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Waste Management Solutions

Maximizing performance. Minimizing waste.

At GMA, we focus on enhancing operational efficiency while minimizing abrasive waste and the environmental impact of blasting.

Waste Management Solutions
Abrasive disposal

Cost-effective waste management solutions

Using GMA Garnet™ reduces waste disposal costs and maintenance expenses. Our durable abrasives and solutions for garnet disposal and recycling support a more sustainable and cost-effective operation. Partnering with GMA means choosing a safer and environmentally responsible approach to waste management.

 

Find out more about recycling spent garnet through the Garnet Return program.

Cost-effective waste management solutions

The advantages of using GMA Garnet™

Cleaner operations

Cleaner operations

High-performance GMA Garnet™ abrasives deliver the cleanest surface of any abrasive, enhancing corrosion protection and reducing maintenance.

Lower hazard potential

Lower hazard potential

While traditional slags can result in hazardous waste, our abrasives containing non-toxic garnet have a much lower potential for being hazardous.

More economical

More economical

GMA minimizes abrasive consumption and disposal costs by offering an environmentally responsible, cost-effective approach to waste management.

Sustainability

Reprocessing and recycling: Closing the loop

GMA is committed to sustainability through innovative recycling programs that simplify waste management for our customers. Unlike slags, which often end up in costly hazardous waste landfills, our garnet abrasives deliver the cleanest surface preparation of any mineral or slag abrasive, contributing to a circular economy and making waste management easier, which ultimately saves money from the bottom line. 

Reprocessing and recycling: Closing the loop
Case study

Shipyard saves on disposal costs with transition to GMA

A New York Harbor shipyard previously used slag abrasives for blasting maintenance and contended with high operational costs and poor productivity. By switching to GMA ToughBlast™, the shipyard achieved substantial savings across the operation, eliminating disposal costs and reducing abrasive consumption by 70%. 

Shipyard saves on disposal costs with transition to GMA

Frequently asked questions

Find answers to FAQs about the Garnet Return program. For more information on how it works, visit the FAQs library.

How does the GMA Garnet Return Program work?

Customers send used garnet from waterjet cutting or abrasive blasting operations to one of our collection points, and we reprocess the material in one of our state-of-the-art processing plants. Before used garnet can be returned, we must ensure it is environmentally safe to transport and process.

  • To ensure all loads of garnet are non-hazardous, a 100-gram sample of used garnet must be tested with a Third-Party Environmental Laboratory for Resource Conservation and Recovery ACT (RCRA 8 Metals) via Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) analysis (RCRA 8 TCLP).
  • Next, a sample is submitted to the appropriate GMA laboratory for a Sieve Analysis to determine if the garnet is viable for reprocessing.
  • If suitable and safe, GMA will issue a return authorization upon completing a simple Garnet Profile Form.
GMA will reprocess the garnet just as we process freshly mined garnet, according to our same strict standards and testing.

The cost will include the TCLP analysis, transportation of the material to the GMA facility, and, in special cases, GMA handling fees. These costs differ depending on transportation distance, lab fees, and other variables.

Typically, costs are lower if your facility is closer to a collection point. Our beneficial use collection points are located in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania; Cincinnati, Ohio; Coos Bay, Oregon; and Houston, Texas.

GMA does not purchase the used garnet. However, allowing GMA to recycle your garnet is, in most cases, more affordable than paying for other methods of garnet disposal. We work with customers to create a sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly arrangement.

Speak to your local GMA Garnet™ expert

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