested in acetone recycling to focus on the ability of the solvent recycling process to meet regulatory compliance and to prevent pollution. 
Picken  Plastics, Located in Ashtabula, Pickens Plastics is a manufacturer of fiberglass products, regularly used acetone to clean tools. This worked well, but led to several fires. To reverse this trend, in 1993 Picken Plastics switched to a solvent blend and highly concentrated detergent (a water-based cleaner) as alternatives to acetone. The alternative solvents cost more than acetone, but Picken has determined that these costs are justifiable. Both the detergent and the solvent blend are much less flammable than acetone because of their higher flash points. The facility insurance costs have decreased, and employee safety has significantly improved. Since the switch, Picken  Plastics has experienced no fires, and no production time has been lost. Picken Plastics has a permit to discharge the detergent wastewater to the municipal sewage treatment plant, and the solvent vendor disposes of the spent solvent blend in accordance with local, state, and federal requirements. Chem-Pruf Door A manufacturer of fiberglass-reinforced plastic doors and windows located in Brownsville, Texas Chem-Pruf Door implemented an acetone management program to better use acetone. The program includes good operating practices such as ensuring lids on acetone containers are kept closed to limit evaporative losses. In addition, the facility has changed to purchasing acetone in tote bins to eliminate drums and reduce the risk of spills. Spent acetone is also collected at workstations daily and distilled for reuse. Still bottoms remaining from distillation are reused as fillers in new products. Through the acetone management program, Chem-Pruf Door has reduced acetone emissions by 13,000 pounds a year and saved on the purchase of new acetone by 2,000 gallons a year. 
Hickory Springs A manufacturer and fabricator of flexible slabstock polyurethane foam (FPF), Hickory Springs developed and patented a process that uses acetone as the auxillary blowing agent (ABA) in place of the ozone depleting subtances CFC -111 and methyl chloroform and the hazardous air pollutant (HAP) methylene chloride. ABAs soften, reduce density and, most importantly, remove the potentially dangerous heat of reaction in the foaming process. Acetone is listed as an acceptable ABA substitute in the U.S. EPA Significant New Alternatives Program (SNAP). By making the engineering modifications that allow the use of the flammable acteone, Hickory Spring foam plant in Ft. Smith, Arkansas now uses and emits only 150 tons of acetone annually as the ABA, compared to 260 tons emitted in 1990 using the HAP methylene chloride. As a result, Hickory Springs converted all six of its foam production facilities to using acetone as the only ABA and has multiple licensees of the process. 
