CASE STUDY: Flexographic Packaging Facility Expansion

Strategic VOC Abatement Engineering Enables Sustainable Growth, Secures $350K in Utility Incentives

Overview

A flexographic printer serving the floral, gift, food, and candy packaging markets faced a classic expansion challenge: increasing production would drive up VOC emissions, creating compliance headaches and higher operating costs.

The customer’s goal went beyond simply meeting environmental requirements. They wanted to cut process air pollutants, improve in-plant air quality, and find a reliable, cost-effective solution that would make expansion a competitive advantage. They turned to Ship & Shore Environmental for the answer.

Expansion Challenges

During plant expansions, additional process equipment usually requires stricter emissions controls and permit revisions. With increased VOC output, most facilities must install abatement systems just to stay compliant.

Unfortunately, capital costs are often prioritized without considering long-term operating efficiency, maintenance, and energy consumption. This can lead to systems that consume unnecessary utilities and miss out on potential incentive programs from local providers.

In this case, the main challenge was designing a system that could adapt to variable production loads—delivering full abatement performance during peak runs while avoiding wasted energy during downtime.

The Solution

Ship & Shore’s engineering team began on the plant floor, measuring actual airflow and process conditions. This data-driven approach ensured that the abatement system was designed for real-world operations, not just theoretical capacity.

The final solution included:

• A custom-designed Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) sized to handle expansion capacity.
• Variable airflow capability, allowing the system to scale energy use up or down with production demand.
• Heat recovery features to maximize efficiency and minimize natural gas consumption.
• Integration with existing plant systems to streamline operation and maintenance.
  
  This holistic approach not only achieved compliance but also significantly reduced the facility’s overall energy footprint.

Results

• Regulatory Compliance: VOC emissions reduced to meet or exceed permit requirements.
• Worker Safety & Air Quality: Noticeable improvement in plant conditions.
• Energy Efficiency: System optimized to prevent waste during low-load operations.
• Utility Incentives: Secured more than $350,000 in utility rebates, offsetting capital costs.
• Sustainable Growth: Expansion supported without compromising environmental responsibility.

Conclusion

By approaching expansion as both a compliance requirement and an opportunity for efficiency, the customer turned a potential challenge into a long-term advantage. Ship & Shore Environmental delivered a solution that balances regulatory obligations, operating costs, and sustainability — ensuring the facility is positioned for growth in a competitive market.

Ready to explore strategic VOC solutions for your production operation? Contact Ship & Shore Environmental to review your project needs. 

Call: (562) 997-0233
Email: sales@shipandshore.com
Learn more: www.shipandshore.com

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