Environmental investigation of a wet wipes manufacturing facility

In this thesis study, wet wipes production stages and solid, liquid and gas wastes formed during production were examined environmentally in the wet wipes manufacturing facility. The factory in Istanbul provides the production of many kinds of wet wipes such as wet wipes, baby wet wipes, lens wipes, single wet wipes, pocket wipes. After the solution mixture is prepared and tested according to the customers' wishes in the ar-ge section of the company, the mixture is completed in large tanks in the solution part of the production. Raw materials such as surfactant, antifoam, xianthan gum, preservatives, essences, moisturizers, pH stabilizers required for the preparation of solution are supplied externally and combined with water as much as the need in the formula. Waste water is formed during the production of solution and the washing of solution tanks, and these waste water is given to the waste water treatment facility within the company. In production, especially non-hazardous waste generation is observed. These wastes are wet wipes, fiber parts that are unsuitable for production, carbon packaging, coils, plastic bags, strips, stretchers, product foils, labels, product lids, It can be sorted as wood and plastic pallets used in raw material inlets and product outlets. As hazardous waste, contaminated chemical packaging, for example IBCs, drums, barrels, cans are quite a lot of waste. In these wastes, the vast majority are wastes that can be recycled. These wastes, which are sent to licensed companies in accordance with environmental laws and regulations, can be reduced in the source without further waste and measures that can be taken within the company. Another environmentally beneficial measure is that the wastes that will occur by selecting them from materials that can be recycled in more used raw materials and packaging contribute to the economy, cyclicality and nature.