Eco-Tec's Chrome Recovery System Made Tecumseh Products Company Into An Award Winner

After installing Eco-Tec's Chrome Recovery System, Tecumseh's New Holstein operation received Wisconsin's 11th Annual Governor's Award for Excellence in Hazardous Waste Reduction

Tecumseh Products Company is one of the world's largest manufacturer of two and four-cycle gasoline engines, transmissions, and transaxles for outdoor power equipment – like lawn mowers and snow blowers. In 1995, its Engine and Transmission Group celebrated its 100 year centennial anniversary, during which time it has met the needs of such nationally renowned customers as Frigidaire Home Products, MTD, and Murray.

As part of its long-standing tradition, Tecumseh strives to produce high quality, environmentally friendly products while conserving natural resources at every stage of the manufacturing process. This goal, however, was at risk in 1995 due to its production of more than 470 tons of hazardous waste. For many years, the company had been trying to find a way to eliminate its hard chrome plating of aluminum pistons at its New Holstein, Wisconsin operations; however, no viable alternative could be found.

Tecumseh had to continue to rely on a process that commingled all its facility wastes, including its chrome plating waste, into one wastewater treatment system. As a result of this, Tecumseh's wastewater treatment sludge was classified as hazardous, and had to be treated prior to disposal. Clearly, the time had come to look for a way to reduce the volume of the hazardous waste it was generating.