Recommendations for Minilabs

Summary

• A photographic laboratory offering, or capable of offering, a one hour develop and print service using only "waterless wash” (also called “washless”) Minilab equipment, i.e. the machine is not plumbed in to the water supply.
• The laboratory may operate as a stand-alone retail unit, or be within a larger operation, or in trade premises.
• Effluent volumes typically less than 12.5 cubic metres (12,500 litres) per annum.
• The PIC recommended method for handling the photo effluent is to use a recognised haulaway contractor to remove it.
• The local Water Services Company will make charges based on a domestic tariff.

Recommendation

All photographic effluent, silver bearing and non-silver bearing should be collected in storage tanks (on board the processor and/or external) for either:

• subsequent haulaway to an off-site waste treatment centre, or on-site treatment by an audited/monitored treatment system.

Haulaway
Haulaway of photographic effluent usually ensures that an application for 'Consent to Discharge Trade Effluent' would not be required.

In addition, to qualify for exemption the Minilab must:

• 1. Use less than 12.5 cubic metres (12,500 litres) of water per annum.
• 2. Provide proof of haulaway of all chemical effluent.
• 3. Have a spillage policy and site plan indicating chemical storage areas.
• 4. Laboratories should be prepared to demonstrate their compliance to their Water Services Companies.
• 5. If a ‘Consent’ is not required, the Water Services Companies will levy charges for the water supply and domestic sewage, with a full allowance made for the trade effluent removed from the site by haulaway.
• 6. The local Water Services Companies retains the right to issue and charge for a ‘Consent’ if it sees fit to do so, or if any of the above requirements are not met in full.
• 7. In certain circumstances, a Minilab may need to discharge small volumes of effluent to the sewer. This can occur when processor racks are washed as part of a maintenance programme. The discharge of these small volumes may be acceptable for sewer discharge where there is adequate dilution and subject to local Water Services Companies approval.

On-site Treatment
On-site treatment may be considered as an alternative ‘waste treatment’ option. It should be noted however that, where this option is considered, an application for 'Consent to Discharge Trade Effluent' would be required. Careful control of the process is needed to ensure silver purity is high and silver levels in the waste are low enough to meet the lab’s Consent to Discharge limits. Audited/monitored treatment systems should be used as a practicable option.

Consequently, this Code of Practice recommends that silver recovery is not undertaken at a Minilab site unless an audited/monitored treatment system is in place on-site and an application for 'Consent to Discharge Trade Effluent' is made.