Reducing waste, water and energy use can save companies real money, just ask the Reynoldsville Casket Co. Inc. in Jefferson County that saved over $77,000 by reducing the amount of paints and thinners they use.

Reynoldsville used a low-interest loan from the Small Business Pollution Prevention Assistance Account to help finance a new electrostatic painting system.

During the last five years, Reynoldsville reported saving 6,754 gallons of paints and thinners as well as 2,540 gallons of waste paint. The company has realized a savings of $77,034 in addition to an increase in production in the five years since implementing the project.

The Small Business Pollution Prevention Assistance Loan Program is available to any small business owner for pollution prevention and energy efficiency project. The business must have 100 or fewer full-time employees. The loan must be used to purchase or upgrade equipment, or to implement a process change, that reduces or reuses raw materials on-site, reduces the production of waste at the source or significantly reduces energy consumption.

For more information visit the Small Business Pollution Prevention Assistance Account webpage or contact Gene DelVecchio at 717 772-8951 or send e-mail to gdelvecchi@state.pa.us

5/20/2005