Calibration
Cylinder Recycling Program earns "Environmental Excellence" award
 MSA's
Instrument Division's National Calibration Gas Cylinder Recycling Program
was selected as one of eight national award winners of the Compressed
Gas Association's (CGA's) new recognition program. This new CGA program
celebrates individuals, teams, and facilities whose activities or projects
meet certain "environmental excellence" criteria. Qualifying projects
have to go beyond regulatory compliance and result in an environmental
benefit, such as reduced pollution, increased energy efficiency, etc.
CGA members (from 160+ companies) publish standards used worldwide for
the responsible management of gases.
Q: Why should you
recycle your calibration cylinders?
A: To avoid potential safety and environmental hazards,
to save money, and to benefit the environment with metal reuse and
reduced use of waste management facilities.
 But,
why not just reuse the cylinders? Product line manager Rick Hartman
answers: "Because instruments must be calibrated frequently, calibration
cylinders must be lightweight and designed for one-time use, and
refilling is illegal." So, to help prevent empty cylinders from
being misused or becoming a waste, Hartman and Larry Berger, director
of environmental affairs, established the MSA Instrument Division's
National Calibration Gas Cylinder Recycling Program several years
ago.
MSA created a special de-valving tool so that customers can return
cylinders safely and also provided tooling and training to ARC-Butler
County (a workshop operated by the Association for Retarded Citizens)
so they can remove  and
segregate the aluminum, brass, and steel components for resale.
All proceeds go directly to ARC-Butler County.
Already over 7,000 cylinders have been recycled, resulting in the
reclamation of 1.1 tons of brass, 4.4 tons of aluminum, and 1 ton
of steel plus worthwhile employment and income for the local ARC
group, who assist MSA on a number of other Instrument Division projects.
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