Sector Compliance Branch: Inspections

RUBBER MANUFACTURING FACILITIES

• Background
• The Inspections
• Inspection Results

Rubber Manufacturing Facilities

The rubber product industry produces a wide range of products. Rubber products manufacturing establishments are located all across the province, although facilities are concentrated in the Greater Toronto area. The majority of the rubber products establishments, except for tire manufacturers, have fewer than 20 employees. This indicates that there are a large number of small businesses in this industry.

There are several basic common rubber products manufacturing processes: mixing, milling, extruding, calendaring, building, vulcanizing, and finishing. Due to the diversity of products and facilities, not all of the processes are necessary for every product. For example, many plants do not mix rubber but purchase uncured rubber from other facilities.

The primary environmental concerns associated with the rubber products industry are fugitive air emissions, solid wastes, wastewater, and hazardous wastes.

Click here to view the Presentation to the Rubber Association of Canada, March 2007 (pdf)

The Inspections

When conducting inspections of these facilities, the inspectors typically:

• Ensure that all sources of air emissions are approved by a certificate of approval (Air) and that all equipments / processes are operated in accordance with the terms and conditions of the certificate of approval,
• Ensure that the companies have proper spill management practices,
• Ensure that the company is using proper wastewater and solid waste management practices.

Inspection Results

Coming soon.