Frequently Asked Questions
BackHow do I obtain a Safety Data Sheet (formerly Material Safety Data Sheet)?
The manufacturer provides Safety Data Sheets (SDS) at the time of initial purchase of a product and at subsequent product orders when SDSs have been significantly revised. Current SDSs can be obtained from the manufacturer's website.
Do I need a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for film, paper, or equipment?
Kodak photographic films, papers, and equipment do not require a Safety Data Sheet (SDS), which are only required for chemical products. Under normal conditions photographic films, papers, and equipment do not pose a physical hazard or health risk.
What can you tell me about the toxicity characteristics of KODAK Photographic Films and Papers?
Representative Kodak photographic films and papers, both processed and unprocessed, were tested based on U.S. EPA's Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP). These representative samples did not exhibit the Toxicity Characteristic (TC). In addition, these photographic films and papers do not exhibit the other hazardous waste characteristics of ignitability, corrosivity, or reactivity.
In a few cases, Kodak specialty films used in aerial photography, industrial X-ray, microscopy, and nitrate-based films may have additional disposal requirements.
As a result, most Kodak films and papers are not considered hazardous wastes based on U.S. Federal regulations and can be disposed of safely in a municipal or industrial landfill. This conclusion, however, does not preempt state or local laws and programs. Contact your state and local governments to determine if any additional disposal requirements apply.
Even though most Kodak films can be disposed of safely in a municipal or industrial landfill, your business may want to consider a more environmentally sound option.
What can I do with old film?
The majority of Kodak films and papers are not considered hazardous wastes based on U.S. Federal regulations and can be disposed of safely in a municipal or industrial landfill. This does not preempt state or local laws and programs. Contact your state and local governments to determine if any additional disposal requirements apply. In a few cases, Kodak specialty films used in aerial photography, industrial X-ray and microscopy, and nitrate-based films may have additional disposal requirements.
Does all photographic film and paper contain silver?
All unused photographic film and paper contains recoverable silver, as does processed black-and-white material. Exposed and processed color films and papers, however, contain only a dye image. In these cases, the silver has already been removed during processing and can be recovered instead from the appropriate processing solution. The amount of silver in film or paper can vary considerably depending on the type of product, whether or not it has been processed, and on the density of any silver image.
Thermal Imaging films such as recording films, duplicating films and thermal ribbons are not yet a part of any recycling program. However, they may be incinerated for energy recovery.
I understand that gelatin is an animal by-product and used in the manufacture of photographic film and paper. What controls are in place to minimize potential risks to humans, animals and the environment?
Gelatine is an animal by-product which is used by food and non food industries. One use is in the manufacture of photographic films and paper. Due to the potential health risks associated with the human consumption of gelatine, our manufacturing sites that use gelatine are required to have robust management controls to ensure that no photographic grade gelatine could be diverted into other uses. This minimizes the potential risks to humans, animals and the environment from the handling and use of gelatine in its Factories and the use of its products by consumers and customers.
For example, in order for Kodak Alaris Limited to use photographic grade gelatine, the UK Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), a division of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has approved the site as a handling plant for animal by products. The AHVLA make an annual site visit to audit paperwork and to view the plant and approve the facility.
How do I dispose of the waste film I generate?
Photographic film waste may be generated from developed negatives, from test strips or leader film, or from process or inventory problems. Thermal Imaging films such as recording films, duplicating films and thermal ribbons are not yet a part of any recycling program. However, they may be incinerated for energy recovery.
How do you know you are keeping your product packaging to the minimum?
Companies try to minimize product packaging because of the cost of packaging materials and fees paid in countries with packaging take-back schemes. In the European Union, the European Union Packaging Directive requires conformance to "Essential Requirements" for packaging, which specify use of the least amount of packaging needed.
Packaging must serve a number of purposes, some of which may not always be obvious. As well as containing, protecting, and displaying the product, the packaging may be used to carry important information (including instructions and safety data), and may also need to meet additional criteria set by distributors and dealers. Some aspects of packaging design - generally those related to safety - are already regulated, which can place further limits on packaging design options. Our packaging, therefore, must be the best compromise between these sometimes conflicting requirements.
How can I recover silver from film?
The recovery of silver from film and paper is an operation best entrusted to a specialized waste management company. Companies already engaged in the collection and treatment of waste photo processing solutions will often take waste film and paper for recovery, as they will already have access to the technologies needed to recover and refine the silver safely and efficiently.
Is it possible to recover the film and paper base as well?
Both types of modern film base (acetate and polyester) can be recovered, though the facilities for doing so may not exist in all locations. The economics of the recovery process, as well as the potential environmental impact, may make the transport of waste film over long distances impractical. If local recovery is not possible, de-silvered film should be disposed of by incineration with energy recovery. If suitable incineration facilities are unavailable, the waste may be disposed of to landfill without risk of adverse environmental effects.
Waste photographic paper is not generally recoverable. Most papers are coated with a very thin layer of polythene to control water absorption and speed drying, and should not therefore be mixed with other waste paper destined for conventional paper recovery. Waste photographic paper should be disposed of by incineration with energy recovery. If suitable incineration facilities are unavailable; the waste may be disposed of to landfill without risk of adverse environmental effects.
Should I recover silver from my photo processing solutions?
Silver is a valuable resource, and can easily and cost-effectively be recovered and reused. If you are discharging silver bearing waste solutions (fixer, bleach-fix, and stabilizers or wash waters) to the sewer for biological treatment, you will almost certainly have to recover silver to keep within the discharge limits imposed by your local authority.
Silver recovery, the process used to harvest the silver from photographic processing solutions, can be done in several ways, depending on the size of your operation, the concentration of silver in your effluent, and the silver discharge limits in your local area. Not only does silver recovery allow laboratories to keep in compliance with discharge regulations, but promotes the sustainability of non-renewable natural resources.
If the size of your photo-processing operation makes on-site recovery impractical, then silver-containing solutions can be collected and shipped to an off-site recovery facility. There are many waste management companies that specialize in silver recovery. You will be responsible for collecting and storing the waste safely, and for telling the waste management company about its hazards (if any) so that they can transport and treat it safely.
After silver recovery, how do I measure the silver content of my effluent before discharging to the sewer system?
A number of techniques are available to measure silver in photographic processing effluent, but only precise analytical results from a certified analytical laboratory, with personnel trained to perform silver analysis, should be used to demonstrate regulatory compliance.
All samples should be collected in clean, unused containers, properly labeled, and sent immediately to the chosen laboratory. You may need to request analyses for Total Recoverable Silver or Total Dissolved Silver, depending on the requirements of your local discharge regulation.