Recycling chemicals and solvents is a sustainable, economical alternative for your operations, and Clean Harbors provides one of the most advanced recycling programs in North America. With nine recycling centers and more than 40 years of solvent recovery experience, we deliver reliable, high-purity results that support your financial, sustainability and environmental goals.
Benefits of Solvent Recycling
- Minimizes waste generation
- Reduces waste disposal costs
- Eliminates hazardous waste fees
- Improves TRI reporting performance
- Lowers raw material procurement costs
- Helps meet corporate sustainability goals
- Enhances public and community relations
- Increases shareholder value by supporting ESG initiatives
Sustainability and Recycling
- Recycling solvents can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 46-92% compared with virgin solvents¹.
- Solvent recovery decreases resource consumption, mitigating the energy, water and raw materials inputs needed to produce virgin solvents.
- Solvent recycling supports a circular economy, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy and the security of critical materials supplies while promoting supply-chain sustainability.
- Solvent tolling programs provide closed-loop solutions in which the customer’s spent solvents are recycled to precise specifications and returned directly to the customer.
- The life cycle emissions of non-recycled parts wash solvents were found to be up to 60% greater than those of Safety-Kleen’s recycled parts wash solvents².
Typical Solvents Recycled
- N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)
- Toluene
- Xylene
- Acetone
- Alcohols
- Dimethylformamide (DMF)
- Acetonitrile (MeCN)
- Tetrahydrofuran (THF)
- Butyl acetate (n-BAC)
- Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)
- Methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK)
- Ethyl acetate (ETAC)
- Propylene glycol methyl ether (PGME)
- Propylene glycol methyl ether acetate (PGMEA)
- Dimethylacetamide (DMAC)
- Dimethylaminopropylamine (DMAPA)
- Picolines
- Furfurals
- Isopars
- Mineral spirits
- Petroleum distillates
- Aliphatics
- Thinners
- Purge solvents
Advanced Recovery Technologies
Our facilities utilize cutting-edge purification technologies, including:
- Fractional distillation
- Thin-film evaporation
- Physical and chemical polishing
These methods allow us to achieve purities up to 99.8% with water content below 200 ppm, depending on the solvent.
Easy Evaluation and Acceptance Process
To get started, simply provide:
- A description of your material (profile)
- Expected volume
- A representative sample
Our accredited labs evaluate samples at no cost, testing:
- GC/mass and GC/FID
- pH and residue on evaporation
- Flashpoint
We can also supply samples of the recovered product that accurately represent full-scale production results.
Industry-Leading Experience
Together with Safety-Kleen, Clean Harbors brings extensive engineering capabilities, chemical knowledge and advanced equipment to every recycling project. Beyond our comprehensive parts-washer solvent service, we recycle over 16 million gallons of solvent annually, which enables us to achieve some of the highest solvent recovery yields in the industry.
We can:
- Recycle your used solvents and return them as custom blends.
- Convert spent materials into a high-value marketable product.
Both options support sustainability initiatives and offer solutions that are exempt from waste regulations.
Flexible Shipping Option
We accept shipments via railcars, tankers, totes and drums. As North America’s largest waste-management network, Clean Harbors efficiently routes containers to the nearest recycling center, reducing transportation time and cost.